Food Service Manager

Position Summary

The Food Service Manager is responsible for leading and growing the Food Service business within the Convenience division. This position manages assigned Food Service clients and key customer relationships while serving as the internal Food Service resource for the Convenience team.

The Food Service Manager partners closely with Account Managers to develop customer-specific strategies, selling stories, and execution plans designed to increase product distribution, placement, assortment, velocity, and overall sales. This position is also responsible for identifying and developing new Food Service clients and business opportunities and expanding relationships with existing clients, customers, and key distributors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

Client Management & Strategy

• Manage assigned Food Service clients within the Convenience division.
• Maintain Food Service responsibility at designated key customers.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for Food Service strategy, opportunities, and business development.
• Lead strategic Food Service discussions with clients to identify priorities, opportunities, and growth initiatives.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with Food Service decision-makers at key customers and distributors.
• Maintain a strong understanding of client objectives, product portfolios, capabilities, and priorities.
• Identify opportunities to increase product distribution, placement, assortment, and velocity.
• Develop strategies to expand Food Service sales and the Company's presence with existing clients and customers.
• Monitor customer, competitive, and industry trends to identify emerging Food Service opportunities.

Account Manager Collaboration

• Partner directly with Account Managers to identify and develop Food Service opportunities within their assigned customers.
• Develop compelling selling stories and presentations tailored to individual customers and opportunities.
• Create customer-specific Food Service strategies and execution plans.
• Provide Food Service expertise and support during customer planning, business reviews, sales meetings, and other strategic activities.
• Assist Account Managers in identifying, qualifying, and pursuing Food Service opportunities within existing accounts.
• Attend critical Food Service appointments with key customers and support presentations, negotiations, and follow-up activities.
• Serve as an internal Food Service resource to strengthen the Convenience team's overall Food Service capabilities.

Business Development

• Identify, pursue, and onboard new Food Service clients that align with the Company's growth strategy.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of qualified Food Service prospects and opportunities.
• Track and quantify potential new business opportunities and projected revenue.
• Develop strategies and action plans to convert qualified opportunities into active business.
• Coordinate internal resources necessary to support and successfully onboard new Food Service business.
• Identify opportunities to expand product distribution, assortment, and placements with existing Food Service clients and customers.
• Develop strategies to increase Food Service revenue with existing clients.
• Develop and leverage key distributor relationships to create additional sales and revenue opportunities.
• Track Food Service sales activity, new item placements, distribution gains, and business-development opportunities.
• Regularly communicate business results, opportunities, and priorities to Convenience leadership.
• Represent the Company at customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, and other Food Service business-development activities as appropriate.

Additional Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of client, customer, pipeline, and business-development activities.
• Collaborate effectively with Account Managers, sales leadership, client management, and other internal teams.
• Maintain a strong understanding of Food Service products, customers, distributors, industry trends, and competitive activity.
• Represent the Company professionally and in accordance with its values and business standards.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of the Food Service industry, preferably within Convenience, C-Store, distribution, brokerage, or related channels.
• Strong sales, business development, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic client and customer relationships.
• Ability to identify business opportunities and translate them into actionable sales strategies.
• Understanding of product distribution, assortment, placement, and velocity.
• Ability to develop customer-specific selling stories, presentations, and business plans.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to evaluate and quantify sales opportunities.
• Strong communication, organization, follow-up, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple clients, customers, opportunities, and priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Account Managers and cross-functional teams.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and able to work independently.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Food Industry Management, or a related field preferred.
• Previous experience in Food Service sales, client management, account management, business development, brokerage, distribution, or a related field preferred.
• Experience working within the Convenience/C-Store channel preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant industry experience may be considered.

Travel

This position requires travel to customer and client meetings, sales presentations, trade shows, industry events, and other business-related activities as necessary to successfully perform the responsibilities of the position.

Core Competencies

• Communication – Clearly and effectively conveys information across all levels of the organization and with external partners
• Customer Orientation – Demonstrates a consistent commitment to meeting and exceeding client and customer expectations
• Initiative – Proactively identifies needs, solves problems, and takes ownership of outcomes
• Thoroughness – Ensures accuracy and completeness in all aspects of work; follows through on commitments
• Time Management – Effectively prioritizes tasks and manages competing demands in a fast-paced environment

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• Regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to handle or operate office equipment
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms
• May occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus
• Work environment noise level is typically low to moderate