Sr. National Accounts Sales Manager (Retail Accounts)

Position Overview:

K&N Engineering is seeking a highly motivated, organized and results-driven Sr. National Accounts Sales Manager to join our Automotive Sales team. This individual will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with key national retail partners. The role will focus on driving profitable sales growth, negotiating, planning and executing joint business plans, and ensuring flawless retail execution of K&N’s core product lines, including engine air filters, cabin air filters, oil filters, and performance intake systems.

Key Responsibilities:

Account Management & Customer Support:

• Own and nurture day-to-day relationships with assigned retail partners to ensure alignment, timely execution, and long-term trust.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to national retail partners, bringing insights on category trends, shopper behavior, and competitive dynamics.
• Ensure compliance with K&N’s terms & conditions, pricing, distribution, and MAP policies.
• Serve as the primary account lead for assigned national retailers
• Act as the primary liaison for customer support escalations related to assigned accounts
• Plan & execute weekly internal & external team calls & quarterly business reviews
• Own and manage display placement and changes related to planogram updates
• Responsible for New item setup, Line Review preparation, Promotions, Co-Op planning etc.

Supply Chain Collaboration:

• Partner with Supply Chain and Operations teams to ensure accurate forecasting, timely replenishment, and effective inventory management to avoid out-of-stocks or overstocking.
• Forecasting – comparison of forecasts in customer system vs. actual orders, work with internal demand planning team to assess item level forecasts
• Track weekly shipments, consumption (POS) and inventory (on hand and on order) at the customer level to make forecast recommendations

Planogramming & Merchandising:

• Collaborate with retailers on planogram design, in-store merchandising, and shelf optimization to maximize product visibility and category performance.
• Own regular planogram review & update negotiations.

Business Planning & Channel Performance:

• Develop and execute regular joint business plans that deliver sales, margin, and share growth targets.
• Provide ongoing sales forecasting, account reporting, and competitive analysis.

• Monitor channel performance vs. budget and identify opportunities to accelerate growth through promotions, merchandising, and in-store execution.
• Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with national accounts, presenting performance, opportunities, and new product launches.

Go-To-Market Planning & Execution:

• Manage retailer promotional calendars, negotiating placements, pricing, and merchandising placement via in-store & online visibility. 

• Support flawless go-to-market execution for new product launches across assigned accounts.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, or related field (MBA preferred).
• 5-8 years of experience in national account management, retail sales, or key account leadership within the automotive aftermarket, CPG, or similar category.
• Proven track record of driving sales growth with large retail accounts.
• Proven experience managing national retail accounts in the automotive aftermarket or consumer goods sectors, with a focus on building long-term strategic partnerships.
• Demonstrated expertise in working cross-functionally with Supply Chain and Operations to deliver accurate forecasts, improve replenishment efficiency, and resolve inventory challenges.
• Experience collaborating with retailers on planogramming, merchandising, and in-store execution to maximize product visibility and category growth.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to leverage data to identify shortfalls, uncover opportunities, and create action plans across supply chain and merchandising functions.
• Track record of managing promotional calendars and integrating retail execution into broader go-to-market strategies.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with proven ability to influence decision-makers across multiple functional areas at national accounts.

Skills & Attributes:

• Customer-focused with the ability to influence at multiple levels of the retailer’s organization.
• Strategic thinker who balances long-term planning with short-term execution.
• Self-starter with a bias for action and accountability.
• Strong communicator with the ability to simplify complex data into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Passionate about the automotive industry and K&Ns performance-driven brand.
• Organized and detail oriented: Ability to manage multiple projects at one time, often with competing priorities
• Ability to work in a fast-paced collaborative environment; High level of self-responsibility

Why Join K&N?

As the Sr. National Accounts manager, your contributions will directly shape how our products reach millions of customers through the nation’s largest automotive parts retailers.  This is an opportunity to take ownership of critical relationships, lead strategic growth initiatives, and make a lasting impact on both K&N’s success and the performance of the aftermarket industry.  If you are motivated by building partnerships, driving category leadership, and being part of a dynamic, fast-paced environment, K&N offers the platform for success.

THIS IS A REMOTE POSITION BUT MUST BE LOCATED IN THE US IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATES: CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, TX, UT, WI

THIS POSITION IS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL AS NEEDED TO MEET WITH KEY CUSTOMERS.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.