Overall Goal of the Position:
Own and accelerate Sauer Brands growth with Publix and assigned Southeast regional grocers by delivering volume, profit, share, distribution, merchandising, assortment, pricing, shelving, forecasting, and flawless retail execution objectives. This role builds customer intimacy, turns data into fact-based selling stories, and drives cross-functional accountability to make our vision come to life with strategic grocery partners.
Job Summary:
The National Account Manager (Regional Sales Manager) is accountable for building, managing, and delivering the annual business plan for Publix and assigned SE regional grocers. The role leads customer strategy, broker execution, trade planning, category insights, new item commercialization, forecasting, deductions/root-cause resolution, and joint business planning while partnering across Sales, Category, Finance, Revenue Growth, Supply Chain, Customer Marketing, and Brand teams.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Deliver sales, profit, distribution, share, velocity, and trade-spend objectives for Publix and assigned SE grocers.
- Develop account plans, customer selling stories, line-review materials, promotional calendars, and annual business reviews.
- Own Publix relationship management, including buyer/category manager engagement, business reviews, planning meetings, and issue resolution.
- Lead broker partners and retail execution teams to achieve MAPS objectives: merchandising, assortment, pricing, and shelving.
- Use customer POS, syndicated data, internal sales reporting, and competitive insights to identify risks, opportunities, and action plans.
- Partner with Demand Planning, Supply Chain, and Customer Service on forecast accuracy, service levels, new item speed-to-shelf, and in-stock execution.
- Manage trade plans, promotional effectiveness, pricing recommendations, deductions/claims, and SKU mix profitability.
- Coordinate cross-functionally to deliver timely updates to leadership and ensure customer commitments are met.
Performance Standards:
- Revenue, gross margin, distribution, share growth, velocity per ACV point
- Channel development
- Net price growth
- Forecast accuracy, spending effectiveness, pricing and margin optimization
- Trade spend optimization
- Leadership contribution
- Communication
- Teamwork
What We Are Looking For:
Personal Characteristics
- Entrepreneurial drive and desire to build the business.
- Disciplined, accountable, no-excuses approach.
- Collaborative, diplomatic, and effective across customer, broker, and internal teams.
- Smart, creative, inquisitive, and comfortable communicating the facts.
- Leadership contribution
- Teamwork
- High integrity, positive attitude, and values that align with Sauer Brands.
- Competitive mindset with the drive to compete and win every day.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor degree in business, marketing, or related field preferred.
- Publix experience required; direct supplier, broker, category, or customer-team experience strongly preferred.
- 5-7 Years CPG grocery account management experience with proven ownership of customer plans, trade budgets, business reviews, and retail execution.
- Ability to build fact-based selling stories and present succinctly to customers and senior leaders.
- Strong analytical capability using customer POS, syndicated/category data (NIQ), Excel, PowerPoint, and internal reporting tools.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and cross-functional deliverables with urgency and accuracy.
Other:
- Ability to travel for customer meetings, market visits, broker meetings, and business reviews as needed (50% Required, including overnight stays).
What Is In It For You?
Our company acknowledges talented people are attracted to companies that provide competitive pay, comprehensive benefits packages and outstanding advancement opportunities. For this reason, we offer a Comprehensive Benefits Plan that includes the following:
- 401K
- Medical/Dental/Vision Coverage
- Vacation, Sick Days and Holidays
- Parental Leave
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Employee and Dependent Life Insurance
- Voluntary Disability Insurance
- Other Voluntary Insurance Options
Sauer Brands, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field
- Publix experience
- 5–7 years of CPG grocery account management experience
- Proven ownership of customer plans, trade budgets, business reviews, and retail execution
- Ability to build fact-based selling stories and present succinctly to customers and senior leaders
- Strong analytical capability using customer POS, syndicated/category data, NIQ, Excel, PowerPoint, and internal reporting tools
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and cross-functional deliverables with urgency and accuracy
- Ability to travel 50%, including overnight stays
What We Do
Sauer Brands, Inc. is a Richmond, Virginia-based food company that builds and markets flavor-focused consumer brands. Its portfolio includes Duke’s Mayo, Mateo’s Salsa, and Kernel Season’s, along with other condiments, seasonings, and flavor-enhancing products. The company distributes these products nationally through retail and foodservice channels across American consumer markets, emphasizing culinary depth, brand growth, expanded distribution, and a “flavor comes first” philosophy.
