Sales Development Manager, Foodservice USA/Canada

LOCATION:                      Chicago IL, Bridgewater NJ, White Marsh MD, Remote 

REPORTS TO:            Director Channel Development     

Company Background:

Ingredion is a Fortune 500 provider of ingredient solutions that helps nourish, comfort, sustain, and delight people around the world. Ingredion’s wide range of ingredient solutions is strategically designed to address changing consumer trends and preferences. Our specialty portfolio includes starch-based texturizers, clean and simple ingredients, plant-based proteins, sugar reduction and specialty sweeteners, and food systems. Our innovative ingredient solutions are used by consumers in everyday products, from foods and beverages to paper and pharmaceuticals. And we do it all in a planet-friendly sustainable manner.

We bring the potential of people, nature and technology together to make life better.

That’s our purpose. We are all IN to make life better!

Every day, Ingredion employees bring their skills, creativity, and passion together to deliver ingredient solutions that enhance people’s lives. We are innovators who combine the power of technology with the best of nature to delight our customers and consumers. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in ethics, safety, quality, and sustainability. Unlocking the potential of people, nature, and technology to make life better is what drives us in every aspect of our business.

If you are interested in making life better, we are all IN to learn more about you! A bit about what you can expect from the employee experience at Ingredion:

The chance to make a difference

No matter where you work in the company, you’ll have an opportunity to make life better… for our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world.

Passionate people, motivated to excel

Our highly talented people have a passion for learning and achievement and are driven by our inspiring purpose to make life better and our core values: Care First, Be Preferred, Everyone Belongs, Innovate Boldly, and Owner’s Mindset.

A warm, welcoming environment

At Ingredion, everyone belongs! We embrace diversity and foster an inclusive work environment where individuals feel supported and enabled to contribute their very best every day.

A place where you can grow personally and professionally

We believe everyone has great potential, and we strive to nurture that potential into great personal and professional achievements.

An environment that enables innovation and collaboration

We are creating the conditions that inspire and enable innovation - in our products and services, as well as in how we do our work day-to-day.

The Sales Development Manager, Foodservice will be responsible for prospecting and acquiring foodservice operators and manufactures, developing sales opportunities and driving sales growth within the Foodservice channel in the USA and Canada. The candidate will collaborate directly with foodservice operators and manufacturers, in collaboration with Ingredion go-to-market teams (GTM) teams. The successful candidate will drive penetration and growth of Ingredion business within the foodservice channel with a focus on texture and health solutions, sweeteners, and sustainable packaging solutions. The ideal candidate, guided by channel, and consumer/guest insights, will develop and execute sales strategies and activities, including development of prototypes and solution demonstrations to highlight the value proposition of Ingredion’s ingredients and solutions. Additionally, the candidate will prepare and deliver compelling sales presentations and proposals to acquire new customers, focusing on commercial foodservice accounts and manufacturers, and drive sales growth with existing accounts to achieve and or exceed defined sale and business targets.

Core Responsibilities:

Deliverables

Develop sales opportunities

• Support the development and execute the strategy to increase penetration in the foodservice channel
• Generate and leverage consumer/guest, channel, and customer insights to identify and obtain foodservice targets, including operators and manufacturers, with strategic fit to Ingredion
• Research target operators to identify unmet customer needs and opportunities needs, and collaborate with Ingredion Culinology, Technical and Innovation teams to develop solutions to address these needs and opportunities
• Evaluate customer products to identify new application, replacement, and or upgrade opportunities for Ingredion’s solutions to increase penetration 
• Drive customer innovation engagement, including training, solution demos, and capability reviews, to articulate the value proposition of Ingredion solutions to generate sales opportunities & pipeline 
• Plan and lead Ingredion participation in key foodservice operator manufacturer industry events, including the National Restaurant Show to generate sales leads, and build a robust network & customer base

Deliver Sales and Financial Performance in the foodservice channel

• Establish & manage foodservice account relationships and customer contacts in key functions, including Culinology, Innovation/R&D, Product/Menu Development and Procurement, to facilitate penetration
• Manage key foodservice operators, and manufacturers, working across functions to drive solution development, project delivery, and product supply to address customer needs
• Develop and execute sales strategies and plans to deliver net sales, volume and gross profit targets for the foodservice channel
• Develop strong sales opportunity pipeline with pull and push model and prospect customers in collaboration with the sales team members
• Execute Sales Administration, including managing customer contacts and accounts, sales opportunity pipeline, sample requests and call reports in Salesforce (SFDC)

Drive business development opportunities

• Develop robust Account Plans and Joint Business Plans, where relevant, to drive strategic initiatives for growth with key customers
• Map and build partnerships and alliances with key players within the foodservice ecosystem, including contract manufacturers, and product development companies, to facilitate penetration and growth   
• Define how, and leverage key Ingredion innovation accelerators, including Catalyst, and capabilities to accelerate customer innovation to build a robust pipeline for growth
• Design and execute events, e.g. product development “clinics” to position Ingredion as the preferred innovation partner

Qualified candidates will have:

• Bachelor’s degree, ideally in food science, foodservice management, and or culinary arts
• Minimum 5-year experience experience in “culinary/prototype-forward” commercial roles in foodservice, including in sales, account management, business development, and customer development
• Established relationships and network in key foodservice operator functions, including R&D/Innovation, Culinology, Product/Menu Development and Procurement
• Experience managing a book of business for a foodservice manufacturer, interfacing with foodservice operators
• Deep passion for customers with entrepreneurial mindset and market orientation
• Can-do attitude and drive for results: continually drive for personal and organisational results
• Consultative and value selling skills, selling specialties and or technical solutions
• Ability to build internal and external relationships and work across functions and in a matrixed organisation to deliver on customer needs/commitments
• Business analytics skills with experience using data to identify and tap opportunities, and articulate compelling value propositions
• Solid financial acumen with ability to interpret financial metrics and maximize business performance
• Willingness and ability to learn and apply knowledge about functional food & beverage ingredients and manufacturing processes to create shared value with customers
• Innovative, curious, creative thinker and active listener with outstanding written & verbal communication skills  
• Ability to travel extensively

Relocation Available?       No

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Relocation Available:

No

Pay Range:

$103,200.00-$137,600.00 Annual

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation:

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with an competitive company match.