Key Account Manager

NetCost Market•South Plainfield, NJ

6d•$0 - $65,000

About The Position

GMI Trading is a national food import and distribution company serving specialty retailers, wholesalers, and grocery retail chains across the United States. The Key Account Manager opens and manages key accounts, drives sales growth, expands product distribution, and develops partnerships with grocery chains and other key retail accounts. The role focuses on opening and negotiating new accounts, implementing customer growth plans after onboarding, expanding product assortment, strengthening shelf presence, and executing planograms, POSM, promotions, and sales initiatives. This is a hands-on account management role that works closely with customers and internal sales, category management, operations, and supply chain teams to support successful account implementation and long-term revenue growth. The Key Account Manager takes ownership of large new leads from the first meeting through negotiation and a signed account.

Requirements

At least 3 years of proven experience in key account management, business development, or sales leadership within grocery, food distribution, CPG, or a related industry.
Experience working with grocery chains, specialty retailers, or wholesale food customers.
Strong negotiation skills and ability to open, develop, and grow new retail accounts.
Hands-on experience with account implementation, assortment expansion, planograms, POSM, promotional planning, and retail execution.
Experience working with a CRM system.
Ability to analyze sales data, identify growth opportunities, and translate insights into actionable sales plans.
Strong communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills.
Ability to work cross-functionally and coordinate priorities across sales, category management, operations, marketing, and supply chain teams.
Highly organized, results-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced, growing business environment.

Responsibilities

Identify, pursue, and open new key accounts, including large leads that are not yet customers.
Meet with buyers and decision-makers and lead negotiations from first contact through a signed account.
Negotiate account opportunities, product placements, distribution terms, promotional support, and growth plans with retail partners.
Develop and maintain relationships with buyers, category managers, store leadership, and other key decision-makers.
Drive sales growth through existing-account expansion and new business development; identify opportunities to increase product penetration, sales volume, and profitability.
Lead hands-on implementation after an account is signed, coordinating account setup, product availability, pricing, logistics, and first-order execution.
Oversee account launches, including assortment setup, shelf placement, planogram execution, and promotional planning.
Understand customer goals, challenges, product needs, and category opportunities, and conduct regular business reviews on sales performance, assortment, promotions, and growth initiatives.
Represent the company in customer meetings, trade shows, presentations, and industry events.
Expand product assortment, shelf presence, category penetration, and distribution across store locations; recommend assortment strategies and changes based on account needs, market trends, and performance.
Oversee development and execution of planograms, shelf sets, in-store placement programs, and annual promotional plans.
Ensure promotional activity aligns with customer expectations, company sales objectives, and product availability; work with internal teams to address execution gaps.
Plan and manage POSM for assigned accounts, including displays, stands, coolers, and freezers; coordinate with Marketing, brief designers, order materials, and arrange delivery and installation.
Coordinate store visits, in-store execution, and photo reports with merchandisers and sales representatives; measure POSM and display effectiveness and adjust plans.
Analyze sales performance across accounts, categories, products, and distribution channels, and monitor results against objectives and targets.
Prepare reports on account performance, sales growth, distribution gains, promotional execution, and customer development; provide leadership with insights and recommendations on opportunities, risks, and market trends.
Collaborate with Sales Leadership, Category Management, Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain to support customer growth and execute customer commitments.