Director, National Sales - Kroger

The Coca-Cola Company•Cincinnati, OH

1d•$141,000 - $165,200•Onsite

About The Position

At The Coca‑Cola Company, we are committed to creating beloved brands while driving sustainable growth that benefits consumers, customers, and our shared future. Within this commitment, fairlife, Core Power, and our aseptic portfolio represent some of the fastest-growing segments in today’s beverage space. As Director of National Sales for these brands, you will play an integral role in shaping the next chapter of innovation and market leadership with one of our most strategic retail customers, Kroger. This position combines strategic influence with executional excellence, enabling category leadership in dairy, protein, and functional nutrition while leveraging consumer trends for mutual growth. You will serve as a key connector across Coca‑Cola North America, fairlife, our Bottling System, and Kroger—driving plans that translate insight into action and actions into measurable value. From aligning long-term strategies to solving in-stock performance challenges, this role demands agility, collaboration, and a results-oriented approach. If you bring a passion for building relationships, uncovering data-driven opportunities, and driving impact at scale, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful difference to our portfolio and marketplace presence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field (or equivalent experience).
8+ years of progressive experience in national account management or sales leadership in beverage or CPG categories.
Proven ability to lead complex joint business planning relationships and deliver sustained growth outcomes.
Strong analytical skills with demonstrated capability to apply category data, shopper insights, and syndicated tools for strategic recommendations.
Experience managing multi-brand or multi-category portfolios and aligning execution across internal and external stakeholders.
Knowledge of supply chain management principles and ability to navigate operational, in-stock, and replenishment dynamics.
Outstanding negotiation and influencing skills supported by fact-based, data-driven storytelling.
Proficiency with CRM platforms, digital reporting tools, and fluency in emerging AI applications for predictive analytics.
Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on problem solving in a fast-paced, complex customer environment.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Kroger systems, including retail dashboards, preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead delivery of annual business plans for fairlife, Core Power, and aseptic categories within the Kroger account, ensuring alignment to Coca‑Cola’s growth objectives.
Shape and activate strategies that accelerate market share gains and drive household penetration among Kroger shoppers.
Build and deepen senior-level relationships at Kroger, establishing trust and advancing joint priorities across multiple categories.
Drive category leadership through the development of customer-centric initiatives informed by consumer trends, analytics, and shopper insights.
Serve as the primary integrator among Coca‑Cola teams, fairlife partners, and bottlers to ensure alignment and seamless execution.
Leverage operational rigor to address service-level challenges, inventory performance, and supply chain planning with proactive solutions.
Champion the aseptic portfolio within the customer team to unlock incremental distribution and merchandising opportunities.
Facilitate long-range planning discussions with Kroger decision-makers that anticipate evolving dairy and functional nutrition trends.
Translate strategic imperatives into revenue-building programs, pricing structures, and activation plans within merchandising calendars.
Collaborate cross-functionally to adapt marketing, innovation, and in-store execution for maximum portfolio impact.