National Account Manager – Kroger

Heartland Food Products Group; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartland Food Products Group in Cincinnati, OH seeks a National Account Manager to lead Kroger and regional accounts, leveraging established relationships with merchandising teams and a passion for building brands through retailer collaboration. The role is based in Cincinnati with potential leadership responsibility for one direct report (Key Account Manager).

You will own strategic customer leadership, drive growth across Heartland’s brand portfolio, and deliver results through best-in-class

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Own strategic customer leadership for Kroger and top accounts.
• 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 Kroger.
• Lead promotional planning, display strategy, and in-store/online execution with merchandising teams.
• Provide accurate forecasting and demand inputs to support high service levels.
• Use syndicated data and customer insights to identify category opportunities and improve shelf placement.
• Directly manage and coach one Key Account Manager and foster development.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align marketing, R&D, supply chain, and finance.

Skills

CPG sales

Kroger account leadership

Retail partnerships

Brand building

Team leadership

Job description

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead our business with Kroger and smaller regional accounts, that are someof 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 is based in Cincinnati, OH, and may include 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 Kroger
• 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 Kroger
• 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 Kroger 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 Kroger required
• Established relationships with Kroger merchandising teams
• Strong understanding of grocery retail, trade management, and category management
• Proven track record of delivering profitable growth