National Account Manager

About the role

Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead our business with BJ's/Military, one of Heartland’s most strategic retail partners. This position is based in Boston and includes leadership responsibility for one direct report (Key Account Manager).

Responsibilities

• Own Strategic Customer Leadership
  • Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for BJ's/Military
  • 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 BJ's/Military
  • 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 AWG internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations
  • Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA a plus
• 7+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience
• Direct experience calling on BJ's/Military required
• Established relationships with BJ's/Military 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 Qualifications

• Experience managing branded food or beverage portfolios
• Strong analytical and financial acumen
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, matrixed organization