Role Description

We are seeking a National Key Account Manager to build and grow Cornbread Hemp's presence in key retail accounts across our full beverage and functional wellness portfolio. This person will own the end-to-end sales process, from prospecting national and regional chain buyers to winning authorizations and growing each account from first order into a category staple.

The ideal candidate is a true self-starter with a track record selling beverages into chain accounts and existing buyer relationships they can activate quickly. You understand how a natural-channel buyer at Whole Foods or Sprouts thinks, and how a category buyer at Kroger, Meijer, or Circle K thinks, and you know how to tell the right story to each. You thrive under pressure and tight deadlines, build buyer relationships quickly, and bring exceptional discipline, organization, accuracy, and attention to detail. You proactively manage every stage of the sales process and consistently follow each opportunity from initial pitch through placement, sell-through, reorder, and long-term account growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Account Acquisition:
  • Identify, prioritize, and pursue key accounts across natural, grocery, mass, and convenience channels for THC Seltzer, Non-Alcoholic Spritz, and Mushroom Gummies.
  • Develop account-specific strategies for each target banner, matching the right product line and story to the right buyer.
  • Target accounts include natural chains (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers), grocery and mass (Target, Walmart, Meijer, Publix, Kroger, Piggly Wiggly), and national and regional convenience chains (Circle K, 7-Eleven, and dominant regional c-store banners).
  • Ensure unified brand storytelling at retailers carrying multiple Cornbread Hemp lines, maximizing total category impact while keeping each product line's distribution pipeline clean and separate.
• Channel Execution:
  • Natural Channel: Grow Non-Alcoholic Spritz and Mushroom Gummies distribution through KeHE and UNFI, managing new DC rollouts as retailers come online.
  • Grocery & Mass: Win THC Seltzer and functional wellness placements at mass and grocery retailers, navigating category reviews and reset calendars.
  • Convenience: Navigate the fast-moving cold-box requirements and unique buying calendars of national and regional c-store chains.
  • DSD Pull-Through: Use the chain authorizations you win to activate and accelerate THC Seltzer distribution, partnering with our DSD sales organization and distributors to ensure product flows reliably into every account you open.
• Broker Management:
  • Recruit, negotiate, onboard, and manage broker relationships to extend reach and accelerate buyer access, particularly in the natural channel.
  • Set clear expectations, hold brokers accountable to pipeline and placement targets, and keep their efforts coordinated with your direct selling and our broader account strategy.
• Full-Cycle Selling:
  • 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.
• Account Growth and Velocity:
  • Drive each account past the close. Win reorders, secure incremental placements, expand points of distribution and door counts, and grow rate-of-sale through ongoing buyer engagement and category management.
• Forecasting, Analytics, and Pipeline Management:
  • 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.
  • Navigate SPINS data with an analytical approach to strengthen the sales story, and use VIP data to audit distributor inventory, identify out-of-stocks, and hold DSD partners accountable to retail commitments.
• Marketing & Operations Collaboration:
  • Partner with marketing on sell-in materials, promotions, shopper programs, in-store marketing, and retail media to drive velocity.
  • Work closely with operations to ensure supply-chain readiness for chain orders.
  • Manage trade budgets, model and execute promotions, and optimize spend against revenue targets.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7+ years selling beverages (functional or better-for-you beverages, beer, hard seltzer, RTD cocktails, or comparable) into large chain accounts, with existing relationships among category buyers.
• Established relationships in the natural channel (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, and KeHE and/or UNFI) and/or grocery, mass, and convenience banners. Experience across more than one of these channels is strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of distributor programs, including KeHE/UNFI programs and DC rollouts, and/or DSD distributor networks.
• Demonstrated success landing and growing key chain accounts: owning the buyer relationship, navigating category reviews, negotiating, and driving velocity after the close.
• Comfort selling in fast-evolving categories, with a proven ability to introduce a new or unfamiliar product into a buyer's set and make the category make sense.
• Highly self-motivated, autonomous, and confident, with the social skills to build buyer relationships quickly and maintain them.
• Disciplined with sales systems and data. Comfortable owning a CRM, maintaining clean and current pipeline records, and producing reliable forecasts and account-level reporting without being asked.
• Ability to work remotely with frequent travel for buyer meetings, trade shows, and key markets, up to 50% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience selling into both the natural channel and conventional grocery, mass, or convenience.
• Familiarity with VIP data and DSD beverage sales, and the ability to coordinate with a DSD sales team.
• Direct-to-retailer experience in the VMS / supplements category (a strong plus for our Mushroom Gummies).
• Familiarity with the THC beverage and functional beverage categories.
• Experience launching new or emerging functional, better-for-you, or beverage brands.
• Experience with natural-channel and beverage trade shows, such as Expo West, and convenience/grocery industry shows.

Compensation

• Base Salary: $120K to $150K, plus cash incentives. Actual salary based on experience and book of business.
• Performance Bonuses: Milestone-based cash bonuses paid out immediately upon securing new retail chain authorizations.
• Equity Participation: Equity grant from the company's existing option pool, vesting over four years with a one-year cliff, offering meaningful ownership upside in a high-growth company.

Benefits

• Full benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Travel and expense budget for account visits, trade shows, and industry events.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to build a multi-channel chain account book for a high-growth, nationally recognized brand across three fast-growing product lines.
• A direct line to senior leadership with significant strategic autonomy to own and grow your channels.
• A collaborative, supportive work environment rooted in Kentucky heritage and organic integrity.
• Professional development and career advancement as our sales organization scales.
• Flexible and remote working capabilities.