Director of Foodservice Distribution

Hello potential future Oatly employee. It’s us, the original oatmilk company that started in Sweden back 25 or so years ago and has since expanded to the U.S. where we’ve continued growing at a rate such that we need more brilliant minds to come work with us to keep the momentum going and the oatmilk flowing.

Sustainability, health, and transparency are the core values that guide everything we do. Basically, we exist to help people live a healthier life without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process, and to change the food system for the better. We drive that change through the power of oats and through a significant reduction in cow’s milk consumption. If any of this resonates with you, then maybe you’d like to work for Oatly, too. Now onto the formal stuff.

We are looking for a Director of Foodservice Distribution to join our team.

This role leads Oatly’s national foodservice distribution strategy—driving growth, deepening partnerships with major broadliners and distributors (e.g., Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Food Service, Performance Food Group, and DOT Foods), while steering cross-functional execution to deliver revenue, margin, and distribution targets. You'll partner with cross-functional leaders and manage foodservice distribution team members to build differentiated go-to-market strategies, lead forecasting and promotional investment processes, and elevate our foodservice and distribution sales organization's effectiveness with insightful analytics and compelling selling tools. You'll play a pivotal role in how we bring Oatly to the OOH market—ensuring we have the right partnerships, investments, and plans in place to continue our growth trajectory while driving profitable and sustainable YoY growth!

You are:

• A Leader and Proven Hunter with the ability to open new business, and also A Farmer who can strategically grow existing business profitably while leading, mentoring, and managing others

• Well-connected in the foodservice & beverage space - especially with distributor networks, regional and national

• Flexible & Results Driven with the ability to manage, adapt, and dynamically prioritize multiple work-streams with a positive attitude; Able to work under pressure and meet goals in a rapidly changing environment

• An Analytical Whiz – excelling in building annual sales plans, budget management, forecasting, and producing performance reports

• Comfortable Selling Premium Products - directly and through others, where storytelling, product demonstrations, and product quality matter (tasting is believing - it’s not always about price)

• Tech Savvy - highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, CRM, SAP, Anaplan, and other trade systems

• A Strong Negotiator and Communicator, with next-level relationship-building skills

• A Self-Starter who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, capable of working independently with minimal supervision

Here are the things we want to hire you to do:

Strategic Leadership & Business Growth

• Lead the OOH Distribution Sales function, setting priorities, developing talent, managing KPIs, and ensuring disciplined execution of growth strategies

• Develop and execute annual sales and distribution plans aligned with revenue, margin, and volume targets

• Identify and cultivate new opportunities to grow the business, leading our distribution business as Oatly’s OOH distribution expert

Distribution & Partner Management

• Drive national distribution expansion while strengthening HQ relationships with major foodservice & beverage distributors (Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Food Service, Performance Food Group, and DOT Foods, among others)

• Lead RFPs, contract negotiations, pricing discussions, and strategic presentations with broadline partners and key decision makers

Performance Management & Forecasting

• Monitor performance against goals, assess risks and opportunities, and drive cross-functional action plans to stay on track to budget

• Partner with Finance to own the foodservice demand and trade forecasting process, enhancing accuracy through data modeling and scenario planning

Pricing, Trade & Promotion Management

• Manage pricing strategies, trade spend, and promotional programs for the distribution channel to optimize profitability and growth

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with sales teams, finance, legal, supply chain, marketing, and sales leadership to strengthen the Oatly brand and deliver on customer and channel initiatives

Here are the things we think you need:

• A minimum of a Bachelor's degree with 10+ years in foodservice sales and/or distribution, sales planning/operations, or customer program development within the CPG industry (Advanced degree is a plus)

• Deep understanding of the foodservice and distributor landscape, including commercial and non-commercial markets, broadliners, distributor networks, beverage/coffee distributors key accounts, and emerging concepts

• Experience translating strategy and insights into clear, executable distributor plans that drive measurable results

• Strong financial and analytical skills, including managing trade investments and assessing promotional effectiveness to optimize ROI

• Experience with Sales Planning & Operations tools – PowerPoint, Excel, Salesforce or similar CRM, Trade Systems, SAP, Anaplan, etc.

• Previous people leadership experience is nice to have (direct or matrixed)

• Experience managing corporate HQ’s for large foodservice broadliners is a huge plus

• Understanding of broker models and management may come in handy, too

• Ability to work independently and travel as needed to support the business (25-40% depending on time of year), and must reside close to a major airport
  

And here’s another list of qualities we think make a good Oatly team member:

• You feel connected to our mission of encouraging health, sustainability, and transparency

• You are a self-starter who doesn’t need direct supervision to motivate you for success – we believe strongly in building a culture of individual accountability and ownership, and need partners that can embrace that mentality

• You are ready to make your mark in a smaller, growing brand, leveraging your experience to deliver amazing results and build an outstanding company

• You have an entrepreneurial spirit in that you’re comfortable with ambiguity and are energized by the process of building something lasting from the ground up

• You enjoy sharing your quirkiness and talents with your coworkers

Another bulleted list felt a bit too…bullet-y. So we wrote this long, awkward sentence to let you know all the ways we sweeten the deal when you work with us, like flexible vacation (take it when you need it), really great benefits (yes, pet insurance is in there), paid volunteer days off throughout the year (doing good is fun), free six packs of...(drumroll)…oatmilk, and you’ll also get genuinely great coworkers who are rooting for each other and the company to thrive. Oh, one more short but very important sentence: We are nimble and agile (not chaotic) in how we work, and we’re grounded in a long company history dating way back to the last century.

The salary for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographic location, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors, including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. Compensation may also include a bonus, commission, or equity as applicable. Our good faith estimate for base salary is $155,000.

Our team is available to support you throughout the hiring process, providing reasonable accommodations to enable a barrier-free interview experience. We will maintain candidate privacy and confidentiality to enable an unbiased and equitable experience. If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or special need, please get in touch with peopleconnect.NA@oatly.com.

Oatly is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.