Director of Sales, Jesse & Ben's

Director of Sales, Jesse & Ben's
Position Overview
Jesse & Ben's makes real-food frozen fries that taste like the restaurant version you crave. Made with simple, better-for-you ingredients, we're all about great flavor, great food and no shortcuts. Founded by two friends, Jesse and Ben, who got obsessed with fixing a category that had gone stale, we're now scaling quickly across national, regional, natural and club retailers alike. We're a passionate team that cares deeply about turning junk food into joy food.
As we scale across freezers in America, we are looking for a commercially sharp, hands-on Director of Sales to join our Sales function. This role will own our biggest customers across natural, conventional and club: the account plans, the trade and the buyer relationships that grow distribution and velocity. You have lived on both sides of the store and know they are won differently. It is hands-on from day one: you will run key accounts yourself while you build the planning rhythm and the team that lets us scale.
Responsibilities
1) National Account Growth
Account ownership. Own the relationship and annual plan for a core set of national accounts across natural, conventional and club.
Distribution and shelf. Grow distribution, shelf placement and velocity, and defend the space we already have.
Joint business planning. Start from each retailer's strategy and what winning looks like for them. Lead line reviews, business reviews and reset pitches, and negotiate pricing, promotion, assortment and terms.
Category insight. Use SPINS, Nielsen and retailer data to find the gaps in the category, and build the story from the retailer's point of view: what they are seeing, and why our item earns the space.
Relationships beyond the buyer. Build relationships with category managers, replenishment, merchandising and retail media teams.
2) Revenue, Trade and P&L
Account plans. Build account-level plans that tie volume, price, promotion and distribution to a number we can commit to.
Trade investment. Put trade behind the accounts most likely to drive future growth, and document the plan with each retailer so spend and deductions can be checked against what we agreed. Responsible for managing your trade checkbook and the trade-offs involved.
Promotional effectiveness. Measure what each promotion actually returned, and use it to shape the next one.
Profitable growth. Partner with Finance on deductions, net price and account profitability.
3) Broker and Distributor Management
Brokers. Lead our broker partners with clear priorities, scorecards and accountability.
Distributors. Manage distribution relationships like UNFI and KeHE, including terms, programs and promotional calendars.
Coverage model. Determine the strategy between direct and broker relationships.
4) New Business and Channel Expansion
Pipeline. Build the pipeline for new national and regional accounts, sequenced by what our supply and brand can support.
P&L analysis. Understand the commercial pros and cons of new business and channel expansion.
5) Forecasting and Cross-functional Execution
Forecasting. Own a monthly forecast and a clean handoff into demand planning, so Operations can build to it.
Launches. Lead launches end to end with Operations and Marketing so new doors ship on time and turn.
6) Building the Sales Function
Operating rhythm. Set weekly account reads and the planning cadence the team runs on.
Tools and reporting. Define the tools and reporting the team runs on, and use AI tools to make them faster.
Team. Help shape and hire the sales team as we scale.
What You Bring
8 or more years of CPG sales experience, with meaningful time on both the natural and conventional sides of the business
Direct, day-to-day ownership of at least two of these accounts: Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Costco, Walmart, Kroger.
High-growth startup or challenger-brand experience, scaling a brand into new retailers with a small team and a tight budget
Commercial depth beyond relationships: account P&Ls, trade planning and ROI, deductions, pricing and syndicated data (SPINS, Nielsen or Circana)
Experience leading brokers and working with UNFI and KeHE
Willingness to be hands-on, running accounts yourself while you build the function
A direct communicator who raises a problem early and brings a recommendation with it
Comfort using AI tools as part of daily work
Our Values at Jesse & Ben's
We believe tempo is strategy: high standards, direct feedback, real craft, and doing work you'll look back on as some of your best.
Humility. Stay open. Listen first. No one here is too important to sweep the floor.
Excellence. Do it right, and do it consistently. Quality is the standard, not the goal.
Resourcefulness. We won't always have the perfect tool, budget or playbook. We figure it out anyway. We always find a way.
Ownership. If you see a problem, it's yours to solve or escalate. No spectators.
Joy. We turn junk food into joy food. If we're not having fun, we're doing it wrong.
Logistics
Structure. Full-time. Reporting to the President (and later to the VP of Sales).
Location. Preferably located close to a key retailer HQ. Remote candidates near a major airport will be considered. Bonus points for candidates based in or near New York City.
Travel. Regular travel to accounts, brokers and trade shows. Occasional visits to NYC hub and all team offsites.
Salary. The estimated base salary for this role is $154,000 - $184,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law. This range represents the anticipated salary for this position at this time.
Bonus. A meaningful annual bonus payout tied to company performance.
How to Apply
Apply through the form below. You'll share a few basics, confirm a couple of role requirements, answer three short questions, and upload your resume. We look forward to hearing from you.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/FtMKB85ix2K6kSko8