Director Strategy Execution Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don't hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We're everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren't buzzwords, they're expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands-Jack Link's, Lorissa's Kitchen, Golden Island, BiFi, and Peperami and KOOEE! to name a few-there's nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that's full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

JOB SUMMARY

This Director of Sales Strategy & Execution is a key commercial leader responsible for developing and operationalizing the sales strategy that drives Jack Link's growth across all U.S. retail channels.  This leader owns the MAPS strategy - Merchandising, Assortment, Pricing, and Shelving - to ensure Jack Link's protein snacks win at shelf, drive category growth, and deliver superior results for retail partners.

The ideal candidate is a highly analytical, collaborative, and execution-focused CPG leader with experience in commercial strategy, sales planning, category insights, and revenue growth management.  A strong understanding of the snacking category, high-impulse merchandising, and retailer-specific execution standards is essential.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Commercial Leadership

• Develop the annual sales strategy that integrates MAPS fundamentals - optimizing assortment, pricing, shelving, and merchandising to drive category and brand growth.
• Lead cross-functional commercial planning with Marketing, RGM, Category Management, Finance, and Supply Chain to align on channel strategies, pricing architecture, trade investment, and new item launch plans.
• Translate consumer, shopper, and category insights into customer-specific growth strategies across convenience, mass, grocery, club, eCommerce, and emerging channels.
• Identify white-space opportunities, distribution gaps, and innovation platforms that drive incremental growth.

Sales Execution Leadership

• Establish standardized processes and toolkits for MAPS recommendations, sales playbooks, distribution priorities, pricing guidelines, and merchandising execution expectations.
• Oversee the development of customer-ready stories leveraging category insights to support shelf optimization, display activation, pricing recommendations, and assortment enhancements.
• Ensure flawless execution of distribution gains, new item launches, promotional windows, shelf resets, planograms, and seasonal merchandising opportunities.
• Work closely with customer teams to ensure consistent application of MAPS strategies across all retail partners.

Performance Optimization & Analytics

• Build and manage tools and scorecards that track performance across MAPS dimensions: distribution, shelf placement, velocity, pricing competitiveness, display execution, and promotional ROI.
• Lead analysis of category trends, promotional lift, price elasticity, competitor activity, and retailer-specific performance to inform strategic adjustments.
• Partner with RGM to optimize the price-pack architecture (PPA), evaluate trade spend efficiency, and shape long-term pricing and promotional strategy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Category Management to build compelling retailer-specific category growth stories that highlight Jack Link's leadership in assortment, pricing, merchandising, and shelving.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Innovation teams to ensure brand plans, campaigns, and new products translate into winning retail strategies.
• Work with Sales Planning and Supply Chain to manage execution readiness, service levels, and inventory availability to support customer plans.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing Sales Strategy & Execution team, including analysts, planners, and commercial strategy managers.
• Build organization capability in MAPS fundamentals, data literacy, forecasting, and customer planning.
• Create a high-performance culture centered on accountability, collaboration, speed, and continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is an office setting with varying degrees of temperature and noise levels. The vast amount of work is conducted in a climate-controlled office. Travel may be required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an Team Member to be successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job the Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The Team Member is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The Team Member must occasionally lift and/or more up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. 

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, or related field.  MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of CPG commercial experience (Sales Strategy, Category Management, RGM, Sales Leadership, or Commercial Planning).
• Demonstrated expertise in MAPS principles - Merchandising, Assortment, Pricing, and Shelving - within major CPG retailers.
• Strong analytical skills with deep experience using syndicated data (Nielsen/IRI/Circana), retailer POS systems, and pricing tools.
• Proven track record of developing sales strategies and driving execution in fast-paced, growth-oriented CPG environments.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and cross-functional influence skills.
• Experience in snacks, meat snacks, protein snacks, or other high-velocity, impulse-driven center-store categories preferred.
• Experience working in a privately held, entrepreneurial organization preferred.

The salary range for this role is $180,000- $205,000 (Annually).  Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link's Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link's provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

Disclaimer:

This job description is intended to generally describe the nature and level of work to be performed by employees in this position. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and skills required of employees performing this role.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
Jack Link's provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.

E-VERIFY:
Jack Link's is a participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees.  For information about the E-Verify program, please visit:  http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employeesAll your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.