What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President, Retail Sales position at LinQ Global Group?
Role: Vice President, Retail Sales
Location: Sterling, VA, 20163 (Hybrid)
Industry: Food Manufacturing / Premium Prepared Foods
Employment Type: Full-Time
Seniority: Executive Leadership
About the Role (Client Name Hidden)
We are supporting a leading U.S. food manufacturing company specializing in premium sous vide and prepared foods.
They are seeking a Vice President, Retail Sales to lead national retail expansion and drive substantial growth across major grocery, mass, and club channels.
This is a high-impact executive role responsible for national retail strategy, revenue growth, and leadership of the retail sales organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and execute a national retail sales strategy for premium sous vide and prepared food products.
- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing sales organization (regional directors, account managers, brokers).
- Manage executive relationships with major national retailers (Whole Foods, Kroger, Costco, Target, Publix, Albertsons, etc.).
- Drive product placement, category expansion, promotions, and joint business planning.
- Lead customer negotiations, trade spend optimization, and pricing strategy.
- Partner with Marketing & Culinary teams to align innovation with consumer trends and retailer needs.
- Collaborate with Operations & Supply Chain on demand planning, forecasting, and fulfillment.
- Monitor competitive activity and market trends to identify growth opportunities.
- Represent the brand at major industry events, trade shows, and food innovation forums.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or related field (MBA preferred).
- 10 years of senior sales leadership experience within food manufacturing.
- Strong background in selling to national retail channels: Grocery, Mass, Club, Natural, and Specialty.
Proven success in:
- Launching products into retail.
- Scaling retail programs nationally.
- Leading and motivating large sales teams.
- Managing P&L, trade spend, and strategic negotiations.
- Experience with premium food, refrigerated items, or prepared food categories (highly preferred).
- Ability to travel up to 50%.
Preferred Experience
- Knowledge of sous vide, premium prepared foods, or high-end culinary product categories.
- Experience working closely with culinary or R&D teams.
- Strong understanding of natural versus conventional retail strategies.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Please prioritize candidates who:
- Bring strong national retail relationships (Whole Foods, Kroger, Costco, etc.)
- Have premium food / refrigerated CPG sales experience.
- Can demonstrate proven revenue growth in previous roles.
- Have executive-level negotiation and leadership skills.