Associate Field Manager - North East region
Dirty Hands · Newark, New Jersey, United States · remote
Role Overview:
This role is designed as a development pathway into the Field Manager role, where you will grow into leading a team of merchandisers responsible for executing brand strategy across natural and conventional retailers in the North East region. They help drive best-in-class retail execution through consistent field presence, store-level relationship building, and hands-on support of the field team. They partner closely with the Field Manager to coach and support team members, reinforce expectations, and help ensure priorities are being executed consistently across the region. They spend time in the field alongside merchandisers, providing guidance, identifying opportunities, and helping solve challenges at the store level.
Successful Associate Field Managers lead humbly through influence and inspiration, embody a servant leadership mindset, and have a desire and ability to engage their teams while driving results. Advancement is based on demonstrated readiness, performance, business needs, and available opportunities.
Focus Area
% of Week
Field Execution / Team and Brand Ride-Alongs
40%
Team Coaching, Development & Performance Support
25%
Communication, Collaboration & Stakeholder Calls
15%
Reviewing Reporting & Ensuring Data Integrity
10%
Leadership Development & Regional Operations
10%
What You’ll Own:
People Leadership & Development
- Build strong, trusting relationships with team members while reinforcing Dirty Hands' mission, values, expectations, and culture.
- Coach and develop the field team through regular field ride-alongs, one-on-ones, real-time feedback, and documented follow-up.
- Develop individual growth goals with team members and helps identify opportunities for increased responsibility and advancement.
- Partner with the Field Manager on performance management while developing the ability to independently identify performance gaps, deliver direct feedback, establish expectations, and follow through on accountability.
- Support recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, training, scheduling, and ongoing development of team members.
- Learn to identify talent, performance risk, engagement concerns, and succession opportunities within the team.
- Create an engaged and connected team environment through consistent communication, field presence, recognition, and accountability.
- Seek regular feedback from the Field Manager and Field Director and demonstrate measurable growth in leadership capability and decision-making.
Field Execution & Operational Leadership- Maintain a consistent field presence and uses store visits and ride-alongs to evaluate execution, coach Account Managers, strengthen retailer relationships, and identify opportunities.
- Monitor store visitation, mission completion, execution quality, reporting accuracy, and other key performance indicators through company systems and field observation.
- Use data and field insights to identify execution gaps, determine root causes, and recommend or implement solutions in partnership with the Field Manager.
- Assist in setting and tracking brand and account-specific goals and communicates progress, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions to leadership.
- Lead team calls, one-on-ones, and field coaching sessions as assigned while developing the ability to independently lead a team.
- Support brand partner ride-alongs and market visits to communicate execution opportunities and market insights directly with internal and external partners.
- Responsible for a limited store route as needed to remain connected to field execution and business realities.
Leadership Development & Progression- Partner with the Field Manager and Field Director to establish and regularly review an individual leadership development plan.
- Take on increasing ownership of team leadership, operational decisions, performance conversations, market planning, and stakeholder communication as readiness develops.
- Demonstrate growth in independent decision-making, prioritization, problem-solving, coaching, accountability, and business judgment.
- May provide interim leadership coverage for the Field Manager or take ownership of specific territories, initiatives, accounts, or team priorities as part of continued development.
- Advancement is based on demonstrated readiness, performance, business needs, and available opportunities.
Communication & Partnership- Maintain consistent, clear communication with team members regarding priorities, expectations, performance, and business updates.
- Partner closely with the Field Manager, Field Director, Brand Management, and other cross-functional partners to ensure alignment between field priorities and business objectives.
- Proactively communicates execution risks, staffing concerns, opportunities, and recommended solutions rather than simply escalating problems.
- Develop the ability to represent the market effectively in leadership discussions, brand conversations, and retailer interactions.
- Communicate with professionalism, transparency, urgency, and appropriate judgment across field, leadership, brand, and retail partners.
What We’re Looking For:
Experience
- 2+ years of merchandising and/or sales experience in CPG.
- 2+ years of retail industry experience preferred.
- 1+ years of leading, mentoring, or training others is a plus.
Core Strengths
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
- Demonstrated ability or clear potential to motivate, engage, develop, and hold a team accountable to results.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify issues, take ownership, and move solutions forward.
- Interest in the natural CPG industry and a drive to help brands grow through strong execution and partnership.
Technical Skills
- Comfortable working across modern business and technology platforms, including Google Workspace, Airtable, AI-enabled tools, CRM/retail execution platforms, and other evolving systems used to manage communication, reporting, and field execution.
- Ability to learn and adapt quickly as technology, systems, and business needs evolve.
Benefits:
- Competitive pay with eligibility for yearly merit-based salary/wage increases.
- Eligible for a quarterly bonus of up to 10% of base salary.
- Comprehensive benefits package including partially company-paid medical insurance, and fully company-paid dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
- FREE First Stop Health: virtual care and mental health coverage.
- Three weeks of Paid Time Off per year. In addition to Paid Time Off, 9 paid holidays plus one additional floating holiday.
- Mileage reimbursement plan.
- 401(k) plan with company match.
- An exceptional company culture with opportunities for engagement and growth.
Travel & Physical Requirements
- Must have a valid driver's license, proof of current auto insurance, a reliable form of transportation, and be able to drive for extended periods of time.
- Capable of meeting the physical requirements of the position, 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 40 – 50lbs.
- Ability to work in cold environments, such as refrigerated and freezer sections of retail stores, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to make store visits with the team 3-4 days per week.
- Overnight travel could be up to 40% (during new hire onboarding) otherwise up to 10% depending on territory and business needs.
Posting close date: 10/23/2026.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee 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.
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