Lead the Sales function at ZBiotics. Expand our footprint by working with a sales team of in-house and third-party operators, while staying disciplined that velocity wins (door count is not the goal if we’re not selling through). This is a leadership role (not a territory / field role). You’ll own the sales engine: channel strategy, key account leadership, distributor strategy (including DSD), retail execution systems, sell-through performance, forecasting, pricing/promotions guardrails, and the team + operating cadence to scale. You will partner closely with Marketing, who owns brand strategy, messaging, and paid media. You’ll also work cross-functionally with Operations/Supply Chain and Retail Ops to ensure we execute in a way that strengthens the brand long-term.

About ZBiotics

At ZBiotics, we make genetically engineered probiotics that improve daily life. Our mission is to create, brand, and sell GMOs that people love. As a group of motivated, yet down-to-earth people, we are fueled by two things: a love for science and a commitment to being people-first. GMO products like ours – designed to benefit individuals who use them directly – are the future. As the first to market, we believe it’s our duty to set a high bar for product quality, safety, and transparency for others to follow.

In 2019, we launched the world’s first genetically engineered probiotic: ZBiotics^® Pre-Alcohol, a 14mL probiotic drink designed to break down an alcohol byproduct that leads to rough mornings after drinking. Since then, ZBiotics’ business has continued to grow rapidly year over year. We’ve sold over 10 million bottles of Pre-Alcohol, with over half those bottles coming in 2025 alone. And in 2024, we launched our second product: ZBiotics^® Sugar-to-Fiber, a genetically engineered probiotic that creates fiber from the sugar you already eat, contributing to microbiome health.

ZBiotics is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by venture investors including Y Combinator, Spring Tide Capital, and Khosla Ventures, among others.

Your Responsibilities

Own sales strategy and results across retail channels.
- Own ZBiotics’ overall physical retail and on-premise sales strategy and performance. 2026 priorities are concentrated in three channels — with the first two being the core revenue engines:
  - Off-Premise Liquor (Specialty Alcohol): double down on what’s working, improve velocity, expand regionals, and prove/scale DSD execution; make shelf execution frictionless.
  - Natural/Grocery: validate and scale in larger format accounts, with a strong point of view on premium display + education to differentiate and teach the shopper.
  - On-Premise/Hospitality: work with the Sr. Director of Omnichannel to build the sales motion, land high-credibility “whales,” and create a scalable staff training capability; menus are a key awareness driver.
- You’ll also keep lower-priority channels running in a way that supports brand and learning (Boutique), while being willing to cut effort in very-low-priority areas (and explicitly not chasing mass/club/drug/c-store as 2026 launches).
Make strategic sales decisions that strengthen the brand and deliver on our promise of a great customer experience.
- Expand thoughtfully and deliberately, doing what makes sense for the long-term health of the business and brand. Not growth at all costs.
Protect the big wins and manage concentration risk
- Improve velocity in existing doors.
- Build a sales and account management plan that ensures flawless execution in the highest-concentration accounts (top 5 are a material share of the revenue plan), while continuing to expand independents and other wins to reduce risk.
Lead and develop the sales organization
- Lead and develop the Sales org (and associated field/merch resources). Build the coverage model, roles, incentives, training, and performance management needed to scale.
- Build the rhythms: weekly business review, monthly forecasting/reporting, quarterly planning, and account/channel deep dives.
Build a distributor + execution engine that scales
- Own distributor strategy end-to-end: partner selection, onboarding, performance management, scorecards/JBP’s, and escalation paths.
- Standardize what “great execution” means across distribution, pricing, promotion, display, merchandising, and in-stock — and ensure we can measure it.
- Partner with Retail Ops to ensure that we are scaling store visits via the right mix of internal coverage, merchandising partners, and distributor capability; tie this directly to velocity and in-stock performance.
- Make stockout reduction a core operational priority (anticipation, faster reorders, retailer prompting ahead of known holidays, etc.).
Own pricing and promotion discipline (premium, long-term oriented)
- Establish clear pricing/margin guardrails and approval workflows
- Keep promotions disciplined: avoid training retailers/customers to wait for discounts; prioritize brand-oriented value creation over price cutting.
- Ensure placement strategy supports the brand and economics (e.g., checkout or alcohol, rather than Health & Beauty).
Drive analytical rigor and decision-quality
- Own sales forecasting, reporting, and performance insights across accounts, regions, and channels.
- Use data (from whatever sources are necessary) to understand distribution, velocity, pricing, and category trends. Then turn insights into action.
- Evaluate promotions, trade spend, and pricing strategies; make recommendations grounded in learning and margin discipline.
Keep strategy principles true in execution
- Velocity > doors.
- Start high-end and work down to protect the brand.
- ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol is the focus in 2026 (Sugar-to-Fiber is a narrow boutique test).
- Prioritize the long-term in pricing, promo, placement, and retailer sequencing.
Cross-functional leadership and company building
- Partner with Marketing on brand-building and demand generation in priority markets. Note that we intend to hire a Retail / Shopper Marketing person at some point in the future. How this role works with Marketing:
  - Marketing owns brand, messaging, creative, and paid media strategy.
  - Sales owns retail strategy, execution, distributor performance, and velocity
  - Decisions are made collaboratively, with an explicit bias toward long-term brand health and repeat customers
- Partner with Supply Chain on demand planning, inventory strategy, and service levels.
- Participate as a company leader at ZBiotics, working with other team-members on broad issues, strategic questions, and even tactical challenges where necessary to grow ZBiotics and move us closer to our mission.

About You

This job is intended to be a leadership position. There is an expectation of ownership, autonomy, and strategy — and the ability to execute through teams and partners.

Desired qualifications are listed below. However, 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’re excited about the opportunity, please apply!

Desired Qualifications:
- 8+ years in CPG sales (Alc Bev / functional beverage / health & wellness / premium consumer brands a plus), including meaningful time leading teams.
- Deep distributor management experience, including building performance systems, driving DSD where relevant, and holding partners accountable while maintaining strong relationships.
- Proven key account leadership (regional + national), with strong executive presence and negotiation skill.
- Strong analytical fluency: forecasting, syndicated data, trade spend discipline, pricing architecture, and margin awareness.
- Comfortable in a fast-moving environment with shifting priorities; high judgment and strong written + verbal communication.
- People-first leader who builds clarity, accountability, and a high-trust culture.
- Open-minded, adaptable, and flexible in their approach to problems and challenges
- Kind and empathetic person
Nice-to-have Experience:
- Broad experience scaling a premium brand in multiple off-premise channels (natural/grocery and wine & spirits especially)
- Experience building sales motions and fostering novel-product adoption in on-premise channels (bars, restaurants, and hospitality).
- Experience designing display/merch strategies that drive velocity without compromising premium positioning.
- Omnichannel brand experience selling products with a substantial DTC and/or Amazon business.

Physical Demands

Ability to occasionally lift/carry/push/pull up to 50 pounds.
Ability to use hands/arms for grasping, reaching, and merchandising-related tasks when needed.
Ability to travel as needed to visit retail locations and for occasional company events.

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.
- People-first - We always put people first, especially our customers.
- Integrity - We communicate honestly and deliver high quality always.
- Citizenship - We are inclusive and committed to doing what’s right.
- Science - We question our own assumptions and adapt to new data.

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.

See more open positions at ZBiotics Company

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