National Sales Manager - Farm, Club, Grocery, Hardware

Position Summary

Outward Hound is seeking an experienced, energetic, and highly motivated National Sales Manager to drive growth within the Farm, Club, Grocery, and Hardware channels. This individual will be responsible for developing strategic customer relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and executing sales strategies that deliver profitable revenue growth across assigned accounts. The ideal candidate possesses a strong work ethic, exceptional attention to detail, and a passion for delivering results.

They are a proactive, relationship-driven sales professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and consistently demonstrates ownership and accountability. This individual excels at building collaborative partnerships across departments, aligning internal stakeholders and customers to achieve shared business objectives. Success in this role requires strong communication skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence and work effectively across functions to drive execution and growth.

• Develop and execute strategic sales plans to achieve revenue, profitability, and distribution objectives.
• Identify and secure new business opportunities while expanding existing customer relationships.
• Lead annual business planning, line reviews, promotional planning, assortment recommendations, and pricing discussions.
• Negotiate customer programs and agreements that support both customer and company objectives.
• Deliver impactful sales presentations, business reviews, and growth plans.
• Customer Relationship Management
• Build and maintain strong relationships with merchants, buyers, and key decision makers.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned accounts.
• Establish trusted partnerships that support long-term business growth.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer strategies, objectives, and business needs.

• Partner closely with Category Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, Finance, Ecommerce, Customer Service, and Product Development teams to execute customer initiatives.
• Build strong working relationships across departments to align priorities, solve problems, and deliver business results.
• Serve as a key voice of the customer while balancing company objectives and profitability goals.
• Lead collaboration efforts supporting promotions, product launches, and growth initiatives.

• Manage and support independent sales representatives to maximize account performance and market opportunities.
• Establish accountability and performance expectations with broker and representative partners.
• Represent Outward Hound at customer meetings, trade shows, industry events, and sales conferences.

• Analyze sales performance, market trends, competitive activity, and customer insights to identify opportunities and risks.
• Maintain accurate sales forecasts and communicate business performance effectively.
• Monitor key performance indicators to ensure achievement of sales and profitability goals.
• Utilize data and analytics to make informed business decisions and recommendations.

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of National Account Sales experience within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry.
• Experience selling to Farm, Club, Grocery, Hardware, or Mass retailers preferred.
• Experience managing independent sales representatives preferred.
• Demonstrated success growing sales, increasing distribution, and achieving revenue targets.
• Proven ability to develop new business and strengthen existing customer relationships.
• Strong presentation, communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% or as needed.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of National Account Sales experience within the CPG industry.
• Experience selling to Farm, Club, Grocery, Hardware, or Mass retailers.
• Pet industry experience, particularly with treats, consumables, toys, or accessories.
• Experience…