Director - Kroger

Celsius • Cincinnati, OH

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Kroger is the senior customer leader responsible for the full Kroger relationship and commercial performance across Celsius Holdings’ Celsius, Alani Nu, and Rockstar portfolios. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the position reports to the Sr. Director, Large Format National Accounts and has people-management responsibilities.

The role owns customer strategy, annual operating and joint business plans, customer negotiations, and the execution agenda needed to grow the portfolio and deliver company objectives at Kroger. It translates enterprise and brand priorities into an integrated customer plan across sales, pricing, promotion, assortment, distribution, space, innovation, retail media, supply, and field execution. The Director leads the customer team, manages senior retailer relationships, and coordinates internal stakeholders and field partners to ensure timely, accountable execution.

This role calls for a customer-first leader with commercial judgment, analytical capability, retailer fluency, and the ability to work strategically and tactically in a complex, matrixed organization. Travel is approximately 50%, including multi-day overnight trips. The employee must be able to lift up to 50 pounds at times and live within one hour of a major international airport.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in CPG or beverage sales, national or regional account management, customer strategy, or commercial leadership, including experience leading complex retail relationships and cross-functional teams.
• Proven ability to manage and grow a large-format grocery or mass retail account and lead a multi-brand portfolio through customer strategy, joint business planning, negotiation, and execution.
• Experience working cross-functionally in a matrixed organization with Marketing, Finance, Category Management, Revenue Growth Management, Supply Chain, Commercialization, Field Sales, and Operations.
• Bachelor’s degree required; an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience may be considered.
• Strong command of retailer systems and sales analytics, including retailer reporting tools, Power BI, Circana/IRI, Excel, forecasting platforms, and customer scorecards; ability to translate data into clear commercial actions.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-management skills, with judgment to balance retailer needs, brand priorities, financial objectives, and execution realities.
• Must be able to travel approximately 50%, including multi-day overnight trips.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds at times.
• Must live within one hour of a major international airport.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Kroger customer team and cross-functional partners; set priorities, operating rhythms, and accountability, and support performance management, capability building, and succession planning.
• Coordinate with Sales, Finance, Marketing, Category Management, Supply Chain, Revenue Growth Management, Field Sales, and Operations, while keeping senior leadership aligned on priorities, risks, and decisions.
• Own the Kroger portfolio strategy for Celsius, Alani Nu, and Rockstar, balancing customer priorities, brand roles, channel opportunities, growth, profitability, and execution capacity.
• Build and lead Kroger joint business plans and annual operating plans, covering objectives, forecasts, investment, pricing and promotion, assortment and space, innovation, retail media, and field execution standards.
• Lead strategic engagements with Kroger buying teams and senior retail leaders, negotiate customer plans and commercial agreements, and turn commitments into internal action plans with owners, timing, and measurable outcomes.
• Own the Kroger business operating rhythm, including customer scorecards, business reviews, item and distribution tracking, promotional performance, execution follow-up, and escalation of risks.
• Use Kroger retailer systems and reporting tools, internal sales systems, Power BI, Circana/IRI, Excel, and other data sources to manage item setup, distribution, pricing, promotion, inventory, sales, and execution performance.
• Partner with the Kroger DSD network, distribution leadership, and field sales to improve in-stock performance, address execution gaps, manage launches and resets, and identify growth opportunities.
• Own Kroger forecasting and demand planning, incorporating customer plans, field inputs, promotional events, innovation, distribution changes, seasonality, and supply constraints; align assumptions with Finance, Supply Chain, and Commercialization.
• Analyze customer and category performance across dollars, units, distribution, velocity, share, pricing, promotion, and portfolio mix; identify trends, diagnose gaps, and recommend actions by brand, item, and program.
• Provide executive leadership with concise, decision-oriented updates on Kroger performance, risks, opportunities, competitive activity, retailer priorities, and actions needed to deliver the plan.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Long- and short-term disability
• Life insurance
• 10 vacation days per year, subject to accrual policy
• 11 company-paid holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Identity theft and legal services
• Position may be eligible for bonuses and Restricted Stock Units, subject to company plans

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director