Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. ForceBrands is seeking a Key Account Manager for their client, a rapidly growing brand in the wellness sector focused on premium CBD and functional beverage products. The role involves strategic account acquisition, managing broker relationships, and driving sales growth within the natural products channel.
Responsibilities
- Identify, prioritize, and pursue key accounts. Develop account-specific strategies across natural chains for multiple functional product lines
- Grow distribution through KeHE and UNFI with new rollouts as retailers come online
- Recruit, negotiate, onboard, and manage natural-channel broker relationships to extend reach and accelerate buyer access. Set clear expectations, hold brokers accountable to pipeline and placement targets, and ensure their efforts stay coordinated with your direct selling and our broader account strategy
- Own the complete sales cycle - build your own pipeline, secure buyer meetings, present the brand and category story, negotiate terms, and close to first purchase order
- Drive each account past the close. Win reorders, expand placements and door counts, and partner with marketing on the support that drives sell-through
- Build and maintain a detailed, accurate sales pipeline with reliable forecasting. Partner with the VP of Sales on KPIs, revenue targets, and account-level reporting
- Partner with marketing on sell-in materials, promotions, POS displays, and account support, and with operations to ensure supply-chain readiness for distributor and direct orders
Skills
- Minimum of 5+ years selling into the natural products channel, with existing relationships among category buyers at chains like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Natural Grocers as well as KeHE and/or UNFI
- Demonstrated success selling functional or better-for-you beverages into the natural channel through KeHE and UNFI, with a deep understanding of distributor programs and DC rollouts
- Highly self-motivated, autonomous, and confident, with the social skills to build buyer relationships and maintain them
- Familiar with the categories - both functional beverages and functional mushroom gummies - with a proven ability to introduce a new or unfamiliar product into a buyer's set
- Disciplined with sales systems and data. Comfortable owning a CRM, maintaining clean and current pipeline records, and producing reliable forecasts and account-level reporting
- Ability to work remotely with frequent travel for buyer meetings, trade shows, and key markets - up to 50% of the time
- This role owns the natural products channel for the Non-Alcoholic Spritz and Mushroom Gummies lines
- Experience within functional beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, better-for-you beverages, cannabis beverages, or adult alternative beverage categories
- Proven track record securing and growing national & regional retail partnerships with additional retailers across Mass, Grocery, Natural, Convenience, and Club
- DSD/beer wholesaler familiarity and ability to coordinate with our DSD sales team when opportunities arise
- Direct-to-retailer experience in the VMS/supplements category - a strong plus
- Experience launching emerging functional or better-for-you brands and participating in natural-channel trade shows such as Expo West
Benefits
- Competitive Base Salary
- Performance Bonuses
- Equity Participation
- Benefits
- Flexible and remote working capabilities
- Professional development and career advancement as our sales organization scales
- A collaborative, supportive work environment rooted in organic integrity
- A direct line to senior leadership with significant strategic autonomy to own and grow your channel
Company Overview