Sales & Development Manager, SmartLabel

Consumer Brands Association • Arlington, VA

3d

About The Position

The Consumer Brands Association is seeking a revenue-driven , strategic Sales & Development Manager to accelerate growth of our SmartLabel program—the CPG industry’s leading platform for transparency and digital product disclosure. This role is perfect for someone who knows the CPG landscape, understands how companies think about labeling, compliance, and consumer trust, and has a proven track record of converting prospects into revenue. The Sales & Development Manager, SmartLabel , is responsible for driving revenue and expanding adoption of the SmartLabel program among CPG brands and industry partners. This role serves as a strategic, external-facing representative of Consumer Brands Association’s transparency initiatives and plays a critical part in accelerating program growth. Working in partnership with the Senior Director, SmartLabel , the Sales & Development Manager will build a disciplined sales and outreach pipeline, cultivate new business opportunities, and position SmartLabel as the industry’s leading transparency and digital labeling platform. The ideal candidate combines strong business development skills with an understanding of regulatory and advocacy benefits tied to consumer transparency, ingredient disclosure, and digital labeling innovation.

Requirements

• BA/BS degree or equivalent relevant experience in marketing, business, or sales required .
• 5-8+ years' experience in association, membership, business development, or stakeholder engagement roles, ideally within the consumer-packaged goods, regulatory, or marketing sectors.
• Experience representing organizations at conferences or events is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to drive revenue and meet or exceed sales goals.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills and the ability to translate insights into outreach strategies.
• Strong follow-up discipline and organizational rigor; able to manage multiple prospects simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High emotional intelligence, interpersonal savvy, and ability to build trust with senior-level stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial, proactive, self-driven, and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for consumer transparency, innovation, and strengthening trust in the CPG industry.
• Strong project management and interpersonal skills with experience working cross-functionally.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Self-directed and resourceful with excellent customer service skills .
• Quick study and lifelong learner, able to learn on the fly the many complexities and nuances of the CPG industry and member priorities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with product labeling a plus .
• Experience in a start-up environment is a plus.
• Experience utilizing dedicated sales and CRM tools (such as Salesforce) desirable.

Responsibilities

• Drive revenue growth by building and managing a disciplined pipeline of prospective CPG brands and partners.
• Own the sales cycle end-to-end: research, outreach, pitching, follow-up, and closing.
• Clearly articulate the advocacy, regulatory, and brand trust benefits of joining SmartLabel .
• Represent SmartLabel at industry events, conferences, and partner meetings as a compelling external ambassador.
• Build and strengthen relationships with CPG companies, retailers, trade associations, and allied organizations.
• Partner with internal teams to create sharp sales materials, case studies, and messaging that support program growth.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for both prospective and existing SmartLabel participants.
• Cultivate strong business relationships with CPG companies, allied trade associations, consumer groups, and other stakeholders.
• Represent SmartLabel at conferences, summits, trade shows, and partner events; confidently articulate the program’s strategic, commercial, and advocacy benefits.
• Partner with Marketing to develop compelling case studies, success stories, one-pagers, and other materials that support recruitment and renewal.
• Own, create and execute an outreach strategy.
• Understand the market, the SmartLabel brand, and the benefits and pain points of the program to articulate a compelling value proposition for participating brands and prospects.
• Execute participant prospect development, including monitoring daily CPG news to identify new prospects, recording outreach, leading and drafting follow up and tracking company leadership changes.
• Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified prospective brands and intentionally move brands through the sales cycle.
• Develop a sales and opportunity pipeline of prospective companies enabling the achievement of sales goals and metrics.
• Maintain prospect pipeline and recruitment plan of prospective companies, including tracking outreach, drafting email correspondence and scheduling follow-up.
• Lead presentations, webinars, and discussions with prospective clients / participants, adapting content and tone based on audience function and seniority.
• Identify opportunities for SmartLabel to participate in new conferences or association events; recommend creative approaches to increase visibility and adoption.
• Report regularly on program growth metrics (pipeline volume, conversion, new brand participation, and event engagement).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level