Fractional Head of Sales

A global beverage company with an established U.S. presence, including accounts in Costco and Asian grocery, is seeking a fractional Head of Sales to drive the next phase of growth. The focus is entering mainstream retail channels, building the commercial infrastructure, and developing the sales organisation needed to support national scale.

This is a hands-on leadership engagement requiring someone comfortable both setting strategy and executing it. The person will work directly with U.S. leadership to prioritise channels, open retailer relationships, lead buyer conversations, and see opportunities through from initial meeting to successful launch. The role is remote with regular domestic travel and some flexibility for collaboration with an international team. There is potential for conversion to a full-time position based on performance and mutual fit.

• Build and execute the U.S. retail expansion strategy, defining channel priorities and account sequencing.
• Leverage existing retailer relationships to secure buyer meetings, lead line reviews, negotiate terms, and win new listings.
• Manage the full commercial process from initial pitch through first purchase orders and successful retail launches.
• Identify, evaluate, and manage distributor and broker partners, with initial focus on California and Texas.
• Advise on retailer-specific pricing, assortment, packaging, promotions, and selling materials.
• Coach the existing sales team and recommend future roles, processes, and resources to support national growth.

• 10 to 15 years of sales leadership experience within beverage or CPG.
• Demonstrated track record helping emerging beverage brands enter and scale within mainstream U.S. retail.
• Strong existing relationships across mass and conventional grocery retailers such as Walmart, Target, Kroger, Albertsons, or similar.
• Direct experience opening new retail accounts and navigating buyer meetings, line reviews, and commercial negotiations.
• Experience selecting and managing broker and distributor networks.
• Solid understanding of route-to-market strategy, retail reset calendars, category management, and shelf placement.

ForceBrands is a specialist staffing and recruitment firm focused on the consumer goods industry. The company connects emerging and established brands across food, beverage, beauty, and cannabis with experienced commercial and operational talent, and acts as an intermediary for fractional and full-time placements.