Senior Director, Sales - Walmart SSD

Job Description Summary:

At The Coca‑Cola Company, we refresh the world and make a difference through our brands, partnerships, and the shared value we create across every retail channel. Walmart represents one of our most influential global customers and a cornerstone of growth for the North America Operating Unit. The Senior Director, Sales – Walmart Sparkling Soft Drinks (SSD) leads Coca‑Cola’s high‑impact partnership with Walmart, driving category leadership, profitable growth, and transformational collaboration across both physical and digital retail.

This role serves as the senior commercial leader responsible for shaping Coca‑Cola’s long‑term customer strategy, enabling omnichannel growth, and delivering sustainable outcomes through enterprise‑wide alignment. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in sales, revenue growth management, and category leadership, paired with the ability to influence senior executives, lead change, and build high‑performing teams. Success in this role means setting the direction for how Coca‑Cola and Walmart engage, innovate, and grow together—establishing Coca‑Cola as Walmart’s most valued beverage partner.

What You’ll Do for Us

• Lead the Walmart Sparkling Soft Drinks business with accountability for commercial strategy, annual operating plans, execution excellence, and overall business performance.
• Shape and deliver a multi‑year growth vision that enhances Coca‑Cola’s category leadership while creating sustainable value for Walmart, consumers, and the Coca‑Cola System.
• Build trusted, senior‑level relationships with Walmart’s leadership across merchandising, digital, finance, operations, and omnichannel teams, fostering long‑term partnership alignment.
• Develop and present customer‑specific strategies and business plans incorporating growth priorities, innovation initiatives, and investment choices aligned to shopper and category insights.
• Serve as lead negotiator for major commercial discussions across assortment, pricing, promotion, innovation launches, and merchandising programs.
• Partner with Marketing and Category Leadership to translate Coca‑Cola’s sparkling beverage brand strategies into customer‑specific programs that drive joint category success.
• Advance omnichannel transformation by integrating store, pickup, delivery, retail media, and digital shelf activation into a unified growth agenda.
• Collaborate across functional areas—including Revenue Growth Management, Finance, Supply Chain, Digital Commerce, and Franchise Leadership—to drive execution consistency and alignment.
• Lead business reviews with Walmart executives, connecting performance results, market insights, customer value, and forward‑looking opportunities.
• Champion the use of AI‑enabled tools, data analytics, and shopper insights to determine actionable strategies that enhance profitability and customer engagement.
• Partner with bottling and franchise teams to ensure flawless execution of promotional calendars, assortment planning, and replenishment programs.
• Anticipate marketplace shifts and competitive dynamics, positioning Coca‑Cola to respond proactively to evolving customer and consumer trends.
• Lead, coach, and inspire high‑performing teams, building enterprise capability, promoting professional growth, and embedding a culture of collaboration and accountability.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced business degree strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in sales, commercial strategy, or customer management within CPG, beverage, food, or retail environments.
• Significant experience leading Walmart‑specific business portfolios and building senior executive relationships with customer decision‑makers.
• Proven success managing highly strategic, complex customer partnerships and delivering sustained revenue and profit growth.
• Expertise in joint business planning, category leadership, commercial negotiations, and long‑range customer development.
• In‑depth understanding of omnichannel retail ecosystems, including Walmart.com, pickup and delivery, retail media, connected commerce, and digital shelf optimization.
• Strong foundation in revenue growth management, pricing strategy, promotional performance analysis, and investment optimization.
• Advanced financial acumen with experience managing trade investment, profitability, and commercial performance metrics.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage shopper insights, analytics, and AI‑driven data tools to inform strategic decisions and business outcomes.
• Excellent knowledge of supply chain, replenishment, inventory management, and operational planning relative to major retail customers.
• Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills with the proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive execution across a matrixed organization.
• Track record of leading transformation, driving cultural change, and developing teams capable of agile delivery and innovative problem-solving.

What We’ll Do for You

• Provide a senior commercial platform to influence one of Coca‑Cola’s most critical retail partnerships and shape growth for a key product category.
• Enable access to advanced analytics, digital commerce tools, and AI capabilities to drive smarter decisions and actionable growth strategies.
• Offer opportunities to engage directly with senior customer executives and system partners to co‑create innovation, value creation, and sustainable growth solutions.
• Foster enterprise connectivity through cross‑functional leadership across global brands, bottling partners, and commercial teams to advance transformation initiatives.

The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Skills:

Account Management, Analytical Thinking, Business Development, Business Planning, Communication, Consultative Sales Management, Contract Agreements, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Decision Making, Leadership, Long Term Planning, Marketing, Negotiation, Pitch Presentations, Relationship Building, Sales Forecasting, Sales Management, Sales Process, Solutions Selling, Waterfall Model

Pay Range:

United States: 174,000 - 200,000 USD

Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Annual Incentive Reference Value Percentage:

30

Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target.

Location(s):

United States of America

City/Cities:

Rogers

Travel Required:

00% - 25%

Relocation Provided:

No

Job Posting End Date:

October 30, 2026

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.