National Accounts Manager- AWG

National Account Manager – AWG

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead our business with AWG and smaller regional accounts that are some of Heartland’s most strategic retail partners. This role is ideal for a proven CPG sales leader with direct experience calling on theses accounts, established relationships with merchandising teams, and a passion for building brands through strong retailer collaboration.

This position is based in Kansas City or Chicago and requires the candidate to live in or close to one of these areas.

What You’ll Do

Own Strategic Customer Leadership

• Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for AWG
• 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 AWG
• 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

• 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 AWG 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 AWG and smaller regional accounts required
• Established relationships with AWG 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