Retail Sales Lead - Nashville, TN

Retail Sales Lead

The Retail Sales Lead (RSL) leads, motivates, and develops a team of field sales representatives within an assigned geographic area to successfully sell and merchandise displays, and implement retail distribution priorities. You will ensure consistent communication between our direct customer teams and retail organization, collaborate with internal customer teams and external broker partners, and manage resource deployment.

Candidates for this role must be located in or willing to relocate to the Nashville, TN area.

Key Accountabilities

Problem Solving & Analytics

• Analyze data to develop selling strategies and tactics for field sales representatives to drive incremental sales

Selling Expertise & Leadership

• Effectively lead and execute National Retail Organization (NRO) retail priorities, including training, management, and directional support to field sales representatives
• Responsible for delivering business strategies, display plans, new product execution, established distribution, shelving, and merchandising priorities to field sales representatives
• Collaborate with Retail Customer/Area Manager (RCM/RAM) to develop account & market-based retail business plans aligning retail execution with General Mills' priorities and account specific needs.
• Average of 3 days per week in the field working with retail sales representatives, performing store audits & meeting with customer account teams
• Varies by location: As the NRO point-of contact (POC), meet with customer account teams on a frequent basis and review short-term/long-term promotional plans to develop retail executional strategies and tactics supporting key events
• Lead, motivate and develop Retail Sales Representatives (RSR) to build an effective retail team
• Monitor and coach RSRs through work-withs, individual skills development plans, and provide performance feedback
• Strive to attain a minimum of 3 work-withs per year, as appropriately needed, with each RSR
• Interview and hire RSR candidates with the right skills and motivation to represent General Mills

Executional Excellence

• Take personal accountability and ownership for results, and deeply understand customer needs
• Understand GMI products, categories, and brand priorities and how to link those to store opportunities
• Effectively deploy retail resources to support General Mill's strategic business plans
• Effectively manage team coverage against the retail deployment model to ensure RSRs are efficiently operating within an assigned territory
• Collaborate and provide direction to third-party partners to meet key account priorities (i.e. merchandising programs, new item surges and open territory coverage, point-of-sale executions)
• Partner with Customer Teams to set objectives to align on priorities for RSRs to drive distribution and merchandising
• Ensuring support materials are provided to RSRs (i.e. new item code numbers, direction on new item shelf-placement, updated distribution list).
• Monitor and provide feedback on aligned priorities

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• Must live within market area or be willing to relocate
• 3+ years of relevant experience in retail sales
• Previous people management experience
• Passion to sell/represent General Mills and our top consumer food brands
• Must be proficient in software packages (Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint) and able to use tablets (i.e. iPad)
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills and results orientation
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with internal and external partners
• Ability to build partnerships with key decision makers across and throughout an organization
• Strong problem solving, analytic, influencing, and negotiation skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, train, motivate, and provide clear direction to a team
• Must have a valid driver's license and satisfactory driving record
• Physical Requirements
• Must be able to move a minimum of 24 pounds while using appropriate techniques and safety rules
• Prolonged movement is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience using internal or external data sources (e.g., Nielsen, IRI, CPM, sales data)
• Relevant industry experience in sales or retail account management
• Willingness to relocate for future GMI career opportunities

Additional Considerations

• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for a U.S. work visa.
• This role is located in Nashville, TN and will not consider remote applicants or international relocation. General Mills will provide relocation to the candidate selected for this role as long as they meet the relocation assistance policy.

Company Overview

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $81000.00 - $121700.00 / Annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

Reasonable Accommodation Request

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodations request form by following this link: