National Accounts Manager (protein)

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced National Account Manager to join a growing U.S. meat and protein business.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially driven sales professional with experience managing major retail, club, foodservice, distributor, or national accounts within the meat, protein, food manufacturing, or CPG industry.

The National Account Manager will take ownership of key customer relationships, develop strategic account plans, drive revenue and margin growth, and identify new opportunities across the U.S. market.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and grow relationships with major national retail, club, foodservice, and distributor accounts.
• Develop and execute annual strategic business plans for key customers.
• Drive revenue, volume, margin, and profitability across assigned accounts.
• Sell and support fresh, frozen, fully cooked, RTE, deli, and value-added meat products.
• Manage pricing, contracts, promotions, forecasts, and customer negotiations.
• Build strong relationships with senior-level buyers, category managers, merchandising teams, and procurement leaders.
• Identify opportunities for new products, new distribution, new categories, and incremental revenue.
• Lead customer presentations, line reviews, business reviews, and annual planning meetings.
• Analyze customer, market, competitor, pricing, and volume data to identify growth opportunities.
• Partner with Marketing and Product Development on new product launches and customer-specific programs.
• Work closely with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure customer requirements, service levels, and forecasts are met.
• Monitor account performance, including sales, volume, margins, distribution, and promotional activity.
• Negotiate pricing and commercial agreements while protecting company profitability.
• Develop accurate sales forecasts and maintain a strong pipeline of new business.
• Provide regular account performance updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Ideal Candidate

• 5+ years of National Account, Key Account, or Strategic Account experience.
• Experience within meat, protein, food manufacturing, CPG, or foodservice.
• Strong understanding of the U.S. meat and protein marketplace.
• Proven experience managing significant national retail, club, foodservice, or distributor accounts.
• Experience selling fresh, frozen, cooked, RTE, deli, or value-added meat products.
• Demonstrated track record of achieving or exceeding revenue, volume, and margin targets.
• Strong negotiation and commercial skills.
• Ability to manage complex customer relationships and develop long-term strategic partnerships.
• Strong understanding of pricing, margins, forecasting, promotions, and profitability.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Product Development.

Key Customer Experience

Experience managing accounts such as Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, Kroger, Publix, Albertsons, Target, Whole Foods, Sysco, US Foods, or other major national retailers and foodservice distributors would be highly desirable.

Target Background

Strong candidates may come from Hormel Foods, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Pilgrim's, JBS, Cargill Protein, Clemens Food Group, Routh Packing, Cloverdale Foods, Fresh Mark, Abbyland Foods, Leidy's, Manda Fine Meats, Johnsonville, Dietz & Watson, Monogram Foods, Chomps, Archer, Jack Link's, or similar meat and protein manufacturers.

Key Performance Areas

Success will be measured through:

• Revenue growth
• Volume growth
• Gross margin and profitability
• New customer acquisition
• Existing account expansion
• Customer retention
• New product sales
• Achievement of annual sales targets
• Distribution growth
• Successful pricing and contract negotiations

This is an excellent opportunity for a National Account Manager with strong meat, RTE, deli, or value-added protein experience to take ownership of major national customers and play a key role in driving continued commercial growth across the U.S. market.