Director of CPG Sales, West

Sambazon Inc•San Clemente, CA

8d•$100,000 - $120,000•Remote

About The Position

SAMBAZON, named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces for 2025, is seeking a Director of CPG Sales, West to lead our Natural Channel and distributor strategy across the Western U.S. The Director of CPG Sales, West serves as SAMBAZON’s primary commercial leader for the Natural Channel and distributor ecosystem. This role owns the full commercial strategy, execution, and senior-level customer leadership across top national natural retailers and key distributors (KeHE and UNFI), as well as regional natural accounts throughout the West. This leader will shape brand authority in natural retail, accelerate innovation adoption, expand distribution, and elevate distributor performance, all while delivering the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), strengthening category influence, and driving best-in-class shelf execution. The Director will collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Category & Insights, Finance, Operations, and Executive Leadership to advance SAMBAZON’s position as the category-defining brand within natural retail. This position offers a generous benefits package, annual bonus opportunity, and year-round half-day Fridays. This is a fully remote role, with SAMBAZON’s headquarters located in San Clemente, California. The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000, depending on experience and qualifications. This role requires approximately 30% travel, depending on business needs.

Requirements

7–10+ years of CPG Sales experience, with strong emphasis on Natural Channel leadership and distributor (UNFI/KeHE) management.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Proven success leading natural retailers and managing complex distributor networks.
Expertise in trade strategy, margin management, pricing, and P&L ownership.
Strong forecasting and S&OP experience, with a solid understanding of distributor operations and new item commercialization.
High data fluency across SPINS, Nielsen, retailer portals, and distributor systems.
Exceptional storytelling, negotiation, influence, and senior-level customer communication skills.
Self-starter with strong project management capability who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as SAMBAZON’s authority within the Natural Channel, building long-term strategies that elevate brand positioning, distribution, and category credibility.
Own senior-level relationships and Joint Business Planning (JBP) with top natural retailers including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, NCG/INFRA, Natural Grocers, Mother’s Market, Erewhon Market, PCC, New Seasons Market, Nugget, Gelson’s, and other West regional natural banners.
Drive distribution expansion by identifying and closing white space across regions, categories, and formats.
Establish best-in-class merchandising standards, shelf presence, and category stewardship to reinforce SAMBAZON’s leadership role.
Own full strategic, performance, and P&L responsibility for natural distributors (UNFI and KeHE).
Drive distributor accountability through KPIs, QBRs, structured scorecards, and performance reviews.
Strengthen forecasting accuracy and replenishment execution to improve in-stock performance and reduce supply chain friction.
Optimize pricing structures, margin delivery, SKU assortment, transitions, and new item speed-to-shelf.
Improve visibility and velocity through enhanced sales planning, inventory management, and demand signals.
Partner with distributors to commercialize SAMBAZON’s innovation pipeline within the Natural Channel.
Manage and elevate natural-focused brokers (Acosta, ASM, PMI) with clear KPIs and execution standards.
Strengthen retail execution across the Natural Channel, including: Assortment compliance Planogram and shelf placement Pricing and promotional execution Display activation and secondary placement
Align activation calendars and field resources to deliver flawless in-store and online execution.
Own S&OP inputs for the Natural Channel and distributor business, ensuring forecast accuracy and supply continuity.
Manage trade spend with discipline, optimizing promotional calendars, ROI, and channel margin performance (Vividly or other TPMS experience preferred).
Track performance versus AOP targets (revenue, distribution, velocity, and profitability) and lead course-correction plans as needed.
Partner with Finance and Revenue Growth on pricing strategy, contracts, cost changes, and deduction resolution.
Leverage syndicated data (SPINS, Nielsen), retailer portals, and distributor insights to guide strategic decisions.
Develop compelling sell-in narratives, category stories, and executive-level presentations tailored to Natural Channel leaders.
Model SAMBAZON’s Vision, Mission, and Purple Principles.
Build capability and deepen Natural Channel expertise across the broader team.
Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture defined by accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Travel approximately 30% for retailer meetings, distributor reviews, field execution, and industry events.