Brand Retail Strategist

This position has a full salary range of $63,600 - $101,000 per year with eligibility for an annual bonus. Starting salary is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, geographic location and experience. The target hiring range for this role is $63,600 - $80,000.

Candidates for this role must live in a major metropolitan area.

Role Overview:

The Brand Retail Strategist is the strategic owner of a portfolio of natural CPG brands utilizing Dirty Hands' field merchandising services and works closely with brands to set merchandising direction that connects brand objectives to execution in the field. This role owns brand strategy, client relationships, and portfolio performance, driving growth through data-informed decisions, strong brand partnerships, and CPG and retail expertise.

You will use field data, sales performance trends, and qualitative insights to set strategic direction, identify risks and opportunities, and drive results across your portfolio of brands. As a Brand Retail Strategist, you will be accountable for the health and growth of your portfolio through the retention and expansion of brand partnerships. You will also support the Brand Experience team by mentoring Associate Brand Retail Strategists and leading cross-functional alignment for your brands. Success in this role includes both strong brand retention and achievement of established portfolio expansion and revenue goals. 

This role reports to the Director of Brand Experience and partners closely with the field merchandising leadership team, Business Development, and cross-functional stakeholders across the organization. 

What You’ll Own:

Brand Portfolio Strategy

• Own the merchandising strategy for a portfolio of natural CPG brands, aligning brand objectives with field execution realities and Dirty Hands' services.
• Set strategic direction and evolve it based on performance, turning data, execution insights, and market context into actionable recommendations.
• Proactively assess merchandising performance, anticipate challenges, and adjust strategy to drive results.
• Translate strategy into clear, actionable priorities for field teams in partnership with Field Merchandising Leadership.
• Make strategic decisions within your portfolio, owning the direction and trade-offs across your brands. 

Brand Partnerships

• Serve as the primary point of contact and strategic owner for an assigned portfolio of brands, ensuring consistency, clarity, and trust.

• Build and maintain strong, trusted brand relationships through proactive communication, clear strategic guidance, and performance ownership.
• Confidently lead high-stakes brand conversations, navigating performance challenges and competing priorities.
• Exercise sound judgment in determining when to resolve challenges directly and when to escalate.
• Lead brand onboarding and launches, ensuring a strong setup and smooth transition into an ongoing partnership.

Portfolio Retention & Expansion

• Take accountability and drive opportunities for the retention and expansion of your portfolio, identifying and leading growth conversations with existing brands.
• Understand each brand’s current scope, proactively recommend additional retailers, programs, and services, and move expansion opportunities forward.
• Partner with Business Development to pursue expansion opportunities across additional retailers, regions, and services.
• Articulate ROI, financial impact, and strategic value to support retention and expansion decisions.
• Lead partnership and performance reviews focused on retention, expansion, and long-term value creation.

Performance & Insights

• Interpret field data, sales performance trends, and qualitative insights to guide decisions across your portfolio.
• Translate data into clear, actionable recommendations that inform brand and internal decisions.
• Connect in-store execution to performance, identifying risks, wins, and opportunities.
• Ensure accuracy and effective use of field tools, reporting, and brand documentation.

Internal Partnership & Mentorship

• Serve as a mentor to Associate Brand Retail Strategists, supporting their onboarding, development, and growth toward full portfolio ownership.
• Lead cross-functional alignment across teams to keep priorities and execution connected for your brands.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of team processes and tools. 

What We’re Looking For:

Experience

• 3+ years of brand management experience in the natural CPG industry.
• Experience working for, with, or alongside consumer brands, brokers, or retail organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to own brand relationships and connect execution to performance.
• Exposure to financial considerations such as ROI, budgeting, or forecasting is a plus.

Core Strengths

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret performance data and translate it into clear recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the confidence to lead high-stakes brand conversations.
• Ability to solve problems while balancing brand priorities, operational realities, and business goals.
• Sound judgment and the ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities.
• Strong cross-functional collaborator who takes initiative and models accountability.
• Interest in the natural CPG industry and a drive to help brands grow through strong execution and partnership.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and collaboration tools such as Slack and Airtable.
• Strong Excel skills, including building charts, utilizing formulas, and working with pivot tables.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data through dashboards and reporting platforms such as Power BI, Tableau, or Metabase.
• Familiarity with field data collection and reporting tools such as GoSpotCheck is a plus.

Travel & Physical Requirements

• Willingness to travel up to four weeks per year for field visits, trade shows, and other in-person meetings.
• Capable of meeting the physical requirements of conducting field visits, with or without reasonable accommodation, including but not limited to walking and standing for up to 8 hours; frequent bending, squatting, reaching, twisting, pushing, and pulling; frequent lifting up to 25lbs and occasional lifting between 25 – 50lbs.
• Able to work in a seated position for extended periods of time.

Posting close date: 9/10/2026.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the Team Member for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice due to our business, industry, and/or market changes. 

At Dirty Hands, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Dirty Hands hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.