Target National Accounts Lead - Growth & Partnerships

Heartland-Food-Products-Group; Carmel (IN); Remote; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Accounts Manager (NAM) to lead our business with Target and smaller regional accounts, some of Heartland's most strategic retail partners. This role requires a proven CPG sales leader with direct experience calling on Target, established relationships with merchandising teams, and a passion for building brands through strong retailer collaboration.

The NAM will own the relationship, develop Joint Business Plans, manage assortment, pricing,

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Own Strategic Customer Leadership: Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for Target.
• 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 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 Target.
• Lead promotional planning, display strategy, and in-store/online execution 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.
• 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: 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 Target internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations.
• Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies.

Skills

CPG sales

Key account management

Target account management

Relationship building

Job description

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Accounts Manager (NAM) to lead our business with Target and smaller regional accounts, some of Heartland's most strategic retail partners. This role requires a proven CPG sales leader with direct experience calling on Target, established relationships with merchandising teams, and a passion for building brands through strong retailer collaboration.

The NAM will own the relationship, develop Joint Business Plans, manage assortment, pricing,