Director, National Sales - Speciality Channels

Freshpet Talent Acquisition•Bedminster, NJ

2d•$175,000 - $195,000

About The Position

The Director, National Sales – Specialty Channel drives strategy and growth in Freshpet’s pet specialty channel business and reports to the VP, Pet Channel & eCommerce. The role develops account and channel strategy, drives revenue and distribution growth, strengthens retail partnerships, and turns data into actionable plans that expand the category. It combines strategy, analytics, and execution to identify where to play and how to win while delivering measurable results. The position owns customer strategy and account performance, builds strategic plans and joint business plans, and partners with retailers to expand Freshpet’s role in the category. It uses data and analytics to guide decisions, supports account forecasting and trade investment, and works cross-functionally with marketing, supply chain, finance, and operations to align plans and execution. Nationwide travel is approximately 40%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in large CPG.
Proactive business development focus, with the ability to identify and open new doors and convert opportunities into profitable growth.
High ownership mindset and agility to make sound decisions and deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Proven ability to lead complex negotiations and build strategic customer partnerships that drive sustainable, profitable growth.
Strong analytical and commercial acumen, with the ability to translate category, customer, and shopper insights into actionable growth plans.
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders across levels and functions.
Approximately 40% nationwide travel.

Nice To Haves

Natural or pet channel experience is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with Nielsen, Salesforce, or Power BI.

Responsibilities

Own and drive customer strategy, setting priorities, growth levers, and where to play.
Identify and develop initiatives that scale the Freshpet brand and the broader fresh pet food category.
Build annual and quarterly strategic plans based on category trends, shopper insights, and retailer dynamics.
Translate complex data into actionable growth strategies.
Own joint business planning and align shared priorities, targets, and execution plans with customers.
Maintain trust-based relationships with decision-makers at national and regional specialty retailers.
Advise customers on category growth, assortment, and merchandising using an insight-led perspective.
Influence customer strategies to identify incremental opportunities and expand Freshpet’s role in the category.
Own revenue, distribution, and ACV performance across assigned accounts.
Identify opportunities to expand distribution, optimize assortment, and strengthen in-store presence.
Monitor performance, identify risks and opportunities, and adjust strategies as needed.
Ensure effective execution of initiatives, including new item launches and in-store programming.
Use data and analytics to evaluate performance, uncover insights, and inform decisions.
Synthesize multiple data sources into concise recommendations.
Partner with internal teams on forecasting, planning, and performance tracking.
Use a test-and-learn approach to optimize results.
Partner with marketing, supply chain, finance, and operations to align strategies and execution.
Align assortment, merchandising, and activation plans with brand and channel strategies.
Coordinate with distributor partners to drive consistent execution and expanded reach.
Champion best practices and strengthen specialty channel capabilities.
Support account-level forecasts, trade planning, and investment strategies.
Monitor performance against financial targets and identify actions to close gaps or accelerate growth.
Balance growth opportunities with return-on-investment discipline to support sustainable, profitable performance.