National Accounts Vice President - Kroger
About The Position
The Wine Group is seeking a National Accounts Vice President to lead the strategic planning and execution of national and regional account programs for Kroger. The role coordinates company and wholesaler resources at local, regional, and national levels to drive growth. It develops and implements long-term customer strategies, encourages cross-functional collaboration, and builds relationships with key stakeholders to achieve revenue growth and business objectives. The position is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and reports to the National Sales Manager, National Retail. The Kroger Director reports into this role. The Vice President will lead Kroger go-to-market plans, joint business planning, and executive engagement; develop relationships with Kroger and wholesaler leaders; direct cross-functional planning and omnichannel strategy; and oversee sales execution, category management, merchandising, and performance analysis. The role owns Kroger’s annual volume, net revenue, gross profit, distribution, and customer performance objectives, and leads, develops, and retains a high-performing team.
Requirements
- 15+ years of experience in sales or account management.
- 8+ years of experience in a senior or leadership role managing large-scale, multi-state retail accounts.
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a relevant field.
- Experience in joint business planning and Top-to-Top meetings with large strategic customers or wholesalers.
- Advanced negotiation skills.
- Ability to build talent, culture, and capability within a team.
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Highly organized, proactive, and self-directed, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently and collaboratively.
- Knowledge of market and industry trends, competitors, and leading customer strategies.
- Outstanding analytical skills, with experience interpreting results and drawing conclusions to improve outcomes.
- Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with senior buyers and key decision-makers at large retailers or wholesalers.
- Strong track record of meeting or exceeding revenue and volume targets.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Copilot or similar AI tools, and Nielsen / IRI / Circana.
- Willingness to travel and stay overnight as needed.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Kroger or other large retailers.
- Previous people management experience.
- MBA.
Responsibilities
- Develop and lead Kroger’s short- and long-term customer strategy, including go-to-market plans, joint business planning, and executive Top-to-Top engagement.
- Build relationships with Kroger category directors, Alcohol Beverage leaders at the Vice President level and above, and wholesaler account leads.
- Lead the team in influencing key decision-makers on shelf placements, product assortments, and promotional activities.
- Lead cross-functional planning across Finance, Supply Chain, FSO, Trade Marketing, COE, and wholesaler partners to align forecasts, customer programming, resource allocation, and execution.
- Lead development of an integrated omnichannel growth strategy spanning in-store, e-commerce, retail media, loyalty, shopper marketing, and digital activation.
- Lead execution of strategic initiatives and ensure alignment with annual operating plans.
- Oversee category management efforts with COE and SGWS through planning, communication, execution, and evaluation, including assortment optimization.
- Optimize shelf and cold box placements with COE, wholesalers, and Field Sales Organization.
- Conduct market surveys and analyze national and regional program execution to identify improvement opportunities.
- Use customer, consumer, and competitor data to refine strategies and maximize sales impact.
- Own Kroger’s annual volume, net revenue, gross profit, distribution, and customer performance objectives.
- Partner with Commercial Finance to evaluate customer profitability, promotional effectiveness, pricing opportunities, and performance gaps.
- Recommend resources and funding based on strategic priorities, financial impact, and expected business return.
- Attract, lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team; establish clear expectations and foster accountability and collaboration.
- Inspire teams to meet sales targets, present compelling stories, and drive internal engagement.
- Support and model company procedures and policies.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
