Key Account Manager

Key Account Manager

GMI Trading is a national food import and distribution company serving specialty retailers, wholesalers, and grocery retail chains across the United States.

The Key Account Manager is responsible for opening and managing key accounts, driving sales growth, expanding product distribution, and developing strong partnerships with grocery chains and other key retail accounts. This role focuses on opening and negotiating new accounts, implementing customer growth plans after onboarding, expanding product assortment, strengthening shelf presence, and ensuring effective execution of planograms, POSM, promotional programs, and sales initiatives.

The Key Account Manager is expected to be a hands-on account manager who works closely with customers, internal sales teams, category management, operations, and supply chain partners to ensure successful account implementation and long-term revenue growth. This role also takes ownership of large new leads, from the first meeting through negotiation to a signed account.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Key Account Development & Sales Growth

Identify, pursue, and open new key accounts, including large leads that are not yet customers.

Meet with buyers and decision-makers and lead negotiations from first contact to a signed account.

Negotiate account opportunities, product placements, distribution terms, promotional support, and growth plans with retail partners.

Develop and maintain strong relationships with buyers, category managers, store leadership, and key decision-makers.

Drive sales growth through expansion of existing accounts and development of new business opportunities.

Identify opportunities to increase product penetration, sales volume, and profitability within assigned accounts.

2. Customer Relationship Management

Lead hands-on implementation once a new account is signed.

Coordinate internal teams to ensure successful account setup, product availability, pricing alignment, logistics, and first-order execution.

Oversee new account launch activities, including assortment setup, shelf placement, planogram execution, and promotional planning.

Serve as a trusted business partner to customers by understanding their goals, challenges, product needs, and category opportunities.

Conduct regular business reviews with customers to discuss sales performance, assortment opportunities, promotional planning, and growth initiatives.

Represent the company professionally in customer meetings, trade shows, presentations, and industry events.

3. Assortment Expansion & Shelf Presence

Work with retail partners to expand product assortment, shelf presence, and category penetration.

Identify opportunities to introduce new items, expand existing product sets, and improve product placement across store locations.

Partner with Category Management and Sales Leadership to recommend assortment strategies based on account needs, market trends, and sales performance.

Support distribution expansion across multiple store locations within assigned accounts.

Monitor assortment performance and recommend changes to improve sales, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

4. Planogram & Promotional Program Execution

Oversee development and execution of planograms, shelf sets, and in-store placement programs across assigned accounts.

Lead development and execution of annual promotional plans in collaboration with retail partners.

Ensure promotional activities are aligned with customer expectations, company sales objectives, and product availability.

Partner with internal teams to address gaps in planogram compliance, promotion execution, and product placement.

5. In-Store Execution, POSM & Displays

Plan and manage POSM for assigned accounts, including displays, stands, coolers, and freezers.

Align POSM plans with Marketing, brief the designer, and place orders for the needed materials.

Arrange delivery and installation of displays and equipment in stores.

Work with merchandisers and sales representatives on store visits, in-store execution, and photo reports.

Measure the effectiveness of POSM and displays and adjust plans based on results.

6. Sales Data Analysis & Reporting

Analyze sales performance across accounts, categories, products, and distribution channels.

Monitor performance against sales objectives, distribution goals, promotional plans, and assortment expansion targets.

Prepare reports summarizing account performance, sales growth, distribution gains, promotional execution, and customer development activities.

Provide insights and recommendations to leadership regarding account growth opportunities, risks, and market trends.

7. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborate with Sales Leadership, Category Management, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain teams to support customer growth initiatives.

Coordinate with supply chain and operations teams to ensure product availability for new account launches, assortment expansion, and promotional programs.

Work with Marketing to support customer presentations, promotional materials, sales collateral, and product communication.

Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure customer commitments are properly executed and supported.

Qualifications

3+ years of proven experience in key account management, business development, or sales leadership within grocery, food distribution, CPG, or related industries.

Experience working with grocery chains, specialty retailers, or wholesale food customers.

Strong negotiation skills and ability to open, develop, and grow new retail accounts.

Hands-on experience with account implementation, assortment expansion, planograms, POSM, promotional planning, and retail execution.

Experience working with a CRM system.

Ability to analyze sales data, identify growth opportunities, and translate insights into actionable sales plans.

Strong communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills.

Ability to work cross-functionally and coordinate priorities across sales, category management, operations, marketing, and supply chain teams.

Highly organized, results-oriented, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing business environment.