Job DescriptionThe Business Development Manager - Impulse Regional Chains position is responsible for driving growth, distribution, visibility, and share across the following convenience chains: Quik Trip, Plaid Pantry, Kwik Trip, Extra Mile, United Pacific, and potentially other regional convenience chains. This role owns commercial relationships with regional accounts, develops tailored business plans, leads negotiations, and ensures flawless execution of brand initiatives at point of sale. The manager acts as the key link between head-office strategy and in-market execution to win in high-velocity, impulse consumption occasions.
Responsibilities Include:
- Account Management & Commercial Leadership
- Manage a portfolio of regional impulse-channel chains (convenience, gas stations, travel centers).
- Lead annual joint business planning (JBP), including revenue forecasts, promotional plans, pricing agreements, and distribution targets.
- Negotiate contracts, trade terms, and promotional funding to deliver profitable growth.
- Drive assortment recommendations and ensure compliance with planograms and category guidelines.
- Business Development & Growth
- Identify new business opportunities within existing chains and by onboarding new regional partners.
- Expand distribution of core SKUs and introduce innovation to maximize share of shelf and consumer reach.
- Develop data-driven recommendations based on category insights, shopper behavior, and market trends in the impulse channel.
- Execution Excellence • Partner with field sales teams, merchandising agencies, and distributors to ensure perfect store execution.
- Monitor in-store availability, promotional compliance, pricing integrity, and POS placement.
- Track execution KPIs at store level and implement corrective actions to close performance gaps.
- Collaboration & Cross-Functional Alignment • Work closely with revenue management, trade marketing, supply chain, finance, and category management to deliver integrated customer plans.
- Provide customer insights to inform product launches and impulse-occasion activations.
- Coordinate supply and demand planning with customers to maintain high service levels.
- Identify performance KPI's for each retailer and ensure consistent communication to the field sales team.
- Performance Management • Own P&L performance of assigned regional accounts (net sales, gross margin, trade investment).
- Build annual trade spend budgets and internal retailer growth projects to support sales planning process.
- Analyze sales data, customer scorecards, and operational metrics to report progress and identify risks.
- Deliver accurate monthly forecasts and quarterly business reviews.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Sales, or related field.
- 3-7 years of experience in CPG sales, trade marketing, or business development
- Understanding of convenience retail operations and DSD distributor management
- Proven success managing regional retail chains or impulse-channel customers.
- Strong negotiation, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills.
- Data-driven decision-making with proficiency in Office 365, BI tools, and syndicated data (e.g., Nielsen, IRI). Experience in handling trade spends and customer P&L.
- Ability to travel as required.
The base pay range for this position is $115,295 to $162,691 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law. This pay range represents the anticipated salary for this position at this time.
Wells Enterprises is an EEO/AA employer M/F/Vet/Dis
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About UsWells Enterprises, Inc. is the largest privately held ice cream manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 1913 by Fred H. Wells and run by the Wells family for generations, the company is an independent operating company of the Ferrero Group, one of the global leaders in sweet, packaged foods.
Wells produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year and distributes products in all 50 states. Wells manufactures its signature brand Blue Bunny®, lower-calorie Halo Top®, the iconic Bomb Pop®, and Blue Ribbon Classics®.
Wells employs nearly 4,000 ice cream aficionados across the country. The company is headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, where Wells has made Le Mars the "Ice Cream Capital of the World" as the largest manufacturer of ice cream in one location. Wells operates two manufacturing plants in Le Mars, Iowa, a manufacturing plant in Dunkirk, New York, and a manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada. Learn more at www.wellsenterprisesinc.com.
What We OfferAt Wells, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual incentive bonus based on Company performance. Learn more about our benefits here.
