National Sales Manager - Food & Beverage

We’re Watts. Together, we’re reimagining the future of water.

We feel proud every day about what we do. We're all part of the same crucial mission, no matter what function we support -- it's to provide safe, clean water for the world, and to protect our planet's most valuable resource.

What we do:

For 150 years, Watts has built best-in-class products that are trusted by customers in residential and commercial settings across the world. We are at the forefront of innovation, working with cutting-edge technology to provide smart and connected, sustainable water solutions for the future. Watts is a leading brand with a quality reputation — and we have a dynamic future ahead.​

Scope of Position

The National Sales Manager, Food & Beverage is responsible for building and scaling Watts' Food & Beverage business Nationally. This is an entrepreneurial, market-building role with the opportunity to shape how Watts goes to market, develop strategic customer relationships, create new business opportunities, and expand adoption of the Watts portfolio across Food & Beverage manufacturing and processing environments.

Working across owners and plant operators, engineering/EPC firms, OEMs, contractors, system integrators and channel partners, this role combines technical application expertise, business development and commercial leadership to influence specifications, solve customer challenges and drive sustainable growth. The individual will leverage Watts' broad portfolio and established commercial capabilities while helping shape future market, application and portfolio opportunities.

Leads commercial development and execution for Watts' Food & Beverage market. Owns market development, strategic accounts, pipeline development and commercial execution. Serves as the commercial lead for Food & Beverage, leveraging Watts' existing sales, specification, representative and channel resources. Helps shape market, application and portfolio priorities as the business develops.

• Reports to the Vice President, Sales – Light Industrial, Latin America, & Sales Operations.

• Remote U.S. based position requiring significant customer-facing travel.

Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and execute the national Food & Beverage go-to-market strategy to expand Watts' presence, increase market penetration, and drive sustainable growth.
• Identify, develop, and expand strategic customer relationships across processors, engineering and EPC firms, OEMs, contractors, system integrators, distributors, and channel partners.
• Develop and manage manufacturer representative agency performance, including territory objectives, growth initiatives, opportunity development, business reviews, and execution against established sales and market development goals.
• Drive specification activity, approved-product positioning, and corporate standardization opportunities through engagement with engineering, operations, maintenance, reliability, and technical stakeholders.
• Develop and advance project, plant, strategic account, and market opportunities from early engagement through specification, commercial execution, implementation, and expansion.
• Apply technical and application expertise to position Watts solutions against customer performance, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and operational objectives.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities while ensuring forecasting accuracy, disciplined opportunity management, and effective execution against growth objectives.
• Deliver revenue, margin, pipeline, specification, and market-development objectives for the Food & Beverage vertical.
• Monitor market trends, customer requirements, competitive activity, investment activity, and emerging technologies while providing actionable market intelligence and Voice of Customer insights that support business growth, portfolio development, and strategic decision-making.
• Identify portfolio gaps, emerging customer requirements, and new application opportunities and provide recommendations regarding future product development, service offerings, and investment priorities.
• Collaborate with Sales, Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and Business Development teams to develop solutions, support project execution, and accelerate business growth.
• Support and influence representative agencies, channel partners, and internal commercial teams through training, coaching, application expertise, sales tools, value propositions, market development activities, and enablement programs.
• Represent Watts at customer meetings, industry conferences, trade associations, engineering forums, trade shows, and strategic business events.
• Build long-term relationships with key industry influencers and stakeholders to strengthen Watts' brand presence and support future growth opportunities.
• Support commercialization efforts, new product introductions, strategic growth initiatives, and market expansion programs.
• Assume responsibility for other projects and duties as assigned by management.
• Demonstrate commitment to Watts' values of Integrity, Accountability, Continuous Improvement and Innovation, and Transparency.
• Travel up to 60% as business needs require.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred, ideally in engineering, business or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant industry experience.
• 5+ years of technical/industrial B2B sales, application engineering, business development or market-development experience.
• Strong technical application expertise within Food & Beverage manufacturing, processing or related industrial environments.
• Knowledge of fluid handling, process systems, plant utilities or related engineered solutions.
• Experience with hygienic/process applications and non-hygienic plant infrastructure is highly desirable; pharmaceutical, biotech or life-sciences experience is a strong plus.
• Understanding of the Food & Beverage ecosystem, including owners/processors, engineering/EPC firms, OEMs, contractors/integrators and distribution.
• Demonstrated ability to create new business, develop strategic accounts and build markets.
• Ability to influence specifications and translate customer and market needs into technical, commercial and portfolio opportunities.
• Entrepreneurial, collaborative, coachable and solutions-oriented, with the initiative to operate independently while effectively leveraging a broader matrix organization.
• Strong communication, presentation and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage plant-level technical teams through senior customer leadership.
• Strong CRM, pipeline management, forecasting and opportunity-management discipline.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 60%.

General Applicable Company Competencies

• Commitment to Watts’ values of integrity, accountability, continuous improvement and innovation, and transparency.
• Punctuality and dependability.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing work priorities and stressful conditions.
• Adherence to all personnel policies, procedures, and standards of process as implemented by Watts.
• Maintain productive and collaborative relationships with other Watts employees.

Working Conditions

While performing the job duties, you will be working remotely in an office environment. You may be required to occasionally travel to and work in the office at any Watts Water location for meetings, trainings, or as otherwise required by Company management. 

Physical Requirements

Specific physical abilities required for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Ability to remain seated at a desk or workstation for extended periods.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks like typing on a keyboard or using a mouse for extended periods.
• Ability to physically move around the office, organize or transport files, packages, or other office-related materials.
• Ability to read documents, use a computer, and perform data entry tasks.
• Ability to communicate clearly with management and coworkers, particularly in meetings or phone calls.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment such as computers, printers, phones, and copiers.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry light objects (up to 15-20 pounds), such as office supplies, documents, or small equipment.

Pay Range

The expected salary range for this position is $145,000 - $168,000 yearly. Actual compensation will be dependent upon individual skills, experience, qualifications, and applicable law.

Nothing in this job description restricts Watts’ right to assign or reassign duties, responsibilities, and working hours/conditions to this position at any time. This position is “at will,” which means that either the employee or Watts may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice, and for any lawful reason.

#LIRemote

Watts in it for you:

Please note that the followingbenefits apply only to permanent roles and do not apply to internship roles.

• Competitive compensation based on your skills, qualifications and experience
• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits
• Family building benefits, including paid maternity/paternity leave
• 10 paid holidays and Paid Time Off
• Continued professional development opportunities and educational reimbursement
• Additional perks such as fitness reimbursements and employee discount programs
• Learn more about our benefit offerings here: https://tapintowattsbenefits.com/

How we work:

At Watts, our culture is team-oriented and supportive. Employees here genuinely care about the quality of their work, and about each other. Our people are the heart of who we are and contribute to our longevity and continued success.

And this is a place where you can have a big career. No matter your role, there are opportunities for learning and development, and your daily contributions make a meaningful impact on the lives of people who use our products and on the future of water.

Watts is committed to equal employment opportunity. We follow a policy of administering all employment decisions and personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic disposition or carrier status, marital status, military or veteran status, minorities, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the obligations of state and federal law, Watts will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Any employee who needs a reasonable accommodation should contact Human Resources.