Company Description:
Darey Brands ® is a leading manufacturer of sustainable, better-for-you specialty dairy. The company produces the iconic Meyenberg® goat dairy portfolio (milk, butter, yogurt, kefir) and Green Valley® lactose-free cow milk dairy portfolio (milk, butter, yogurt, kefir, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream). Darey Brands also co-manufactures premium plant-based dairy alternatives.
Our products are sold nationwide at leading grocery, mass, natural, specialty, and online retailers including Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, HEB, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walmart, Amazon, Instacart, and more.
Established in 2022, Darey Brands united two long-standing specialty dairy companies — Meyenberg and Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery — bringing together more than 90 years of category leadership. We’re proud to be one of the original innovators in specialty dairy in the United States, with commanding 90% share of market in key categories.
Darey Brands operates from two primary locations in Sebastopol, CA and Turlock, CA, with approximately 100 employees. The company is wholly owned by Emmi Group (EMMN), a Switzerland-based global dairy leader with over $5 billion in annual sales, 12,000 employees, operations in 15 countries, and distribution in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Role Overview:
The National Sales Manager is responsible for delivering profitable national revenue growth across the Club, Food Service, Mass, and Grocery channels for a high-growth, branded food company, as well as developing and expanding the company’s private label business. This role owns channel and account development, distributor and operator expansion, private label program development with retail and food service partners, and direct management of broker partners to ensure disciplined execution, accountability, and strong ROI. The position partners closely with cross-functional teams, including operations, R&D, quality, and finance, to scale both branded and private label business and consistently deliver results. This position reports directly to the Darey Brands Vice President of Sales.
Key Responsibilities:
The following reflects management’s definition of essential job functions but does not limit assigned duties.
Responsibilities may evolve based on business needs and individual development:
- Own national sales performance across Club, Food Service, Mass and Grocery channels, for both branded and private label businesses, delivering revenue, volume, and gross margin targets.
- Develop and executecustomer-specific business plansthat align brand strategy with channel dynamics, operator/shopper needs, assortment priorities, pricing architecture, and promotional strategies.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives across Sales, Marketing, R&D, Finance, and Supply Chain to drive successful commercialization, innovation, and execution of channel-specific programs.
- Partner with Marketing and R&D to develop and execute brand strategies, product concepts, and packaging tailored to the unique needs of Club and Food Service channels.
- Collaborate with Finance and Supply Chain to ensure pricing, cost structure, forecasting, and operational readiness align with channel strategies and customer requirements.
- Identify, negotiate, and close new national and regional account opportunities, including distributors, operators, and retail customers.
- Identify, pursue, and win private label opportunities with retailers, club, and food service customers, leading RFP and bid responses, cost and margin modeling, and contract negotiations to deliver profitable, long-term supply agreements.
- Partner with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to manage private label programs from product specification and customer approval through launch and ongoing supply, ensuring private label volume supports plant utilization without compromising branded business priorities.
- Lead all broker relationships, including selection, onboarding, goal setting, and ongoing performance management.
- Translate company priorities into clear broker execution plans across distribution, merchandising, promotions, and new product launches.
- Manage pricing, trade spend, and promotional strategies with a disciplined ROI mindset.
- Utilizesales data, syndicated insights, and customer analyticsto drive distribution gains, velocity growth, and category expansion across channels.
- Leadquarterly and annual business planning, including forecasting, demand planning inputs, scorecarding, and execution tracking across Club, Food Service, Mass and Grocery accounts.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations to ensure strong in-market execution.
- Deliver accurate sales forecasting, pipeline management, and performance reporting to senior leadership.
- Monitor competitive activity and channel trends to identify growth opportunities and mitigate risk.
- Travel nationally (approximately 25%) to meet with brokers, distributors, operators, and customers; attend company meetings and industry events.
Broker Management KPIs:
- Distribution gains and authorized SKU expansion
- Promotional compliance and merchandising execution
- Sales velocity and incremental volume growth
- Forecast accuracy and pipeline conversion
- Trade spend efficiency and ROI
- Quality, consistency, and timeliness of broker reporting
Required Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities):
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and abilities required.
- Proven success managing national accounts and broker networks.
- Strong financial and analytical skills, including pricing, forecasting, and trade spend management.
- Excellent negotiation, presentation, and executive-level communication skills.
- Solid data-driven decision-making and results-oriented.
- Proficient in syndicated data (SPINS and NIQ).
- Skilled in statistical analysis and problem solving. Including advanced data retrieval and manipulation for key insights.
- Highly skilled in building relationships, influencing others and leading change.
- Ability to work collaboratively across functions and obtain necessary buy-in from stakeholders.
- Ability to manage in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities.
- Flexible and can work off-hours and/or weekends, if required.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; MBA or advanced degree in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration or related field preferred.
- 5+ years of progressive sales experience in Club, Food Service, Mass and/or Grocery channels (branded food) or CPG preferred.
- Valid Driver’s License, and clean DMVR
- Ability to travel nationally to conduct job duties, approximately 25% of the time.
- Authorized to work in U.S.
- This position is remote; Western US Based - PST zone is preferred.
Darey Brands Core Values:
- PUT PEOPLE FIRST
- We respect everyone and celebrate diversity and inclusion, learning from each other and inspiring personal growth.
- OBSESS OVER QUALITY
- We believe great taste and positive experiences drive success. We continually innovate to delight consumers and customers.
- DO WHAT IT TAKES
- We collaborate, embrace challenges, and act with passion and a solution-oriented mindset. We communicate honestly, build trust, and have fun.
- HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE
- We strive to balance people, planet, and profit while caring for our team, community, and environment.
Starting Salary Range:
$ 120,000– $140,000 Base + Bonus
Employee Benefits & Perks:
- Competitive compensation (base + bonus)
- Generous PTO and paid holidays
- Employer 401(k) matching program
- Professional development and training opportunities
Essential Physical Requirements:
The physical requirements listed are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and key responsibilities of this position. Reasonable accommodati on may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Primarily remote, work from home office working environment. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer (data entry, reporting, analysis). Frequent keyboarding and use of standard office equipment, including computers, phones, and printers. Occasional standing, walking, bending, or reaching access files or office supplies. Ability to lift and carry items up to 10–25 pounds (e.g., product samples, sales/marketing materials, or office supplies). Moderate travel may be required for meetings, conferences, industry visits, or training.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Darey Brands is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.