Description:
The company is seeking an experienced Director of Business Development to identify, develop, and win new business across beverage manufacturers, private-label producers, and foodservice organizations.
This is a true business development role rather than an account-maintenance position. The successful candidate will bring deep flavor-industry knowledge, an established network of industry relationships, and a demonstrated ability to open doors and develop opportunities with new customers.
The company has a consultative sales process with sales cycles that can extend two years. Success therefore requires someone who understands how to build relationships, develop technically complex opportunities, and maintain momentum throughout a long sales cycle.
Responsibilities
- Identify and develop new business opportunities within the food and beverage markets.
- Leverage an established industry network to gain access to key decision-makers and prospective customers.
- Build and maintain a substantial pipeline of qualified new-business opportunities.
- Develop relationships with prospective customers from initial contact through technical evaluation and commercialization.
- Work consultatively with customers to understand applications, technical requirements, product-development objectives, and commercial opportunities.
- Partner closely with R&D, applications, technical, and commercial teams to develop customer-specific solutions.
- Cultivate opportunities through the sales process and transition established accounts to the appropriate account-management resources.
- Represent the company as a knowledgeable commercial resource within the flavor and food ingredient markets.
Target Markets
Experience selling flavors into several of the following markets is particularly valuable:
- Private-label food and beverage
- Foodservice
- Beverages
- Soups and sauces
- Marinades
- Broader processed food applications
Ideal Background
- Significant direct experience selling flavors or flavor systems.
- A track record of sticking with a company for 3+ years to see success on their efforts
- Strong existing network of relationships within beverage manufacturers, private-label producers, foodservice organizations, and related markets.
- Demonstrated success opening new accounts rather than primarily managing an existing territory or customer base.
- Strong understanding of consultative, technically oriented flavor sales.
- Proven ability to develop and manage a long-term new-business pipeline.
- Career history demonstrating meaningful tenure and relationship development; approximately 4-5 years or more with employers is strongly preferred.
- Ability to communicate credibly with technical, product-development, procurement, and senior commercial decision-makers.
- Self-directed and comfortable operating in a national, remote business-development role.