Account Manager, Natural

About the role

We’re hiring an Account Manager, Natural to own and scale Grüns Natural channel business across Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, Fresh Thyme, and Natural Independents. This role is critical as we deepen existing partnerships, forge new ones, expand distribution, drive innovation placement, and build a scalable, profitable Natural channel revenue engine.

You’ll serve as the dedicated business owner for these accounts — leading strategy, execution, performance, and relationships end-to-end. Beyond maintaining the business, this role is responsible for elevating buyer conversations from transactional updates to insight-driven growth strategies, identifying whitespace, and developing retailer‑specific playbooks that drive contribution margin and long‑term partnership strength.

This role is part of our remote HQ! We have a fully remote, high‑trust work environment – and also come together on a biannual basis for amazing off‑sites where we can connect IRL. This role also requires travel, up to 30% to support key retail partners and business priorities.

In this role, you will:

• Own the Natural channel end‑to‑end — full accountability for strategy, execution, P&L, and results across Sprouts, WFM, Fresh Thyme, and Natural Independents.
• Lead buyer relationships across all accounts, driving strategic alignment and a consistent monthly business review cadence.
• Deliver flawless launches on‑time and in‑full — merchandising strategy, promotional plans, marketing alignment, and operational readiness.
• Own promo planning and post‑event analysis, optimizing cadence, depth, and mechanics to maximize contribution margin at each retailer.
• Build a continuous pipeline of incremental opportunities: void closures, distribution expansion, secondary placements, always‑on displays, and LTOs.
• Develop retailer‑specific playbooks across displays, promo, and innovation — managing UNFI/KeHE relationships to optimize cost‑to‑serve.
• Map and prioritize Natural Independent accounts by revenue potential and strategic fit, building scalable onboarding playbooks to drive incremental distribution.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Operations, CPFR, Finance, Marketing, and Analytics on forecasting, OTIF, display compliance, and EDI.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has 5+ years of CPG sales experience, with at least 2 years calling on Sprouts or Whole Foods Market.
• Deeply understands Natural channel economics — UNFI/KeHE dynamics, merchant strategies, distributor vs. direct models, and the cost‑to‑serve implications of each.
• Has a proven track record of expanding door counts, executing off‑shelf programs, and successfully launching new items in complex Natural retail environments.
• Is fluent in margin math, manages trade spend with discipline, and knows how to negotiate slotting, display fees, and promo terms to protect contribution margin.
• Synthesizes SPINS Natural channel data, panel data, and retailer portal data into compelling sell‑in stories and opportunity pipelines.
• Has experience working with and through broker partners — understanding how to hold them accountable, when to lean on them, and when to pursue a direct model.
• Is proficient in Excel/Google Sheets and PowerPoint/Slides, with the ability to build models, dashboards, and persuasive presentations.
• Thrives in a startup environment — comfortable with ambiguity, builds process where none exists, and doesn’t wait to be told what to do.

Approach to the role:

• Acts like an owner, not an account manager — fully accountable for P&L, relationships, and execution.
• Brings a strategic lens with hands‑on follow‑through, moving easily between planning and doing.
• A confident negotiator who advocates for what’s right for the business.
• Curious, resourceful, and disciplined — tests fast, learns quickly, and kills low‑impact work early.
• Passionate about health and nutrition, motivated by building meaningful brand presence in the right places.
• Embodies a “nothing is below me” mindset — willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Compensation & Benefits:

At Grüns, we’re committed to providing a competitive total compensation package — grounded in market data that considers our size, stage, industry, and location. For this role, the base salary range is $120,000-$140,000 depending on experience, paired with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well‑being and growth of our team.

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