Senior Sales Leader, Specialty Retail – Southeast

The Coca-Cola Company; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Coca-Cola Company is seeking a Senior Manager, Sales - Specialty Retail to lead growth across the Southeast Region, including Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina, and Maryland. You will drive strategic business planning, customer relationships, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver sustainable beverage growth in specialty retail and on-site channels.

You’ll forecast sales and manage partnerships with executives, bottlers, and distributors, while translating insights

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of sales or account management experience in CPG, foodservice, or retail.
• Proven ability to develop and manage customer relationships delivering long‑term results.
• Experience negotiating and executing sales programs across multiple purchasing tiers.
• Analytical strength with data‑driven business cases and actionable growth insights.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with accuracy and detail.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Comfort in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments with collaboration.
• Understanding of retail and foodservice distribution channels preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership and drive for operational excellence in sales.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual and multi-year collaborative business planning with customers and internal teams.
• Forecast annual sales volume, revenue, and expenses aligned with goals.
• Negotiate and influence decisions through data and business cases.
• Conduct regular business reviews with specialty retail partners.
• Monitor performance against plans and adjust products/programs as needed.
• Build and maintain relationships with customer executives and distributors.
• Partner with supply chain and distributors to design direct supply strategies.
• Analyze market trends and share competitive intelligence.
• Collaborate across finance, marketing, and operations to leverage Coca‑Cola resources.
• Lead strategic discussions on innovation and new commercial opportunities.
• Use data and traffic insights to tailor business solutions.
• Serve as go-to CRM resource for Southeast Region; ensure service and engagement.
• Foster collaboration among bottling and distributor contacts.

Skills

Sales leadership

Account management

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Data-driven decision making

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Relationship building

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field

Job description

The Coca-Cola Company is seeking a Senior Manager, Sales - Specialty Retail to lead growth across the Southeast Region, including Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina, and Maryland. You will drive strategic business planning, customer relationships, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver sustainable beverage growth in specialty retail and on-site channels.

You’ll forecast sales and manage partnerships with executives, bottlers, and distributors, while translating insights