Alternative Channels Sales Manager

At 1440 Foods, we're on a mission to energize people to unleash their full potential with a portfolio of great-tasting, high-protein snacks and supplements. Our brands Pure Protein®, Body Fortress®, MET-Rx®, and FITCrunch® make better nutrition accessible, enjoyable, and part of an active lifestyle.

As a fast-growing sports and active nutrition company, we are shaping the future of health and wellness in CPG. If you're looking to make a big impact in a high-growth, entrepreneurial environment, we'd love to have you on board!

Position Overview:

The Alternative Channels Sales Manager is responsible for developing, managing, and growing 1440 Foods' presence across Value, Drug, and Alternative/Specialty Retail channels — including off-price, hardware, farm & ranch, automotive, sporting goods, travel, entertainment, and foodservice accounts. This role drives distribution, velocity, and brand visibility by building strong distributor and retail partnerships, while leading execution across a diverse set of headquarter-call accounts.

We are looking for a highly motivated, entrepreneurial sales leader with a passion for health and wellness and a proven ability to grow business across multiple channels. This role requires strong relationship-building skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to influence cross-functional partners and broker teams.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy building brands through strategic selling and executional excellence, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Responsibilities:

Distributor Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with foodservice and vending distributors including Vistar, Core-Mark, Sysco, and regional partners.
• Create monthly and quarterly promotion activity for distributors to drive incremental placement and close distribution gaps across serviced accounts.
• Conduct regular business reviews with distributor representatives to track performance, identify gaps, and execute joint business plans.
• Train and educate distributor sales teams on 1440 Foods' product portfolio, selling points, and brand story.
• Manage deductions, credits, and promotional programs within established guidelines.

Value Channel

• Develop and grow business within value and dollar channel accounts (e.g., Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General).
• Present tailored assortments and value-pack configurations aligned to channel shopper profiles.
• Partner with trade marketing team to develop channel-specific programs and promotional pricing strategies.

Drug Channel Channel

• Open new, manage, and grow existing health food store accounts, including Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, independents, co-ops, and regional natural chains.
• Secure prominent shelf placement and in-store promotional support.
• Leverage distributor relationships to drive pull-through and replenishment at store level.
• Partner with brokers where applicable to maximize coverage and account penetration.

Alternative & Specialty Retail Channel

• Manage and grow a diverse book of headquarter-call accounts across off-price and discount retail (e.g., TJX, Ross, Burlington, Five Below), hardware, farm & ranch, automotive, and sporting goods (e.g., Home Depot, Tractor Supply, AutoZone), and travel, entertainment, foodservice, and office/education accounts (e.g., Hudson News, Paradies, Cinemark, FedEx Office).
• Navigate channel-specific buying mechanics, including opportunistic/closeout programs, dealer-market buying shows, and distributor-managed concession and micro-market programs.
• Secure prominent checkout, front-end, and planned placement and negotiate promotional and program support.
• Leverage Vistar, Core-Mark, and other distributor relationships to drive pull-through, replenishment, and new account activation.
• Identify and convert new accounts within these channels and partner with brokers where applicable to maximize coverage and account penetration.

Reporting & Analytics

• Track weekly and monthly sales performance against targets using CRM tools and distributor portals.
• Analyze sell-in vs. sell-through data to identify trends, gaps, and growth opportunities.
• Provide accurate forecasts and account-level volume projections to the sales leadership team.
• Submit timely call reports, expense reports, and account activity summaries.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years CPG sales experience, preferably in the Alternative, Drug, and/or Value channels.
• Demonstrated experience calling on distributors and managing multi-channel retail accounts.
• Ability to analyze sales data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Proficiency in sales and analytics tools such as Power BI, Exceedra, IRI, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage a large territory independently.
• Experience with specialty distributors is a plus.
• Knowledge of wellness and functional food/beverage trends.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel up to 40%

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to lead a critical function in a growing mid-size CPG company.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial work culture.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Career development and growth opportunities.

If you are a driven sales leader with a passion for building brands and delivering results in a high-growth CPG environment, we invite you to apply and join our team!