Director of National Accounts

Lakeside Foods•Manitowoc, WI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

At Lakeside Foods and our family of companies, we're committed to providing wholesome foods to enrich people’s lives through food. We are a culture that pursues our vision of growth and innovation with passion, confidence, and commitment. We are strongest together – valuing collaborative contribution, transparency and new ideas to enable change and growth. We are committed to an inclusive and respectful environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance, and there’s a seat at the table for you. Lakeside Foods is seeking a Director, National Accounts – Foodservice to develop and execute the long‑term national account strategy across the Foodservice channel. Reporting to the Vice President of Foodservice Sales, this role drives profitable growth, expands customer and product portfolios, and ensures strong cross‑functional alignment to achieve corporate growth objectives. The Director serves as the executive contact for key national customers and provides strategic leadership to support sustainable competitiveness and value creation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
7–10+ years of national or strategic Foodservice sales experience, ideally with national chains
Demonstrated success in long‑term strategy development, portfolio management, and cross‑functional leadership
Extensive relationships with key decision makers across the national account segment
In‑depth knowledge of the U.S. Foodservice channel, including chain accounts, GPOs, distributors, re‑distributors, and buying groups
Strong strategic planning and execution capabilities
Financial acumen with experience evaluating pricing, profitability, and trade spend
Ability to influence and lead across functions at senior levels
Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship‑building skills
High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred
Experience in both large and small organizations preferred, balancing entrepreneurial thinking with structured processes

Responsibilities

Develop, direct, and execute the Foodservice National Accounts strategy aligned with corporate objectives and long‑range plans
Lead long‑term growth initiatives including new customer acquisition, channel expansion, and strategic partnerships
Drive portfolio expansion through product commercialization, category growth, and value‑added solutions aligned to customer needs
Establish and maintain senior‑level relationships with executive and cross‑functional decision makers within key national accounts
Lead national account acquisition efforts, including pursuit, development, and closure of high‑value national chain accounts
Partner closely with Company leadership to implement and achieve sales objectives
Serve as the primary liaison across Sales, Operations, R&D, Marketing, Finance, Quality, and Supply Chain
Drive alignment of innovation pipelines, pricing strategies, customer‑specific solutions, and supply capabilities
Partner with Marketing, Culinary, and cross‑functional teams to support go‑to‑market execution for national accounts
Maintain and share deep knowledge of competitive dynamics, customer segments, contracts, volume, and trade spend
Represent Lakeside Foods at industry events and trade shows
Oversee development and execution of national account forecasts and long‑range growth plans
Partner with Finance on sales budget development, forecast accuracy, and revenue optimization
Evaluate and recommend improvements to pricing strategy, trade spend, customer profitability, and contract structures
Maintain confidentiality of company information
Represent the company professionally and contribute to a profitable business
Perform other duties as assigned