Senior Director, Retail Sales - Kroger

At Apeel, we look to nature to help the global food system extend quality, prevent waste, and ensure an abundant future for our planet.

We believe that our most essential ingredient in our recipe for success is our people. We strive to cultivate an environment where everyone is welcomed, and can bring their full, authentic selves into everything they do at Apeel. Humility, Ingenuity, Leadership and Teamwork are the values that define us and how we work with each other, customers, and communities across the globe.

Full vaccination against COVID-19 required, unless you qualify for a federally protected exemption.

About This Role

The Sales team at Apeel Sciences is charged with taking our technology to market and effectively communicating the benefits and value to customers, suppliers, and consumers in order to drive commercial success for the company. We are seeking a Senior Director, Sales to join our global team. You will manage sales, relationships, and business development across multiple retail accounts across the US, but with a special focus on our key account Kroger. This involves proactively working to meet Kroger’s expectations and taking a hands‐on approach to problem-solving by using their initiative and available resources to provide customer proposals and solutions. 

What You’ll Do

• Develop and maintain long-term, strategic relationships with key customers, establishing a sustainable platform for continued development of the Top‐to‐Top relationships
• Lead the preparation of strategic plans, encompassing sales and marketing activities, using category, consumer, shopper, and market information to maximize opportunities and value for both Apeel and retailers
• Identify key decision‐makers within retailers and develop action plans to deepen the relationships with relevant parties
• Develop an intimate understanding of Kroger’s and other key retailers business using a variety of sources and identify and explore commercial expansion opportunities
• Lead and execute annual planning, joint business planning, trade marketing budget, and negotiations
• Manage and ensure forecast accuracy for current and new products and execute new product launches by aligning a large cross-functional team including shopper marketing, product, strategy, and sustainability
• Monitor performance of strategic plans and evaluate successes, risks, and opportunities and formulate plans to improve key indicators

What You Bring

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional or military experience 
• Industry experience in Consumer-Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Retail, or Grocery
• 10+ years sales experience with a focus on “land and expand” of major/strategic/enterprise accounts such as Kroger, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, etc
• Ability to utilize analytics & insights to build a business strategy 
• Proven track record of delivering consistent positive business results
• Deep understanding of retail space including supply chain retail metrics
• Strong business acumen with an emphasis on relationship management, value selling, and presentation skills to senior leadership levels
• Demonstrated ability to effectively visualize, understand, and persuasively communicate, at all levels with internal and external stakeholders
• Passion for innovative technologies that resolve important problems for our world

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with a start-up or fast-growth environment is preferred but not required
• Proven skills in moving seamlessly between supply partners and retail accounts
• Comfortable working with and learning new applications, systems, and processes as Apeel grows 
• Unquestionable integrity, curiosity, high energy, and a sense of urgency 

Apeel believes that the scale of our impact is determined by the teams that work with us. As such, we seek to build high-performing teams of people from various experiences and backgrounds who can collectively push our company into new realms. We seek a diverse pool of applicants and consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, ancestry, color, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, Veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status. If you have a special need or disability that requires accommodation, please let us know.