National Account Manager – Meijer
Heartland Food Products Group is seeking a National Account Manager (NAM) to lead our business with Meijer, one of Heartland’s most strategic retail partners. This role is ideal for a proven CPG sales leader with direct experience calling on this account, established relationships with merchandising teams, and a passion for building brands through strong retailer collaboration.
This position is based in Grand Rapids, MI.
What You’ll Do
Own Strategic Customer Leadership
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Serve as the primary sales lead and relationship owner for Meijer
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Build and deepen partnerships with merchandising teams to drive mutual growth
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Represent Heartland’s brand portfolio with confidence, credibility, and a growth mindset
Drive Growth Across Heartland’s Brand Portfolio
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Develop and execute annual Joint Business Plans aligned to Heartland’s growth, profitability, and brand-building priorities
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Lead assortment, pricing, merchandising, and promotional strategies that expand distribution and household penetration
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Champion innovation and new item launches, ensuring strong customer alignment and flawless execution
Deliver Results Through Best-in-Class Execution
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Own volume, trade spend, and profitability targets for Meijer
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Lead promotional planning, display strategy, and in-store/online execution in partnership with merchandising teams
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Provide accurate forecasting and demand inputs to support high service levels and efficient inventory management
Leverage Insights to Win at Shelf
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Use syndicated data (Circana/IRI, Nielsen) and customer insights to identify category opportunities and support fact-based selling
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Partner with customer merchandising teams to improve shelf placement, promotional ROI, and execution quality
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Translate data into clear, compelling stories that support brand and category growth
Lead and Develop Talent
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Set clear priorities, provide ongoing feedback, and support professional development
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Lead with Heartland’s values and foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture
Collaborate Cross-Functionally
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Act as the voice of Meijer internally, aligning marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, and operations
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Partner closely with marketing and category management to deliver customer-relevant brand strategies
What You Bring
Required Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree required; MBA a plus
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7+ years of CPG sales or customer leadership experience
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Direct experience calling on Meijer required
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Established relationships with Meijer merchandising teams
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Strong understanding of grocery retail, trade management, and category management
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Proven track record of delivering profitable growth
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Prior people management experience or demonstrated readiness to lead
Preferred Experience
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Experience managing branded food or beverage portfolios
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Strong analytical and financial acumen
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Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, matrixed organization