Head of Retail Expansion

Head of Retail Expansion

Location: Remote (US-based preferred) with travel required

Reports to: CEO

Type: Full-Time, Senior Leadership

About Muddy Mat

Muddy Mat is the market-leading pet-friendly home products brand, best known for our ultra-absorbent chenille door mats designed to trap mud, water, and dirt from pet paws and shoes. We sell across multiple categories including anti-mud mats, outdoor mats, dog beds, washable rugs, and accessories. With over 50,000 five-star reviews and a 9 figure a year brand, Muddy Mat has proven massive product-market fit as a direct-to-consumer brand selling through our own website, Amazon, Walmart.com, TikTok Shop, Chewy, and other digital channels.

Now we’re entering the next phase: taking Muddy Mat from a digital-first brand to a brand you can find on retail shelves worldwide. That’s where you come in.

The Role

The Head of Retail Expansion will own the strategy and execution of bringing Muddy Mat into physical retail and wholesale channels, both in the United States and internationally. This is not a store operations role. This is a senior business development and sales leadership position focused on getting Muddy Mat onto shelves at major retailers, building distributor relationships globally, and scaling a profitable retail channel from the ground up.

Core Responsibilities

Retail & Wholesale Expansion (US)

• Identify, pitch, and close deals with major US retailers, including Target, Walmart (in-store), Costco, PetSmart, Chewy (physical), TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Bed Bath & Beyond, and specialty pet retailers
• Develop and execute the retail go-to-market strategy for each channel, including pricing, packaging, planogram positioning, and promotional planning
• Negotiate terms, margins, co-op advertising, and shelf space agreements with category buyers
• Own the retail P&L and be accountable for revenue targets and channel profitability

International Retail & Distribution

• Build and manage relationships with international distributors to bring Muddy Mat into retail markets in the UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and other target regions
• Evaluate and select distribution partners based on market coverage, retail relationships, logistics capability, and alignment with brand standards
• Develop market entry strategies for each region, including pricing localization, regulatory compliance, and packaging requirements
• Negotiate distributor agreements including exclusivity terms, minimum order commitments, margin structures, and performance benchmarks
• Coordinate with internal teams on international inventory planning, forecasting, and supply chain logistics

Key Account Management & Sell-Through

• Manage day-to-day wholesale account relationships with retail buyers at key chains
• Monitor sell-through rates, manage reorder cycles, and optimize assortment by retailer
• Drive in-store merchandising, brand presentation, and compliance across all retail touchpoints
• Develop co-marketing programs with retail partners to accelerate sell-through velocity

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work with supply chain and operations to ensure inventory readiness for retail launches and reorders
• Coordinate with marketing on retail-specific packaging, point-of-sale materials, and brand assets
• Partner with finance on retail margin analysis, trade spend management, and channel profitability reporting
• Collaborate with the e-commerce team to ensure retail strategy complements (not cannibalizes) DTC channels

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in retail sales, wholesale, or business development in consumer goods
• Proven, demonstrable track record of taking a DTC or ecommerce-native brand into physical retail at national or big-box retailers (this is non-negotiable — we need someone who has done this before, not someone who wants to try)
• Direct experience managing international distributors and launching products into retail markets outside the United States
• Existing relationships with retail buyers at major chains in pet, home, housewares, or consumer goods categories
• Deep understanding of retail economics: margin structures, trade spend, co-op programs, slotting fees, and promotional planning
• Experience with retail-specific packaging, compliance, barcode/UPC requirements, and planogram standards
• Strong negotiation skills with a track record of closing complex, high-value retail agreements
• Ability to own a P&L and be accountable for a revenue target

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience specifically in the pet products, home goods, or housewares categories
• Background working at a high-growth DTC brand that successfully expanded into retail (not the other way around — we need the DTC-to-retail playbook)
• Familiarity with Amazon and other marketplace dynamics and how they interact with retail channel strategy
• Experience working with or selling into UK, EU, Canadian, and Australian retail markets
• Existing distributor network in international markets
• Experience managing retail broker relationships (Walmart, Target)

Why Muddy Mat

• Market leader with over 50,000 five-star reviews and massive consumer demand already proven online
• $200M+ annual revenue run rate with strong unit economics and gross margins above 85%
• You’re not building from zero — you’re taking a brand with proven product-market fit and expanding it into an entirely new channel
• Direct access to the CEO and a lean, high-performance leadership team with the resources and ambition to execute at scale
• Opportunity to build the retail division from the ground up and own it entirely
• Compensation package includes competitive base, performance bonus, and equity participation

Compensation

Competitive base salary plus performance-based bonus tied to retail revenue targets. Equity participation available for the right candidate. Full benefits package.