Sales Manager, Natural Channel

About Us:

Since 1935, we’ve been on a mission to bring a little extra happiness to everyday life and inspire connections over food. We select the finest ingredients the world has to offer, craft premium products made with love, and never settle for shortcuts. We believe that when we share our food, we share a part of ourselves - and that’s the only way we’d put our name on it. 

Today, our small family company has grown into a national leader in specialty olives, peppers, and sauces under the leadership of CEO Jeff Mezzetta, and our commitment to quality has never wavered. With an 80-year legacy behind us and a bright future ahead, we’re seeking passionate, driven candidates to help us bring our cherished family traditions to a new generation.

The ideal candidate will have an immediate connection to our Core Ingredients:  

• Crunchy Crunchy: We are hungry for excellence.
• Own It: We think and act as an owner - with appetite, initiative, and responsibility.
• Connection: We build authentic relationships that foster trust and open communications.
• Vibrance: We come to work eager and passionate about fulfilling our vision. When we share our work, we share a part of who we are.

The primary role of the Sales Manager, Natural Channel is to grow revenue and build category market share for the Jeff’s Garden and Mezzetta brands within the Natural retail channel, nationally. This is a national role with responsibility across the entire U.S., not a single-region territory. Assigned retailers consist of Natural and Specialty accounts-Sprouts, NCG, INFRA, Natural Grocers, The Fresh Market, including the broad base of independent retailers. The role is also responsible for managing the distributors that supply these retailers, including UNFI, KeHE, and select specialty distributors.

The Sales Manager, Natural Channel drives revenue and market share by strategizing and developing sales plans for each account, selling and executing the sales plans directly with the accounts as well as through the assistance of third-party sales agencies (brokers).

Selling the Jeff’s Garden brand and Mezzetta products into assigned Natural channel accounts, the Sales Manager will partner closely with Marketing on executing Jeff’s Garden brand strategies and tactics, and will manage the UNFI and specialty distributor relationships that serve those accounts to optimize distribution and net landed cost.

Growing revenue and building category market share is done by optimizing item Distribution, Shelf presence, off-shelf Merchandising and retail Pricing (DSMP’s). Sales Managers influence DSMP’s via fact-based sales proposals and by investing merchandising funds. Sales Managers are accountable for investing merchandising funds within an approved budget.

Ultimately, successful Mezzetta Sales Managers grow revenue, enhance account profitability and build category market share across their assigned retailers.

This is a remote position that will require flexibility to travel up to 30% of the time, meaning one to two nights a week away from home. Some weekend/evening work required to meet deadlines and potentially to work trade shows. For Sales Managers who reside in Mountain, Central and Eastern time zones, there will be the occasional early evening conference calls due to Mezzetta being based in the Pacific Time Zone.

Responsibilities

• Revenue: Achievement of assigned revenue goals as measured by internal financial reporting.
• Category Market Share: Achievement of brand market share goals as measured by syndicated data sources (i.e., Nielsen, SPINS).
• Distribution: Building retail item distribution across all categories, including new items (Innovation).
• Account Profitability: Achievement of trade investment rate budgets and account profitability goals.
• Forecasting Accuracy: Including monthly case volume demand and trade spend (via AR7).
• National Broker Management: Prioritize and provide direction to brokers for execution excellence against key initiatives.
• Develop proposals and recommendations that will simultaneously build sales, profits and market share for both the retailer and Mezzetta.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team in the sharing of market intelligence and account-specific insights that enables Marketing the insights for them to develop strategies for the Natural Channel and Jeff’s Garden.

Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience in Sales within the CPG industry, including 3+ years of key account management.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Strong proficiency with standard business tools: Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc…
• Strong proficiency with analytical tools: Nielsen/IRI, analytics tools (PowerBI or similar).
• Strong sales, influence and collaboration skills.
• Ability to think both strategically and tactically.

Preferred:

• 2+ years’ experience managing brokers for excellence in sales execution.
• 2+ years’ experience calling on retailer accounts in the Natural Channel.
• Open to candidates anywhere in the U.S.; this is a remote, home-based role with proximity to a major airport preferred to support account and trade-show travel.

Pay Range

$145,000—$160,000 USD

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:

At Mezzetta, we embrace diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where you know you belong. Part of that commitment includes a zero-tolerance policy and being an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions at Mezzetta are solely based on merit, qualifications, abilities and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, family or parental status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by law. All of us share in the responsibility of fulfilling this commitment and creating a culture where our team can thrive.