National Category Sales Lead – Sauces Growth

Hormel Foods; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 156,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with employer match

Stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Hormel Foods Corporation in Orange, CA is seeking a National Category Sales Manager to lead the strategic plan and drive growth for MegaMex sauces, aligning Marketing, Sales, and cross‑functional partners to win at key accounts.

The role focuses on developing annual plans, optimizing trade spend, and delivering sustainable profitability, with travel up to 10%. Relocation support to Orange, CA may be offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of Sales/Marketing/Sales Strategy experience.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Pattern of initiative.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Applicants must not now, or at any time in the future, require sponsorship for a work visa.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

Responsibilities

• Owns and champions the national strategy, performance, and long-term growth agenda for the assigned sauces categories and brands.
• Leads the strategic planning process by partnering with marketing to develop and execute brand strategies that deliver sustainable top‑line growth, market share gains, and profitability objectives.
• Develops and manages annual operating/sales plans (AOP), volume targets, and trade investment strategies, ensuring alignment across customers, channels, and organizational growth priorities while maximizing return on investment.
• Serves as the primary commercial leader and connector between the Retail Sales organization and MegaMex cross‑functional partners, driving alignment among Retail Leadership, Field Sales, Revenue Growth Management, Brand Analytics, Marketing, and Sales Strategy teams.
• Partners closely with Sales leadership and customer teams to translate brand strategies into winning customer plans, support high‑impact customer negotiations, and unlock growth opportunities across key retail accounts.
• Optimizes trade investment and resource allocation to drive profitable growth, improve investment effectiveness, and achieve financial and brand performance objectives.
• Leads forecasting and business planning activities for volume, net sales, trade spend, and gross margin across the assigned portfolio. Actively influence the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process by identifying risks, opportunities, and actions necessary to deliver business commitments and 18‑month volume projections.
• Creates and deploys insight‑driven, field‑ready selling solutions that translate category, shopper, and consumer insights into actionable growth strategies. Equips field teams with compelling category visions, selling stories, and growth platforms that strengthen customer partnerships and accelerate category leadership.
• Monitors business performance and proactively identifies opportunities and risks, recommending strategic actions that improve execution, strengthen customer engagement, and deliver against annual operating objectives.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Pattern of initiative

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Written and verbal communication

Independent work

Leadership

Visa sponsorship not required

Authorized to work in US

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Hormel Foods Corporation in Orange, CA is seeking a National Category Sales Manager to lead the strategic plan and drive growth for MegaMex sauces, aligning Marketing, Sales, and cross‑functional partners to win at key accounts.

The role focuses on developing annual plans, optimizing trade spend, and delivering sustainable profitability, with travel up to 10%. Relocation support to Orange, CA may be offered.