What are the responsibilities and job description for the National Account Manager – Kroger position at Heartland Food Products Group?
National Account Manager – Kroger
Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead our business with Kroger, one of Heartland’s most strategic retail partners. This role is ideal for a proven CPG sales leader with direct experience calling on this account, established relationships with merchandising teams, and a passion for building brands through strong retailer collaboration.
This position is based in Cincinnati, OH, and may include leadership responsibility for one direct report (Key Account Manager).
What You’ll Do
Own Strategic Customer Leadership
- Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for Kroger
- Build and deepen partnerships with merchandising teams to drive mutual growth
- Represent Heartland’s brand portfolio with confidence, credibility, and a growth mindset
Drive Growth Across Heartland’s Brand Portfolio
- Develop and execute annual Joint Business Plans aligned to Heartland’s growth, profitability, and brand-building priorities
- Lead assortment, pricing, merchandising, and promotional strategies that expand distribution and household penetration
- Champion innovation and new item launches, ensuring strong customer alignment and flawless execution
Deliver Results Through Best-in-Class Execution
- Own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for Kroger
- Lead promotional planning, display strategy, and in-store/online execution in partnership with merchandising teams
- Provide accurate forecasting and demand inputs to support high service levels and efficient inventory management
Leverage Insights to Win at Shelf
- Use syndicated data (Circana/IRI, Nielsen) and customer insights to identify category opportunities and support fact-based selling
- Partner with customer merchandising teams to improve shelf placement, promotional ROI, and execution quality
- Translate data into clear, compelling stories that support brand and category growth
Lead and Develop Talent
- Directly manage and coach one Key Account Manager
- Set clear priorities, provide ongoing feedback, and support professional development
- Lead with Heartland’s values and foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture
Collaborate Cross-Functionally
- Act as the voice of Kroger internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations
- Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies
What You Bring
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA a plus
- 7 years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience
- Direct experience calling on Kroger required
- Established relationships with Kroger merchandising teams
- Strong understanding of grocery retail, trade management, and category management
- Proven track record of delivering profitable growth
- Prior people management experience or demonstrated readiness to lead
Preferred Experience
- Experience managing branded food or beverage portfolios
- Strong analytical and financial acumen
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, matrixed organization