Sr Account Manager, Alternate Channel - Remote

KeHE; Naperville (IL); Remote; USD 86,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading natural food distributor is seeking a Senior Account Manager for their Alternate Channel. The role focuses on managing strategic accounts, driving profitable growth, and leading a team while ensuring customer satisfaction. Ideal candidates have a strong background in CPG sales, leadership experience, and a strategic mindset. Join a company committed to good living and exceptional service.

Benefits

Health/Rx

Dental

Vision

Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)

Supplemental life insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Paid sick time

Short term & long term disability coverage

Employee stock ownership (ESOP)

Holiday pay for designated holidays

Qualifications

• 5+ years leading teams in CPG or food distribution sales.
• 8+ years progressive experience in sales.
• Experience with Alternate Channel/Specialty Retail preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage high-value accounts focusing on growth and profitability.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans.
• Coach team members to improve performance and collaboration.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Coaching

Leadership

Communication

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, or a related field

Job description

Why Work for KeHE?

• Full-time
• Pay Range: $86,305.00/Yr. - $126,506.00/Yr.
• Shift Days: , Shift Time:
• Benefits on Day 1
  • Health/Rx
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
  • Supplemental life insurance
  • 401(k)
  • Paid time off
  • Paid sick time
  • Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
  • Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
  • Holiday pay for company designated holidays
  Overview

  Good people, working with good people, for our common good.

  Sound good?

  KeHE-a natural, organic, specialty and fresh food distributor-is all about "good" and is growing, so there's never been a more exciting time to join our team. If you're enthusiastic about working in an environment with a people-first culture and an organization committed to good living, good food and good service, we'd love to talk to you!

  Primary Responsibilities

  The Senior Account Manager – Alternate Channel is responsible for managing a high-value book of business with a strategic focus on long-term growth, customer satisfaction, and profitability. This individual reports directly to the Director of Sales – Alternate Channel and will lead and develop a team of individual contributors, overseeing their performance, growth, and contribution to department objectives. In addition to team leadership, this role manages high-impact projects and programs that influence department-wide outcomes. This position requires a strategic perspective—both short- and long-term (1–3 years)—and the ability to coach, mentor, and empower team members to drive business success. The Senior Account Manager will champion cross-functional collaboration, lead sales strategy development, and maintain accountability for financial performance, service levels, and relationship health across key accounts. Ultimately, the scorecard for success will be measured by the increase in profitable sales, the strength of internal and external relationships, and the development and performance of the team.

  Essential Functions
  • Drive profitable sales growth through analytical, fact-based selling and innovative promotional planning.
  • Develop and execute strategic account plans aligned with company goals, considering both near-term results and long-range business objectives.
  • Hold internal and external business reviews targeting open-selling opportunities.
  • Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for customer relationships while maintaining strong internal partnerships across supply chain, operations, and category management.
  • Identify and capitalize on new business opportunities; lead business reviews to assess performance, identify gaps, and implement corrective actions.
  • Act as project lead or department lead on strategic initiatives, with full accountability for outcomes and cross-functional coordination.
  • Coach and mentor team members; foster a culture of performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Maintain vendor, broker, and internal stakeholder relationships to align product assortment, pricing strategies, promotional execution, and customer service delivery.
  • Monitor market conditions and competitive activity; develop data-driven responses to changing trends and customer needs.
  • Ensure timely communication and coordination with internal teams including pricing, marketing, logistics, and replenishment.
  • Coordinates with Operations, Transportation, and Supply Chain to maintain service level targets, on-time delivery performance, and other operational related focuses.
  • Manage and monitor all aspects of customer account health, including receivables, item setup, pricing changes, and operational performance.
  • Utilize insights and data to forecast demand, recommend product assortment changes, and educate customers on category trends and innovations.
  Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude
  • • Strategic thinking with a 1–3-year outlook; proven ability to align tactical execution with long-term vision.
    • Demonstrated experience in coaching and developing direct reports or cross-functional teams.
    • Strong leadership presence with sound judgment and the ability to make high-impact decisions independently.
    • Deep understanding of grocery retail, CPG, and/or specialty/natural product segments.
    • Skilled in verbal and written communication across diverse audiences including executive stakeholders.
    • Proficient in using data to identify priorities, optimize plans, and drive continuous improvement.
    • Ability to build trust-based partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
    • Financial acumen with experience using key performance indicators (KPIs) to manage account health.
    • Change leader who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments.
    • Strong organizational skills, detail orientated, and results-driven mindset.
    • Willingness to travel domestically 30% of the time.

    EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

    • Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, or a related field preferred; equivalent work experience considered.5+ years of experience leading teams
    • Minimum 8+ years of progressive experience in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) or food distribution sales.
    • Minimum 5+ years in leadership or team management capacity.
    • Experience with Alternate Channel and/or Specialty Retail is strongly preferred.

    PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

    These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

  Requisition ID2025-26739Equal Employer Opportunity StatementKeHE Distributors provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or faith, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training as well as the administration of all Human Resources and Talent Acquisition processes.