Position Description
Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods® was founded in 1994 with the mission to create nutritious and convenient frozen food that tasted so delicious, it would make it easier to help people adopt better eating habits. While the world has changed since the business started, Dr. Praeger’s remains true to its founders’ vision. We’re grounded in using real, recognizable ingredients to make great-tasting products that families love.
We are passionate about food and fueled by our desire to make healthier living more delicious. Our mission is pioneering to increase veggie consumption by making it easy to choose crave-able, veggie-forward food.
The Vice President, Retail Sales will lead the Retail Sales team as well as own key customer accounts. This role will develop strong customer plans to deliver profitable net sales growth to achieve goals and objectives. The role requires an analytical leader who takes initiative, collaborates with cross-functional colleagues and leads a broker network to proactively identify opportunities to build distribution with core items and innovation, manage trade to budget and gain share to win with our top accounts.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the Retail Sales team and own delivery of retail channel sales volume, distribution goals and forecasting.
Develop strategic relationships with key growth accounts from the buyer to Sr. Leadership.
Ability to create powerful selling stories using category, consumer, shopper, and market information to maximize opportunities for Dr. Praeger’s and customer value.
Be a strong voice in developing the innovation plan to ensure products are designed and priced for retail environment.
Lead an external Broker team to 1) develop key annual priorities and 2) track and course correct if necessary to ensure delivering value to the company.
Lead and execute annual customer planning in line with trade spend targets.
Work closely with internal sales lead to develop annual trade spend and track throughout year
Accountable for ensuring sales forecast accuracy for current and new products and execute new product launches with excellence.
Collaborate with cross functional team including sales HQ team, supply chain, R&D, and marketing.
Monitor performance of plans and evaluate successes, risks and opportunities and formulate plans to improve key indicators.
Qualifications For Skills & Experience
10+ years’ experience in CPG sales. Experience within Frozen segment a plus.
Strong listening, questioning and negotiation skills - exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
Proven ability to penetrate customers to influence change within an evolving customer environment.
Strong financial acumen managing a trade budget through a TPM system (Exceedra).
Advanced computer software proficiency (word, excel, outlook, PowerPoint).
Strong analytical skills and making information-based recommendations utilizing data sources such as Circana, Shopper, Shipment data etc.
Experience leading a Broker Managed customer network and leveraging same for growth.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Classically trained, knows what good looks like, but thrives in an entrepreneurial, small company environment
Self-starter who takes the initiative.
Strong results orientation required.
Proficient at establishing relationships with cross-functional peers.
Strong attention to detail.
General management perspective.
Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods is an equal employment opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics or other characteristics protected by law.
