Alternative Channels Sales Manager

At 1440 Foods, we’re on a mission to energize people to unleash their full potential with a portfolio of great-tasting, high-protein snacks and supplements. Our brands Pure Protein®, Body Fortress®, MET-Rx®, and FITCrunch® make better nutrition accessible, enjoyable, and part of an active lifestyle.

As a fast-growing sports and active nutrition company, we are shaping the future of health and wellness in CPG. If you’re looking to make a big impact in a high-growth, entrepreneurial environment, we’d love to have you on board!

Position Overview

The Alternative Channels Sales Manager is responsible for developing, managing, and growing 1440 Foods' presence across Value, Drug, and Alternative/Specialty Retail channels — including off-price, hardware, farm & ranch, automotive, sporting goods, travel, entertainment, and foodservice accounts. This role drives distribution, velocity, and brand visibility by building strong distributor and retail partnerships, while leading execution across a diverse set of headquarter-call accounts.

We are looking for a highly motivated, entrepreneurial sales leader with a passion for health and wellness and a proven ability to grow business across multiple channels. This role requires strong relationship-building skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to influence cross-functional partners and broker teams.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy building brands through strategic selling and executional excellence, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Responsibilities

Distributor Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with foodservice and vending distributors including Vistar, Core-Mark, Sysco, and regional partners.
• Create monthly and quarterly promotion activity for distributors to drive incremental placement and close distribution gaps across serviced accounts.
• Conduct regular business reviews with distributor representatives to track performance, identify gaps, and execute joint business plans.
• Train and educate distributor sales teams on 1440 Foods' product portfolio, selling points, and brand story.
• Manage deductions, credits, and promotional programs within established guidelines.

Value Channel

• Develop and grow business within value and dollar channel accounts (e.g., Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General).
• Present tailored assortments and value-pack configurations aligned to channel shopper profiles.
• Partner with trade marketing team to develop channel-specific programs and promotional pricing strategies.

Drug Channel Channel

• Open new, manage, and grow existing health food store accounts, including Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, independents, co-ops, and regional natural chains.
• Secure prominent shelf placement and in-store promotional support.
• Leverage distributor relationships to drive pull-through and replenishment at store level.
• Partner with brokers where applicable to maximize coverage and account penetration.

Alternative & Specialty Retail Channel

Manage and grow a diverse book of headquarter-call accounts across off-price and discount retail (e.g., TJX, Ross, Burlington, Five Below), hardware, farm & ranch, automotive, and sporting goods (e.g., Home Depot, Tractor Supply, AutoZone), and travel, entertainment, foodservice, and office/education accounts (e.g., Hudson News, Paradies, Cinemark, FedEx Office).

Navigate channel-specific buying mechanics, including opportunistic/closeout programs, dealer-market buying shows, and distributor-managed concession and micro-market programs.

Secure prominent checkout, front-end, and planned placement and negotiate promotional and program support.

Leverage Vistar, Core-Mark, and other distributor relationships to drive pull-through, replenishment, and new account activation.

Identify and convert new accounts within these channels and partner with brokers where applicable to maximize coverage and account penetration.

Reporting & Analytics

• Track weekly and monthly sales performance against targets using CRM tools and distributor portals.
• Analyze sell-in vs. sell-through data to identify trends, gaps, and growth opportunities.
• Provide accurate forecasts and account-level volume projections to the sales leadership team.
• Submit timely call reports, expense reports, and account activity summaries.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years CPG sales experience, preferably in the Alternative, Drug, and/or Value channels.
• Demonstrated experience calling on distributors and managing multi-channel retail accounts.
• Ability to analyze sales data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Proficiency in sales and analytics tools such as Power BI, Exceedra, IRI, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage a large territory independently.
• Experience with specialty distributors is a plus.
• Knowledge of wellness and functional food/beverage trends.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel up to 40%
• Why Join Us?
• Opportunity to lead a critical function in a growing mid-size CPG company.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial work culture.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Career development and growth opportunities.
• If you are a driven sales leader with a passion for building brands and delivering results in a high-growth CPG environment, we invite you to apply and join our team!