Category Sales Manager

Location: Salinas, California (Hybrid — in-office collaboration days plus remote flexibility)

Reports To: VP of Sales, Twin River Berries / SanLucar USA

Direct Reports: Leads a team of Retail Account Managers and/or Inside Sales professionals supporting the bushberry portfolio

Category Focus: Bushberries — blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries (conventional and organic)

Channel Focus: Grocery, Club, Mass, Natural/Organic, and Specialty Retail across North America

Travel: 20–30%, includes buyer headquarters, trade shows (CPMA/IFPA), and grower/production sites

ABOUT TWIN RIVER BERRIES & SANLUCAR

Twin River Berries is a growing U.S. berry grower and marketer, and a subsidiary of SanLucar company. SanLucar, one of Europe's leading premium fruit companies, recently acquired a controlling ownership stake in Twin River Berries, forming a long-term partnership to serve North America and Asia as a single, integrated operation. The partnership pairs SanLucar's global supply chain, exclusive genetics, and decades of premium-brand leadership with Twin River's domestic growing programs, farm network, and market relationships — including the well-regarded Oregon Berry brand and an expanding production footprint in Mexico that strengthens winter and shoulder-season supply.

Together, Twin River Berries and SanLucar are building a 52-week supply model designed to deliver premium, consistent, great-tasting berries across three continents. This is a pivotal moment to join the organization: we are scaling our U.S. retail commercial team to capture the opportunity this partnership creates, and the bushberry category — blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries — sits at the heart of that growth.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Category Sales Manager, you will own the sales performance and category strategy for our bushberry portfolio across North America retail, while leading a team responsible for the day-to-day management of retail and club accounts. You will set the commercial direction for blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries — balancing category management discipline with the realities of a highly perishable, weather-driven, fast-moving business.

You will be both a player and a coach: setting category strategy and pricing direction, carrying and developing key retail relationships yourself, and leading, coaching, and holding accountable the account managers and inside sales professionals who execute day to day. You will represent the voice of the retail buyer internally and the voice of Twin River Berries/SanLucar externally, working closely with Grower Relations, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, and Marketing to keep supply and demand aligned.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Category Strategy & Team Leadership

• Own the bushberry category sales strategy across assigned retail, club, and specialty accounts, aligned to Twin River Berries/SanLucar's broader Go-To-Market plan.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Retail Account Managers and/or Inside Sales professionals — setting clear goals, account assignments, and performance expectations.
• Conduct regular team meetings, ride-alongs, and structured coaching to align on pipeline, market intelligence, and priorities.
• Partner with senior sales leadership on team hiring, capacity planning, and development as the bushberry business scales.

Retail Sales & Account Management

• Own and grow a portfolio of key retail, club, and regional grocery accounts, serving as the senior point of contact for buyers and category managers on blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
• Develop and execute account-specific and category-level sales plans, identifying organic growth opportunities — new SKUs, premium/organic tiers, seasonal and holiday programs, and expanded distribution.
• Prepare and lead Joint Business Plans (JBPs), category reviews, and seasonal previews with retail buyers.
• Negotiate pricing, promotional programs, and contractual terms that protect margin while securing volume and shelf space.

Commercial Execution & Category Management

• Manage weekly and seasonal pricing, promotional calendars, and volume commitments for bushberries in coordination with supply and grower teams.
• Monitor account- and category-level P&L performance, including price realization, promotional ROI, and claims.
• Leverage syndicated and internal data — Circana/Nielsen, POS, and sales history — to build data-driven category presentations and pricing recommendations for buyers.
• Tailor go-to-market approach by retail format: seasonal ad strategy for Hi-Lo retailers, DC alignment and OTIF discipline for EDLP retailers, and curated premium/organic programs for boutique accounts.

Supply, Quality & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with Grower Relations, Operations, and Supply Chain to align customer commitments with available bushberry volume, quality specifications, and cold chain requirements — including navigating peak and shoulder-season supply swings.
• Track fill rate, OTIF (on-time, in-full) performance, claims, and product rejections, and drive resolution with internal teams.
• Work with Marketing on brand storytelling, packaging, and promotional support that reflects SanLucar's premium genetics and Twin River's growing programs.
• Represent Twin River Berries/SanLucar at trade shows and industry events, including CPMA/IFPA and category-specific forums.

Market Intelligence & Reporting

• Monitor competitive activity, consumer trends, and retail promotional calendars within the bushberry category, bringing insights back into pricing and packaging decisions.
• Maintain accurate account and team pipeline data in company systems/CRM.
• Provide regular, well-supported reporting to senior leadership on category performance, team results, opportunities, and risks.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YEAR ONE

• Bushberry category revenue growth at or above target across assigned accounts, with documented margin improvement.
• A coached, accountable team operating with clear goals, structured cadence, and measurable activity and revenue metrics.
• Strong OTIF and service-level performance (98%+) supporting retained and expanded shelf space for blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
• Buyer-ready category and promotional presentations delivered on a recurring cadence, incorporating syndicated data and category storytelling.
• Demonstrated organic growth through new SKUs, premium/organic conversions, and seasonal programs.
• Recognized internally as a collaborative, category-owning leader who brings retail market intelligence back into Grower Relations, Supply Chain, and Marketing.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 7+ years of experience in fresh produce, account management, or category management, with berry category experience required.
• Prior experience leading, coaching, or mentoring a sales or account team, or clear readiness to step into a player-coach leadership role.
• Demonstrated success calling on retail buyers and/or category managers at grocery, club, or specialty retail accounts.
• Working knowledge of retail pricing dynamics, promotional programs, shelf sets, and category review processes.
• Strong analytical skills with comfort using syndicated and internal sales data (Circana/Nielsen, CRM, Excel) to build recommendations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; credible and compelling with buyers, growers, and internal leadership.
• Ability to travel regionally/nationally for customer visits, trade shows, and industry events (estimated 20–30%).
• Bachelor's degree in business, agriculture, marketing, or related field, or equivalent produce industry experience.

Preferred

• Direct experience selling or managing blueberry, raspberry, and/or blackberry programs specifically.
• Existing relationships with retail or club buyers in the fresh berry or broader produce category.
• Experience with organic and premium/value-added produce programs.
• Familiarity with import/domestic seasonal supply dynamics in berries, including peak and shoulder-season planning.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms and Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint) for buyer-facing and internal reporting.

What Sets Top Candidates Apart

• A consultative, solutions-first selling approach rather than a transactional, price-only mindset.
• A track record of developing team members into stronger, more independent account owners.
• Comfort operating with both structure and ambiguity in a fast-moving, perishable category.
• A genuine passion for premium quality and brand-building in the produce space.

WHY TWIN RIVER BERRIES & SANLUCAR

• Be part of a newly expanded U.S. platform following SanLucar's strategic partnership with Twin River Berries — a rare opportunity to help build and lead a growing bushberry business.
• Represent one of the most recognized premium fruit brands globally, backed by proprietary genetics and a 52-week, three-continent supply model.
• Lead category strategy for a defined, high-value slice of the berry business — blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries — with real ownership and visibility.
• Collaborate with an international team spanning Europe, North America, and Asia.
• Competitive base salary, performance-based incentives, and a comprehensive benefits package.
• Hybrid flexibility based out of Salinas, CA — at the heart of California's berry growing region.

Twin River Berries/SanLucar is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, benefits eligibility, and termination.