Sales Director - Costco

*** Open to Minneapolis-based onsite candidates or remote candidates located in the eastern U.S. near a major airport ***

At CJ Schwan’s, we don’t just make food — we help create moments that matter. From kids devouring pizza after soccer practice, to students laughing over dumplings in a cafeteria, to families enjoying pie during the holidays, our team members play an important role in bringing those everyday moments to life. Our portfolio includes iconic pizzas, global flavors, and timeless desserts from brands like Red Baron®, bibigo®, Tony’s®, Big Daddy’s®, Freschetta®, Pagoda®, Edwards® and Mrs.

Smith’s®. Enjoyed in homes, schools, restaurants and just about everywhere people shop and eat, our products reflect a commitment to quality, innovation, and the power of food to bring people together.

We are seeking an experienced Director of Sales to lead and grow a high-impact Costco business with responsibility for driving sales, profitability, and long-term customer growth. In this role, you’ll shape and execute strategies that strengthen our partnership with Costco, expand distribution, improve item productivity, and unlock new growth opportunities across the warehouse club channel.

If you are a strategic, customer-focused leader who understands Costco’s business and knows how to turn strong customer relationships into results and thrives in a high-impact role, enjoy influencing across teams, and are energized by building winning customer partnerships, we’d love to hear from you!

• Own and lead the annual Costco business plan, delivering revenue, profit, market share, distribution, and trade investment objectives.
• Develop and execute long-term growth strategies aligned with Costco’s merchandising philosophy and member value proposition.
• Build and maintain relationships with Costco Buyers and key decision-makers across multiple Departments.
• Serve as the senior leader managing broker relationships, ensuring alignment and flawless execution of business priorities.
• Identify and secure distribution gains, innovation placements, and promotional opportunities to accelerate growth.
• Leverage consumer insights, syndicated data, category trends, and financial analysis to develop strategic business recommendations.
• Lead customer business reviews, monitor performance, and implement actions to close gaps and exceed objectives.
• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Finance, Innovation, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, and Customer Service to deliver exceptional execution and service levels.
• Manage and optimize trade investments to maximize ROI and profitable growth.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, with 10+ years of progressive sales, account management, or commercial leadership experience, preferably in CPG, food, beverage, or consumer products.
• Proven success managing major retail customers, with direct Costco Wholesale experience preferred, and a track record of delivering revenue, profit, and category growth.
• Strong understanding of Costco’s business and merchandising model, including member value, promotions, item introductions, and customer‑specific strategies.
• Exceptional customer leadership and relationship‑building skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead complex negotiations and presentations.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including P&L management, forecasting, and the ability to translate customer strategies into profitable growth.
• Proven cross‑functional leadership experience, including broker management and execution of complex customer initiatives, with strong proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and sales analytics tools.

Up to 20% domestic travel required

The base salary range…