Sales Manager, Retail

Retail Sales Manager

Location: Skokie, IL | Hybrid

Company: Jelmar / CLR Brands

Position Overview

Jelmar, the family-owned company behind the trusted CLR® brand, is seeking a results-driven Sales Manager – Multi-Channel CPG to manage and grow retail customer relationships across multiple trade channels.

Reporting to the Director, Retail Sales, this role will support account growth, sales agency management, new business development, and day-to-day sales execution. The ideal candidate brings strong CPG sales experience, retail channel knowledge, and the ability to move priorities forward with organization, follow-through, and commercial discipline.

This is a hands-on role for someone who can balance customer management, sales partner coordination, business development, and cross-functional execution in a fast-moving environment.

Company Description

Jelmar, maker of CLR® and Tarn-X® branded cleaning products, has been providing innovative and effective cleaning solutions since 1949. A family-owned business, Jelmar is recognized for its commitment to quality, environmental sustainability, and consumer-focused research. Its flagship products, CLR and Tarn-X, are household staples and widely available in major retailers across the United States, as well as in the Canadian and Australian markets. Recently, Jelmar expanded its product range with the launch of the CLR PRO® Line, tailored to industrial customers. The company collaborates with initiatives like the EPA Safer Choice Program to develop environmentally friendly cleaning solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Account Management & Growth

• Manage and grow a portfolio of retail customers across channels, including grocery, hardware, DIY, value, and related trade channels.
• Support the development and execution of customer plans focused on sales growth, distribution, profitability, and promotional effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities for assortment expansion, secondary placement, pricing improvement, and new item placement.
• Monitor customer performance, competitive activity, and account needs to help drive informed recommendations.
• Build strong relationships with retail customers, sales agency partners, and internal teams.

Sales Agency Management

• Manage and support sales agency partners to help deliver against customer and channel objectives.
• Set clear priorities, track progress, and follow up on key initiatives, open items, and customer opportunities.
• Provide direction on selling priorities, distribution goals, promotional opportunities, new item sell-in, and customer needs.
• Help ensure sales agency partners are aligned, prepared, and accountable for execution.

New Business Development

• Identify and pursue new retail opportunities across relevant channels.
• Support the sales process from prospecting and presentation development through customer onboarding.
• Partner with the Director, Retail Sales and internal teams to evaluate opportunities based on sales potential, profitability, operational fit, and strategic value.
• Coordinate follow-up, samples, selling materials, and next steps to advance new business opportunities.

Sales Execution & Operations

• Manage key executional details, including sample requests, item submissions, customer forms, timelines, sales trackers, and follow-up.
• Use Monday.com and other tools to track customer projects, sales initiatives, deadlines, and ownership.
• Partner with marketing, supply chain, finance, operations, and customer service to support customer execution.
• Prepare materials for customer meetings, sales agency meetings, business reviews, and internal planning discussions.

Qualifications

• 5 years of CPG sales experience, preferably with multi-channel retail exposure.
• Experience managing retail customers and supporting account growth.
• Experience working with sales agencies, brokers, or external rep partners preferred.
• Strong understanding of retail channels such as grocery, hardware, DIY, value, mass, club, or related channels.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, follow through on details, and support customer execution.
• Strong communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong project management discipline; experience with Monday.com preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Comfortable working in a hands-on, entrepreneurial, in-office environment.

What Success Looks Like

• Assigned accounts are growing in sales, distribution, and profitability.
• Sales agency partners are aligned, focused, and making measurable progress.
• New business opportunities are identified, pursued, and advanced.
• Customer initiatives, submissions, samples, and follow-ups are completed accurately and on time.
• Internal teams have clear visibility to sales priorities, timelines, and risks.
• The Director, Retail Sales is supported through strong ownership, organization, and execution.