Independent Field Sales Representative (Contract) - NYC Cafés & Independent Retail

About Counterpart

Counterpart helps emerging consumer brands prove how their products perform in real retail environments.

We place curated products in independent cafés and retailers on consignment. The retailer makes sales through its existing register and keeps a retail margin, while Counterpart manages the assortment, merchandising, inventory, and replenishment. The result is incremental revenue for the retailer and credible, real-world sales data for participating brands.

The opportunity

We are looking for a self-directed field salesperson to open high-quality café and independent retail locations across New York City.

This is a true street-level sales role. You will identify promising locations, walk in, reach the owner or decision-maker, explain the economics, overcome objections, and move qualified partners from first conversation to a live Counterpart shelf. Once live, you will manage the accounts ensuring stable inventory, merchandising, and customer satisfaction.

This is not a remote lead-generation position or a sampling/brand-ambassador role. You will own the relationship from initial outreach through launch.

What you’ll do

• Build and manage a pipeline of independent cafés, specialty food stores, neighborhood markets, and other high-fit retailers.
• Conduct in-person outreach, cold walk-ins, calls, and follow-up conversations with owners and operators.
• Explain Counterpart’s retailer proposition clearly: no participation fee, no upfront inventory purchase, Counterpart-managed products and replenishment, and a retail margin on every sale.
• Qualify locations based on customer fit, traffic, merchandising opportunity, operational readiness, and owner commitment.
• Secure signed participation agreements and coordinate a clean handoff for installation and launch.
• Maintain accurate pipeline and account notes.
• Share recurring retailer objections and field feedback so Counterpart can improve its offer and sales process.
• Help ensure that signed locations become active, durable retail partners—not just names on a list.

What success looks like

During the initial engagement, success will be measured by:

• A healthy pipeline of qualified NYC retailers
• Qualified locations launched
• Strong 90-day account retention
• Reliable merchant handoffs and account information
• Useful feedback that improves Counterpart’s sales motion

Who we’re looking for

• Experience in field sales, food and beverage, hospitality, CPG, food distribution strongly preferred
• Confidence walking into a business cold and earning a conversation with the decision-maker
• A practical understanding of how independent cafés and retailers operate
• Strong follow-through and comfort managing a multi-touch sales process
• High personal accountability with minimal day-to-day supervision
• Familiarity with NYC neighborhoods and the ability to travel throughout the city
• Existing relationships with café or independent-retail owners are strongly preferred
• Spanish or another language spoken by NYC cafe and independent retail owners is helpful but not required

Contract and compensation

This is an initial 90-day, non-exclusive independent-contractor engagement. The contractor controls their schedule and sales approach and is compensated based on agreed deliverables and results.

Compensation consists of:

• $3,000 monthly market-development retainer, depending on relevant experience and existing relationships
• $200 for each qualified retail location that launches

This is a contract opportunity and not a guaranteed annual salary.

Counterpart supplies approved sales materials, product information, and samples.

How to apply

Please send your résumé or LinkedIn profile and a short note covering:

• Your relevant field-sales or hospitality experience
• The types of NYC retailers you know best
• How you would approach your first 30 days in the field
• Counterpart provides equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic..