Director of Sales – National Accounts, Grocery Full-Time | Exempt | Remote – Must Reside in the Cincinnati, OH Area | Up to 50% TravelThe Director of Sales - National Accounts, Grocery is responsible for driving profitable growth, distribution expansion, and execution excellence across an assigned portfolio of national grocery and mass retail accounts. The portfolio at hire includes The Kroger Co., Target, and Publix Super Markets, and is expected to grow as Lewis Bakeries expands its national account base. This is a direct-ownership role. The Director personally owns the headquarters relationship and the day-to-day business for each assigned account, leading all aspects of sales strategy, joint business planning, pricing, and in-market execution across the Lewis Bakeries portfolio. Because these accounts are served through different route-to-market models — direct-store-delivery, frozen and ambient warehouse, pay-by-scan, and third-party distribution — the Director must be equally comfortable selling at headquarters and managing the operational detail that makes each model work. Broker and retail service partners support execution at select accounts, and the Director sets their priorities and holds them accountable. Lewis Bakeries is in an active growth phase, and the assigned portfolio will evolve over time. The Director is expected to take on newly won and newly assigned accounts, lead them from first meeting through onboarding and launch, and build repeatable approaches that scale across the account base rather than one-off solutions for a single customer. About Lewis Bakeries Lewis Bakeries is a family-owned and operated company founded by three brothers in 1925 in Anna, Illinois. Lewis primarily bakes loaf bread, buns, and rolls under trusted brands including Bunny Bread, Lewis Bake Shop, Healthy Life, and other regional favorites. Today, Lewis Bakeries operates facilities in LaPorte, Fort Wayne, Vincennes, and Evansville, Indiana, as well as Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Our heritage has been built on quality, reliability, and a commitment to our customers since 1925. Every day, the Lewis family and our dedicated associates rise to the challenge of baking the very best bakery products while maintaining a forward-thinking passion for growth and innovation. What Makes Us GreatAt Lewis Bakeries, we believe in rewarding our employees with a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that supports their health, financial well-being, and professional growth. Exceptional Total Rewards Package In addition to a competitive salary, employees enjoy a benefits package that provides significant financial value, including: Medical coverage with weekly premiums as low as $10 and a low-deductible plan design Comprehensive dental coverage, including orthodontic benefits for dependent children Company-funded pension plan and a 401(k) with company matching contributions Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance Paid vacation time and paid holidays Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates Professional development opportunities and long-term career growth Additional reasons employees choose Lewis Bakeries: Family-owned company with over 100 years of baking excellence Stable and growing organization with a long history of success Collaborative culture that values employee engagement, safety, and continuous improvement Opportunity to make a meaningful impact as a key member of the bakery leadership team Opportunities for growth, development, and career advancement
Key Responsibilities
Customer Ownership & Growth Delivery:
Directly own an assigned portfolio of national grocery and mass accounts — currently Kroger, Target, and Publix — delivering profitable revenue growth aligned with annual and long-range targets. Personally lead the headquarters relationship at each account, building strong relationships with category management, merchandising, and replenishment teams and serving as the primary point of contact for Lewis Bakeries. Manage Kroger at both the corporate (Cincinnati) and division/banner level, coordinating enterprise strategy with division-level execution across Kroger’s operating divisions and banners. Lead all customer-facing engagements including category and line reviews, planogram/modular resets, shelf resets, and joint business planning. Identify and execute opportunities to expand distribution, assortment, and merchandising across all assigned accounts and their respective banners.
Portfolio Growth & New Account Development:
Assume ownership of additional national accounts as they are won or reassigned, with portfolio scope expected to grow over time.
Support new business development within the grocery and mass channel, including prospect targeting, first meetings, and proposal development for accounts not currently served.
Lead onboarding and launch for newly awarded accounts, partnering cross-functionally on item setup, supply readiness, route-to-market design, and first-year execution.
Build scalable playbooks, sell stories, and reporting approaches that transfer across accounts rather than solutions built for a single customer.
Sales Execution & Commercial Management:
Develop and execute account-specific strategies across pricing, promotion, assortment, and innovation, recognizing the distinct category management philosophy of each retailer.
Lead the development and sell-in of new items, including item setup, commercialization alignment, and launch execution within each retailer’s new item and reset calendar.
Analyze performance trends, customer scorecards, and syndicated data to drive fact-based decisions and actions.
Manage customer P&Ls, ensuring alignment to margin expectations and financial targets, including trade spend, allowances, and freight/distribution costs by route-to-market model.
Route-to-Market & Distributor Management:
Manage multiple go-to-market models across the account base — direct-store-delivery, frozen and ambient warehouse, pay-by-scan, and third-party distribution — including transitions between models. Own the commercial relationship with distributor and redistribution partners supporting assigned accounts, including service level, allowance, and inventory performance. Partner with fulfillment, transportation, and finance to ensure each model is executable, profitable, and scalable as volume and the account base grow.
Broker Partner Oversight & In-Market Execution:
Direct the broker and retail service partners that support execution at specific accounts, while retaining direct ownership of the headquarters relationship and the selling agenda across the portfolio.
Establish clear priorities, KPIs, and accountability for partner-supported accounts to ensure execution at store level.
Conduct regular business reviews with broker and distributor partners to align on performance, opportunities, and action plans.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Partner with marketing, supply chain, operations, finance, and R&D to ensure customer plans are executable and profitable.
Align demand planning, supply availability, and service levels to meet customer expectations in a perishable and frozen environment.
Support development of business cases, forecasts, and internal performance updates.
Market & Category Insight:- Monitor category trends, competitive activity, and customer strategies to identify growth opportunities across current and prospective accounts.
- Translate insights into actionable recommendations that strengthen Lewis Bakeries’ position within the bakery category.
- Qualifications7–12 years of experience in CPG sales, preferably within bakery, fresh/perishable foods, or related categories.
- Direct experience calling on national grocery and mass retailers; experience with Kroger, Target, and/or Publix strongly preferred, and familiarity with Kroger’s corporate and division structure is a significant advantage.
- Demonstrated ability to manage a multi-account portfolio and to absorb new accounts without loss of momentum on existing business.
- Proven ability to deliver sales growth, distribution gains, and strong customer relationships.
- Track record of carrying accounts directly as an individual contributor, including experience directing broker and distributor partners without formal reporting authority.
- Working knowledge of multiple route-to-market models (DSD, warehouse, frozen, pay-by-scan, distributor) and the economics of each.
- Strong analytical and financial acumen, including customer P&L and trade spend management.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
- Comfort operating in a growing organization where account assignments, processes, and priorities evolve.
- Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, syndicated data (e.g., Circana, Nielsen), and retailer data and supplier systems (e.g., Kroger/84.51° Stratum and Kroger supplier portals, Target Partners Online, Publix supplier portals).Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related field required.
- MBA or advanced degree a plus.
- Work Environment & TravelThis position is based in the Cincinnati, OH metropolitan area to support proximity to Kroger corporate headquarters. Candidates must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, the Cincinnati market.
- Home-office based with regular in-person presence at Kroger headquarters.
- Travel up to 50% for customer meetings, including Target headquarters (Minneapolis, MN), Publix headquarters (Lakeland, FL), Kroger division offices, prospective customer headquarters, broker and distributor engagement, industry events, and periodic visits to Lewis Bakeries facilities.
- Valid driver’s license and the ability to travel by air required.
- Flexibility to work extended hours as needed to support business priorities.
- Employment Details
Status: Full-time, exempt (FLSA).
Reports to: Vice President of Sales, National Accounts.
Direct reports:
None. This is an individual contributor role with broker and distributor partner oversight. Account assignment: The portfolio is assigned by the Vice President of Sales, National Accounts and may be adjusted as the business grows.
Compensation: Competitive base salary plus annual incentive and comprehensive benefits.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Lewis Bakeries is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or status as a qualified individual with a disability or Vietnam era or other protected veteran status. All candidates must successfully complete a background check, drug test and reference check for further consideration.#lbmanagement
