Account Manager - Southeast

Critical Mass Group works with some of the most innovative, exciting brands in the food and beverage space. Our extensive expertise, strategic relationships and relentless execution in sales and distribution provides our unique brands the foundation and pathway for sustainable growth. Our team of experts build outstanding brands.

This role will be based in the greater Southeast region of the United States, ideally in the Asheville or Charlotte, NC area.

Responsibilities for this position are as follows:

Job Summary:

The Account Manager is responsible for growing sales of the Company’s brand partners at current and new retailers in their area of responsibility. This position is tasked with delivering profitable sales results, which include engaging existing and new retail accounts, creating successful promotional plans, and expanding distribution through existing and new distribution partners.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• General / Strategic
  • Create, build, and maintain strong partnerships with distributors and retailers to grow brands in the assigned geography.
  • Executes the go-to-market strategy for brands in retail channels in the assigned geography:
    • Drives sales in current footprint.
    • Expands into new regional retailers.
    • Grows footprint of regional chains through distribution network.
    • Builds sustainable, long term, relationships with our retailer partners.
  • Strong emphasis on continued education with internal and external sales teams on category management, innovation, market conditions, competitor knowledge and trends in their area of responsibility.
• Promotional Planning
  • Develops, presents, and executes brand promotional plan on a retailer-by-retailer basis.
  • Improves execution of distribution, new item introductions, schematic implementation, promotional plans, forecasts, and channel strategies.
  • Communicate to our distributor partners to execute in trade execution with upcoming promotional programs and activities.
• Analytical Reporting
  • Prepares, develops, and delivers metrics and analytical reports that give the internal team and brand partners timely, flexible, and structured access to their business information.
  • Requesting and analyzing distribution reports to determine market coverage and opportunities for future growth.
  • Conducting store audits (with field sales reps or merchandisers) to ensure merchandizing standards are adhered to and promotional programming is being executed.
  • Builds a seamless connection internally with management to track and manage promotional spending and accrual funds to maximize return on investment; drives profitable volume for trade spend levels.
  • Work with the management team to understand business and functional requirements, implement solutions to support their analytical and reporting needs, and assist them in identifying patterns and anomalies.
  • Optimize sales and operational efficiency through innovative thinking, process improvement, data manipulation, system enhancement and best practices.
• Brand Management / Relations
  • Assures a high level of customer service by handling customer concerns and follow-up in a proactive manner.
  • Resolve customer issues by following appropriate administrative processes and company policies and escalating issues to management as appropriate.
  • Ability to understand, create and deliver high-quality audience-appropriate communication with brand partners.
  • Assure a high level of customer service by handling brand concerns and follow-up in a proactive manner via phone, email, and in person.
  • Report back progress, successes, and challenges to management in timely manner.
• Miscellaneous
  • Participate in distributor kick offs, reoccurring meetings, and ride along to promote the company brands.
  • Works to help coordinate, as well as participate, in trade shows (i.e. Natural Products Expo, Fancy Foods, NACS and distributor shows).
  • Demonstrate a passion for all the Company’s products.
  • Embrace our brand image and model the Company’s cultures, values, and behavior – always represents the Company in a positive and energetic manner!

Qualifications, Skills, and Education:

• This position should be passionate about food and beverages. He or she considers themselves an independent thinker and doer, and some who loves to introduce friends to new things they’ve discovered, especially food and beverages.
• Bachelor’s degree (B.A or B.S) in Sales, Business Administration, Business Management.
• 2+ years of successful sales experience with increased responsibility with retail customers.
• Established relationships and demonstrated success working with key retail accounts along with the associated distributors serving these channels.
• Working knowledge of financials used in the sales process such as costing, margin, profitability, promotional spending, and allowances.
• Passionate and results oriented individual who demonstrates persistence in the face of obstacles – ability to problem solves and innovate to succeed.
• Strong planning and organizational skills along with excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication, and presentation skills.
• Full competence with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in a hands-on, fast paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Highly adaptable and resourceful; proactive versus reactive.
• Proficient in Syndicated Data Tools including, but not limited to SPINs, IRI, Nielsen, etc.