About Us

SIMPLi is an award-winning, leading regenerative food brand on a mission to connect people around the world through the joy of food. Founded in 2020, SIMPLi co-founders Sarela Herrada and Matt Cohen sought to bring the best single-origin ingredients from around the world directly to you in a way that equally benefits people, producers, and the planet. SIMPLi partners directly with farmers to source the finest ingredients and make them accessible to consumers nationwide in stores, restaurants, and online.

If you’re passionate about food, sustainability, and making a difference, then SIMPLi is the place for you!

The Role

SIMPLi is seeking a Director of Retail Sales – Conventional & Mass to lead growth across conventional grocery, mass, and club channels. This role owns national and regional retail relationships, drives distribution and velocity, and develops high-impact sales strategies across large-scale accounts.

This leader will manage broker and distributor partners, oversee trade investments, and build data-driven growth plans. The ideal candidate is a commercially minded retail sales leader who thrives in complex retail environments and balances strategic planning with strong execution.

This is a senior leadership role with meaningful ownership of revenue growth and channel strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Growth

• Own and lead the sales strategy across conventional grocery, mass, and club channels
• Deliver against revenue, distribution, and velocity targets
• Set clear KPIs and success metrics for accounts and broker partners
• Identify expansion opportunities across banners, regions, and categories
• Own channel forecasting, budgeting, and revenue planning
• Lead annual planning and Joint Business Planning (JBP) processes
• Develop and manage trade investment strategy to maximize ROI
• Optimize portfolio mix, pricing architecture, and promotional strategies
• Anticipate market shifts and adapt strategy to consumer and retailer trends
• Leverage syndicated and internal data to guide decisions and storytelling
• Maintain accurate forecasting and pipeline management in CRM tools

Account Development & Management

• Own key national and regional retail relationships
• Lead the full sales cycle: prospecting, pitch, negotiation, and execution
• Develop annual customer business plans aligned to company objectives
• Expand assortment, shelf space, and promotional support
• Manage pricing strategy, promotional calendars, and trade spend
• Monitor performance and proactively close gaps to plan
• Maintain accurate customer records, contracts, and competitive intelligence
• Provide high-touch customer support and issue resolution
• Develop monthly risk and opportunity reporting

Broker & Distributor Management

• Lead and manage broker relationships to ensure strong execution and accountability
• Set broker priorities, KPIs, and performance expectations
• Manage distributor relationships (UNFI, KeHE, etc.) including:
• Deductions and dispute resolution
• Fill rate and service level management
• Allocation and inventory planning
• New item onboarding

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, QA, and R&D
• Align customer plans with supply and operational capabilities
• Provide retailer and category insights to inform innovation and marketing
• Communicate opportunities and risks clearly to leadership

Industry & Customer Engagement

• Represent SIMPLi at key trade shows and industry events
• Lead customer and distributor trainings
• Support category reviews and retailer presentations
• Monitor food and category trends to identify growth opportunities

Leadership & Team Development

• Mentor and develop emerging sales talent as the organization grows
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and collaboration
• Act as a culture carrier for SIMPLi’s mission and values
• Build a strong external network to drive awareness and opportunity

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field (MBA a plus)
• 7–12+ years of progressive CPG retail sales experience (conventional/mass required)
• Proven success managing national and regional retail accounts
• Strong experience working with brokers and natural/specialty distributors
• Demonstrated ability to deliver revenue and distribution growth
• Deep understanding of trade spend management and ROI optimization
• Strong analytical skills with syndicated data (SPINS, Circana/IRI, Nielsen)
• Excellent negotiation and relationship-building skills
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong prioritization and strategic planning capabilities
• Passion for food, sustainability, and purpose-driven brands
• Must reside in or near Philadelphia, PA (or willing to travel frequently)