National Account Manager

Heartland Food Products Group; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager to lead our AWG partnership with proven CPG sales leadership and direct AWG experience. You will own strategic customer leadership, develop annual Joint Business Plans, and drive assortment, pricing, merchandising, and promotions with merchandising teams.

You will own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for AWG, lead promotional planning and in-store execution, and mentor a direct report while collaborating

Qualifications

• 7+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience.
• Direct experience calling on AWG is required.
• Established relationships with AWG merchandising teams.
• Strong understanding of grocery retail, trade management, and category management.
• Proven track record of delivering profitable growth.
• Prior people management experience or readiness to lead.

Responsibilities

• Own strategic customer leadership for AWG as primary sales lead.
• Develop and execute Joint Business Plans aligned to growth and profitability.
• Lead assortment, pricing, merchandising, and promotional strategies.
• Champion innovation and new item launches with customer alignment.
• Own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for AWG.
• Lead promotional planning and in-store/online execution with merchandising teams.
• Use syndicated data and insights to identify category opportunities.
• Lead and develop talent including direct report.

Skills

Key Account Management

CPG Sales

Customer Leadership

AWG Calling Experience

Merchandising Relationships

Job description

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead our business with AWG, oneof Heartland’s most strategic retail partners. This role is ideal for a proven CPG sales leader with direct experience calling on this account, established relationships with merchandising teams, and a passion for building brands through strong retailer collaboration.

This position can be based in Kansas City or Chicago, and includes leadership responsibility for one direct report (Key Account Manager).

What You’ll Do

Own Strategic Customer Leadership

• Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for AWG
• Build and deepen partnerships with merchandising teams to drive mutual growth
• Represent Heartland’s brand portfolio with confidence, credibility, and a growth mindset

Drive Growth Across Heartland’s Brand Portfolio

• Develop and execute annual Joint Business Plans aligned to Heartland’s growth, profitability, and brand-building priorities
• Lead assortment, pricing, merchandising, and promotional strategies that expand distribution and household penetration
• Champion innovation and new item launches, ensuring strong customer alignment and flawless execution

Deliver Results Through Best-in-Class Execution

• Own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for AWG
• Lead promotional planning, display strategy, and in-store/online execution in partnership with merchandising teams
• Provide accurate forecasting and demand inputs to support high service levels and efficient inventory management

Leverage Insights to Win at Shelf

• Use syndicated data (Circana/IRI, Nielsen) and customer insights to identify category opportunities and support fact-based selling
• Partner with customer merchandising teams to improve shelf placement, promotional ROI, and execution quality
• Translate data into clear, compelling stories that support brand and category growth

Lead and Develop Talent

• Directly manage and coach one Key Account Manager
• Set clear priorities, provide ongoing feedback, and support professional development
• Lead with Heartland’s values and foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture

Collaborate Cross-Functionally

• Act as the voice of AWG internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations
• Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience
• Direct experience calling on AWG required
• Established relationships with AWG merchandising teams
• Strong understanding of grocery retail, trade management, and category management
• Proven track record of delivering profitable growth
• Prior people management experience or demonstrated readiness to lead

Preferred Experience

• Experience managing branded food or beverage portfolios
• Strong analytical and financial acumen
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, matrixed organization