National Account Manager - Kroger

Job Description

National Account Manager – Kroger

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

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This position is based in Cincinnati, OH , and may include leadership responsibility for one direct report (Key Account Manager) .

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What You’ll Do

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Own Strategic Customer Leadership

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• Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for Kroger
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• Build and deepen partnerships with merchandising teams to drive mutual growth
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• Represent Heartland’s brand portfolio with confidence, credibility, and a growth mindset
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Drive Growth Across Heartland’s Brand Portfolio

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• Develop and execute annual Joint Business Plans aligned to Heartland’s growth, profitability, and brand-building priorities
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• Lead assortment, pricing, merchandising, and promotional strategies that expand distribution and household penetration
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• Champion innovation and new item launches, ensuring strong customer alignment and flawless execution
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Deliver Results Through Best-in-Class Execution

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• Own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for Kroger
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• Lead promotional planning, display strategy, and in-store/online execution in partnership with merchandising teams
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• Provide accurate forecasting and demand inputs to support high service levels and efficient inventory management
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Leverage Insights to Win at Shelf

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• Use syndicated data (Circana/IRI, Nielsen) and customer insights to identify category opportunities and support fact-based selling
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• Partner with customer merchandising teams to improve shelf placement, promotional ROI, and execution quality
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• Translate data into clear, compelling stories that support brand and category growth
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Lead and Develop Talent

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• Directly manage and coach one Key Account Manager
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• Set clear priorities, provide ongoing feedback, and support professional development
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• Lead with Heartland’s values and foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture
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Collaborate Cross-Functionally

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• Act as the voice of Kroger internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations
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• Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies
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What You Bring

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Required Qualifications

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• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA a plus
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• 7+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience
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• Direct experience calling on Kroger required
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• Established relationships with Kroger merchandising teams
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• Strong understanding of grocery retail, trade management, and category management
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• Proven track record of delivering profitable growth
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• Prior people management experience or demonstrated readiness to lead
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Preferred Experience

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• Experience managing branded food or beverage portfolios
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• Strong analytical and financial acumen
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• Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, matrixed organization
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