Job Details

Head Of Retail Sales

ZBiotics is hiring our first Head of Retail Sales to own and lead the entire Retail Sales function and be a senior leader at this company. You will set overall sales strategy, build the retail sales organization and represent ZBiotics at the most senior levels with retailers, distributors, and partners. You will operate with full ownership and autonomy over the sales engine, using long-term judgment to build across the whole function, rather than in a single channel.

The mandate spans the full breadth of physical retail on- and off-premise: channel strategy, national and key account leadership, distributor strategy (including DSD), retail execution systems, sell-through performance, forecasting, pricing/promotion discipline, and the team and operating cadence to scale. You will be the person we can hand broad retail sales strategy to, with the expectation that you stay disciplined in the mentality that velocity wins, and expanding door count is not the goal if we are not selling through.

You will partner closely with Marketing, who owns brand strategy, messaging, creative, and paid media. You will also work cross-functionally with Operations and Supply Chain to ensure we execute in a way that strengthens the brand long-term.

Although you are a senior leader, you will need to operate both at a high level and on the ground level — and everywhere in between — to be effective. You will work deeply with individual team members up and down the stack. No job or detail will be too small. You will need to manage both high-level strategy and dig into the details of the sales process, retailer relationships, and customer experience.

This is a senior leadership position. We expect ownership, autonomy, and strategic altitude — the ability to set direction for the whole function and execute through teams and partners without close oversight. You bring breadth across retail channels, not just depth in one, and the judgment to navigate complex commercial decisions carefully.

We recognize that ZBiotics is relatively unique in its position straddling biotechnology and consumer products, so even if your experience does not perfectly match the description below but you are excited about the opportunity, please apply.

Desired Qualifications:

• 12+ years in CPG sales with significant senior leadership experience, including owning a full sales function (P&L, strategy, and team) — ideally as a VP, Head of Sales, or CCO at a growth-stage consumer brand.
• Proven national account strategy and leadership across multiple retail channels (regional and national), with the executive presence and negotiation skill to lead the highest-level retail conversations and structure sophisticated national deals.
• Demonstrated breadth beyond any single channel — experience scaling a brand across multiple off-premise channels (natural / grocery and wine & spirits especially), not solely alcohol / DSD.
• Deep distributor management experience, including building performance systems, driving DSD where relevant, and holding partners accountable while maintaining strong relationships.
• Careful, disciplined commercial style suited to a brand with claims, marketing, and DTC constraints — strong on contract discipline, pricing architecture, and risk management.
• Strong analytical fluency: forecasting, syndicated data, trade-spend discipline, pricing architecture, and margin awareness.
• High judgment in a fast-moving environment with shifting priorities; strong written and verbal communication; the strategic sharpness to be trusted with the whole function autonomously.
• People-first leader who builds clarity, accountability, and a high-trust culture; open-minded, adaptable, kind, and empathetic.

Compensation

The compensation package includes a competitive base salary, a performance-based variable component tied to clear retail sales targets, meaningful equity, and full benefits.

• Base salary: At the VP Level the base salary is $245,000 depending on experience
• Variable / OTE: On-target earnings reach approximately $325,000 – $350,000 with the variable component, structured around a base-weighted split (e.g., ~70/30) to balance stable income with strong incentive to deliver on the retail sales plan.
• Equity: A meaningful equity grant commensurate with a senior team hire.

Final compensation will be calibrated to the candidate's experience and the level at which we ultimately scope the role

This role is perfect for you if…

• You want to build and lead a sales function with real leverage — systems, people, and operating cadence — not just "close deals."
• You default to long-term brand stewardship: disciplined pricing, limited promos, and high-quality execution.
• You're humble and open-minded.
• You embody the ZBiotics values of People-first, Integrity, Citizenship, and Science.

Benefits

We believe in a life well-lived. ZBiotics offers competitive benefits for a life outside of work, including: health / dental, 401(k) matching, a minimum PTO policy (with unlimited time off), 16 weeks fully paid parental leave, a home office stipend, transit benefits for those in the San Francisco Bay Area, and access to coworking office space if visiting San Francisco.

We encourage you to apply …

At ZBiotics, we value our differences, and we encourage all—especially those whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in tech organizations—to apply.

ZBiotics is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

ZBiotics will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application and employment process. If you need assistance or accommodation, please contact ZBiotics HR at people@zbiotics.com.