Sales Director - Midwest & East
Location: Remote, based within the Midwest or East | Territory: Midwest and Eastern United States | Travel: Regular travel throughout the assigned territory
Great Products. Strong Relationships. Real Growth.
FoodLuma is looking for an experienced, well-connected Sales Director to lead our sales team and accelerate growth across the Midwest and Eastern United States.
This is not a behind-the-desk leadership role. You’ll be in the business, coaching the team, meeting with customers, collaborating with distributors, opening new accounts, and helping FoodLuma’s vendor partners expand their retail and foodservice business.
If you know the food industry, have strong retailer and distributor relationships, and enjoy turning opportunities into business, we’d love to meet you.
About FoodLuma
FoodLuma is a food sales and marketing agency representing a curated portfolio of innovative food companies. We help our vendor partners build distribution, secure placements, enter new markets, and develop lasting retail and foodservice business.
We’re a collaborative, fast-moving team that combines industry relationships, category knowledge, and hands-on sales execution with a genuine passion for discovering and growing great food products.
The Opportunity
The Sales Director will lead and develop sales team members across the Midwest and East while driving new business throughout the territory.
You’ll work directly with retailers, foodservice operators, distributors, and vendor partners to advance opportunities and deliver results. You may also manage selected customer accounts and distributor relationships directly.
We’re looking for a leader who can see the bigger picture while staying close to the details that move business forward, including customer conversations, distributor engagement, team follow-through, pipeline activity, and the next placement opportunity.
What You’ll Do
Lead and Develop the Team
· Lead, coach, and develop Business Development Managers and Senior Business Development Managers across the Midwest and East.
· Set clear expectations and create accountability around sales activity, follow-through, and results.
· Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, pipeline reviews, account reviews, and field coaching.
· Join the team in customer meetings, distributor calls, presentations, and priority sales opportunities.
· Help team members strengthen their relationships, identify opportunities, and close business.
· Build an energetic, collaborative, and results-focused sales culture.
· Demonstrate FoodLuma’s values through your leadership, communication, and relationships.
Build the Business
· Drive sales growth across retail, foodservice, and distribution across assigned territories to align with both the Company’s and sales team members’ goals. .
· Use your industry knowledge and established relationships to open doors and create opportunities for FoodLuma’s vendor partners.
· Develop relationships with retail buyers, category managers, foodservice operators, distributor leaders, and field sales teams.
· Secure new accounts, new item placements, expanded distribution, and growth within existing customers.
· Personally manage selected customer accounts and distributor relationships.
· Participate in customer presentations, business reviews, industry events, and strategic follow-up.
· Keep priority opportunities moving and make sure the team is focused on the business that matters most.
Strengthen Distributor Partnerships
· Build productive relationships with regional and national distributor partners serving the Midwest and East.
· Work with distributor leadership, buyers, category teams, and sales representatives to develop customer opportunities.
· Navigate distributor onboarding, sales processes, systems, and routes to market.
· Coordinate product launches, distributor priorities, sales initiatives, and account activity.
· Ensure the sales team is actively engaging distributor partners and following through on leads and opportunities.
· Support broader distributor initiatives and national opportunities as needed.
Own the Pipeline and Performance
· Maintain a clear view of the territory pipeline, customer activity, and new business opportunities.
· Monitor progress against sales goals, forecasts, and key priorities.
· Provide input into territory forecasts and budgets and track performance against established targets.
· Hold the team accountable for advancing opportunities and completing agreed-upon next steps.
· Ensure CRM records, customer activity, and opportunity reporting are current and accurate.
· Use sales data, category insights, and market knowledge to identify opportunities and guide decisions.
· Communicate wins, challenges, priorities, and areas requiring additional support.
Partner with Vendor Partners
· Participate in vendor partner meetings, planning sessions, and business reviews.
· Translate vendor partner priorities, launches, promotions, and key-account initiatives into sales action.
· Keep vendor partners informed about territory activity, opportunities, and progress.
· Coordinate customer initiatives that cross territories or require broader support.
What You Bring
· Strong sales and leadership experience within the specialty, natural, fresh, perishable, or broader food industry.
· Established relationships with retailers, foodservice operators, and distributors in the Midwest and/or Eastern United States.
· A track record of developing new business, opening accounts, securing placements, and expanding distribution.
· Experience leading and coaching a geographically dispersed sales team.
· A strong understanding of retail and foodservice sales cycles, distributor networks, and routes to market.
· Experience working with regional or national distributors and their sales organizations.
· The ability to balance team leadership with direct customer and distributor responsibility.
· Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
· Experience using CRM systems, pipeline reporting, sales data, and category insights.
· The ability to manage multiple vendor partners, customer opportunities, and priorities.
· The ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout the territory.
This Role May Be a Great Fit If You Are
· A natural relationship builder who is already connected within the food industry.
· A hands-on leader who enjoys coaching in the field and working alongside the team.
· A business developer who knows how to open doors and turn opportunities into business.
· Energized by discovering great products and helping FoodLuma’s vendor partners grow.
· Accountable, responsive, organized, and known for following through.
· Comfortable moving between strategy, customer conversations, distributor relationships, and team leadership.
· A change maker who is motivated by building something and making a visible impact.
Compensation and Benefits
· Base salary: $150,000.00
· Medical, dental, vision – FoodLuma pays a portion of these benefits on your behalf
· 401K matching
· Paid vacation
· Cell phone reimbursement
· 11 paid holidays
· A paid day to volunteer each year
Ready to bring your relationships, leadership, and industry experience to FoodLuma? We’d love to hear from you.
FoodLuma is an equal opportunity employer. We value different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
Pay: $150,000.00 per year
Application Question(s):
- Do you have strong sales and leadership experience within the specialty, natural, fresh, perishable, or broader food industry?
- Do you have a proven track record of developing new business, opening accounts, securing placements, and expanding distribution?
- Do you have established relationships with retailers, foodservice operators, and distributors in the Midwest and/or Eastern United States?
Work Location: Remote
