National Sales Director

ABOUT US

Baléco and its trademark, The Unscented Company, are a dynamic B Corp and Women Owned certified business. We aim to redefine the definition of clean by offering a complete range of natural products for the home and body that are effective, exclusively unscented, and designed for a sustainable lifestyle.

THE ROLE

The National Sales Director will lead our Canadian sales organization and own the levers that decide whether growth is profitable: pricing, trade spend, account strategy and forecast. Reporting to the President, you lead a team of account managers, an e-commerce partners manager and customer account coordinators. You sponsor our largest retail accounts, develop and oversee new business, and manage our distributor and broker partners. You will grow a solid brand already sold in more than 6,300 stores across Canada, in a market where tariffs and retail change are reshaping the shelf. You will build the team and the processes that let growth.

RESPONSABILITIES

• Growth and strategy: Build and own the annual and multi-year sales plan for Canada, and win new accounts and listings. Work with Operations and Finance on tariff and cross-border strategy, deciding which accounts to support and which to hold.
• New business: Build and oversee the new business pipeline. Set targets for new accounts and listings by channel, lead pitches and new-item submissions with the team and brokers, review pipeline and conversion in the weekly pipeline review, and decide where to invest effort given tariffs and margin.
• Budget, trade spend and profitability: Own the sales budget and trade spend by customer. Keep promotion ROI and account profitability visible every month, against our fiscal year starting April 1. Lead pricing and cost-increase negotiations and work with Finance on deductions.
• Key accounts: Sponsor and lead negotiations for our largest accounts, such as Costco, Canadian Tire, Walmart Canada, Loblaw, Sobeys, Jean Coutu. Run business reviews and annual planning with buyers and protect shelf space and distribution.
• Distributors and brokers: Manage Purity Life and our regional brokers. Set clear standards, including current or expected results, a proposal and spend as a percent of sales before every call, and hold partners to their targets and commissions.
• Forecast and operations: Own the 12-month sales forecast and give Operations clear visibility on promotions, listings and launches through the monthly S&OP.
• Team leadership: Lead, coach and develop account managers, an e-commerce partners manager and customer account coordinators. Run the weekly pipeline review and regular 1:1s, set clear role expectations and growth paths, and hire.
• Data and tools: Run the pipeline in our CRM and ERP, use point-of-sale and Power BI data to steer decisions, and use AI and automation to remove manual work.
• Cross-functional partnership: Work with Marketing on retail moments and direct-to-consumer alignment, with Product and R&D on innovation presentations and new-item forms, and represent The Unscented Company at trade shows and retailer events.

PROFILE

• A strategic builder who is also hands-on, comfortable moving between a buyer negotiation and the numbers behind it.
• Calm and firm in negotiation, including when a retailer asks for more than the business can give.
• A coach who develops people, sets clear expectations and follows through.
• Analytical, with a habit of testing growth ideas against profitability before committing spend.
• Drawn to our mission and to building a company in a changing retail landscape.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5 or more years in consumer goods sales, including 5 or more years leading a team.
• Proven key account management with major retailers in Canada (grocery, mass, pharmacy, e-commerce).
• Fluency in CPG trade finance: scan-backs, MCBs, off-invoice allowances, promotion grids, deductions and account profitability.
• Experience managing brokers and distributors.
• Advanced Excel; experience with Power BI and retailer portals such as Retail Link; a CRM or ERP.
• Fluent French and English, spoken and written.
• University degree in business, management or a related field.

CONDITIONS & BENEFITS

• Full-time permanent position.
• Start date: as soon as possible.
• Group insurance offered after 3 months, 50/50 program
• Vacation per company policy, plus one week off for everyone between Christmas and New Year's.
• 20 hours of paid volunteering during working hours.
• 50% discount on all products from The Unscented Company.
• Friendly and open work environment with excellent learning opportunities.
• Accessible by public transport, free parking available, and Patch, our dog, is in the office. No perfume in the office.

Workplace: 5530 St-Patrick Street, Suite 1129, Montreal (Quebec) H4E 1A8.

To apply, send a CV and cover letter to [email protected].