National Account Manager, Kroger

ABOUT HINT

Back when we started Hint in 2005, our motto was Drink Water, Not Sugar. Our mission to this day is to help people fall in love with water — delicious fruit-infused water — so they can live healthier lives.

Twenty years on, we’ve attracted our share of imitators, but no one has been able to match that touch of true fruit flavor in every bottle of Hint. The craftsmanship we put into creating flavors that fully reflect their fruit origin is unparalleled. And with no sweeteners, no preservatives, and zero calories, is it any wonder our fans have turned Hint into an obsession? 

Today, Hint is sold in over 30,000 stores all over the United States. We feature dozens of amazing flavors — including perennial favorites Blackberry, Watermelon, and Cherry — as well as limited edition smash-ups, exclusive bundles, and Sparkling, all available at drinkhint.com, Amazon, e-Retail accounts, and major retailers.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Hint, one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the US, is seeking a high-energy, results-driven National Accounts Manager to help scale our national growth with Kroger. Reporting directly to the VP, Sales - National Accounts, this person will oversee our entire brand at Kroger, supporting all aspects of business, including account strategy, trade spend management, promo planning and managing any broker relationships. A proactive approach to all aspects of customer and distributor management is a must!

The ideal candidate is hungry for success, always looking for new opportunities to grow and foster not only your revenue but your relationships within your network. You love finding solutions for your clients and strive for unity throughout the sales process towards a mutually beneficial goal.

You’ll be working with a highly driven and supportive team that loves tackling new challenges and working towards big achievements together.

This is an individual contributor role, with the potential for expansion as we grow and expand our business.  Candidate should live in or around Cincinnati and be able to get to and from Cincinnati as needed.

WHAT YOU WILL DO 

• Responsible for building & managing relationships with Kroger and other key national and regional accounts.
• Develop and implement account strategies, including promotional & display plans to achieve predetermined brand, volume, and Key Performance Indicator objectives for Kroger.
• Manage all Trade spend to goals with Kroger and brokers.
• Broker management.
• Conduct analysis and develop presentations to increase the company feature and display activity, expand distribution, optimize shelf position, and increase volume and market share.
• Proactively execute customer development strategies as identified by sales leadership..
• Initiate regular correspondence to communicate Kroger account progress, pricing & promotional activity, display programs, annual resets, and/or setbacks to all impacted field sales, distributor personnel, finance, operations, and management.
• Work with the field sales team to develop and communicate execution standards and expectations for key selling, display events, and programs.
• Use category management expertise to maximize distribution, shelf presence, cold box presence, feature ad support, and display impact at Kroger.
• Maintain and analyze distributor and market data regarding account performance, as well as SPINS/IRI performance, and prepare reports for senior management.
• Stay abreast of the competitive climate in the assigned territory.
• 80% of time spent selling and managing customers, distributors, brokers, and field sales communication to achieve sales goals. This will be done from  your home office or while traveling for customer and other meetings.
• 20% of time spent will be managing internal meetings, goals and expectations.
• Travel to customers via car, train, subway, taxi, and air.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor's degree and/or 5+ years of proven sales leadership in account management with 4+ years in managing key national and/or regional retail accounts (e.g., Grocery, Natural, Mass, Club, etc.).
• Independent, self-starter who excels in a fast-paced organization.
• Experience managing accounts with Kroger.
• Experience in both large and small brand companies is preferred.
• Trade fund management expertise.
• Strong computer skills (PowerPoint, Excel, MS365 etc.).
• Experience with multiple RTM; DSD, KeHE, Direct, etc.
• Retail promotional planning experience.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Proven negotiation skills.
• Experience with Joint Business Planning.
• A doer with a strong sense of urgency and a positive attitude.

• Base salary of $125,000-$160,000, based on territory and experience. The actual salary offer may vary based on location and work experience. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
• Bonus Eligible
• Sick Days
• Unlimited Vacation Time after 90 days
• 100% of the employee and dependent healthcare premiums are paid for by the company, for most plans
• Life insurance/AD&D (company-paid and voluntary)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401K (regular and Roth)
• $150/month health and wellness reimbursement
• $100 monthly towards your cell phone and $50 monthly towards Internet (if applicable)
• Employee Discount on Hint Water