Heartland Food Products Group · 2 weeks ago
National Account Manager – Kroger & Harris Teeter
Cincinnati, OH
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
7+ years expHeartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead their business with Kroger and Harris Teeter, two of their most strategic retail partners. This role involves owning strategic customer leadership, driving growth across Heartland’s brand portfolio, and delivering results through best-in-class execution.
CoffeeConsumer GoodsManufacturing
Hiring Manager
Rich Doppelfeld, SPHR
Responsibilities
Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for Kroger and Harris Teeter
Build and deepen partnerships with merchandising teams to drive mutual growth
Represent Heartland’s brand portfolio with confidence, credibility, and a growth mindset
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
Own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for Kroger and Harris Teeter
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
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
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
Act as the voice of Kroger and Harris Teeter internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations
Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required; MBA a plus
7+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience
Direct experience calling on Kroger and/or Harris Teeter required
Established relationships with Kroger and/or Harris Teeter 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
Experience managing branded food or beverage portfolios
Strong analytical and financial acumen
Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, matrixed organization
Company
Heartland Food Products Group
Heartland Food Products Group produces low-calorie sweeteners, coffee, coffee creamers, and liquid water enhancers.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Eddie Pellegrino
President and Chief Operating Officer
Recent News
2025-11-05
2025-11-01
Company data provided by crunchbase