New Business Development Manager (Innovation Bakers)

Posted:
12/3/2024, 11:15:27 AM

Location(s):
California, United States

Experience Level(s):
Mid Level ⋅ Senior

Field(s):
Business & Strategy ⋅ Sales & Account Management

Workplace Type:
Remote

Joining King’s Hawaiian makes you part of our `ohana (family). We are a family-owned business for over seventy years, respecting our roots while thinking about our future as we continue to grow and care for our customers and the communities we serve. Our `ohana members build an environment of inclusivity as they freely collaborate, pursue learning through curiosity, and explore innovation as critical thinkers. Beyond that, we are also passionate about supporting the long-term health and well-being of our employees and their families. If you’re excited to rise with our team, come and join our `ohana!

Position Summary:

Reporting directly to the VP of IFG Sales, the New Business Development Manager facilitates the development and management of both current customers as well as new areas of business for Innovation Bakers in support of their aggressive strategic growth plan. Principal outcomes of this position include identifying new business priorities and establishing sustainable year-over-year sales growth. The New Business Development Manager must work collaboratively with the internal IB team and external partners to ensure smooth product development processes and best-in-class customer service.


 

Who Are We?

A few years ago, we realized that the growth of King’s Hawaiian, our family-owned, and values-driven company founded in Hilo, Hawaii in 1950 had grown so fast (from $50M to more than $300M) that we would soon have to move to a focus solely on optimizing capital. We realized then that in a few years, we would have to move to focusing both on optimizing capital and reallocating capital. Or, in other words, a business that would make acquisitions in addition to continuing to grow the King’s Hawaiian brand. But we wondered: “Life is about more than just growth and revenue even though those two things are critically important. Is there a new, better, and special way in which we could achieve that growth? A way where the legacy we could create and leave behind might be as great or even greater than the growth we would achieve?”

These questions led to the birth of a whole new company. King’s Hawaiian had been baking irresistible Hawaii-inspired foods since 1950. What would happen if the new company was populated by people who had in common high-performance heads, high-performance hearts, and who shared common irresistible values? We fell in love with that concept. So, we decided “That kind of place would be irresistible. It’s a big dream but let’s create that dream and build that future!” And so, on September 1, 2021, the Irresistible Foods Group (IFG) was born, and we started to build that dream.

And, when it was born, we articulated that big dream in this Mission and Purpose Statement:

We create Irresistibly. Then we share it.

Irresistibility can exist in everything but rarely does, except here.

Further, we believe the core to our irresistibility is in our four values:

  • Treat others with dignity – respect is unconditional. We have high-performance heads + high- performance hearts and never lose sight that we are all part of the same ’Ohana.
  • Be curious and never stop learning. We approach conversations, situations, and problems with open minds and passionately seek to be better tomorrow than we are today.
  • Dream big and get stuff done. Irresistibility is not an accident – we don’t wait for the future to come to us; we actively create it.
  • Bring your own flavor. We care about where you come from and how you see the world; our shared values are our bond, but our uniqueness is what makes us Irresistible.

These values are not only what drive us but also what we seek in all members at all levels in IFG as well as our operating companies (OPCOS). We look for diversity in many areas, but not in these values.

IFG kind of looks like a private equity or venture capital firm but it is much more than that. We are an owner- friendly acquirer focused on creating long-term value with no intent to ever sell our companies. And, importantly, we only invest and acquire companies that we think model these values and will create irresistibility in more than just profit measures. We support our OPCOS with capital allocation (cash & capabilities), strategic guidance, and operational governance but in a very decentralized environment. We strive to be the most trusted, influential, and value-creating family of authentic food & beverage brands. We build brands that are beloved by their consumers for their irresistible products, uniquely connected through their shared values, and sold in the perimeter (of grocery stores). And together, we are creating a connected eco-system of companies populated with smart people who are having a lot of fun creating irresistibility together. This is what we do. And today we are not one but are seven companies: (1) IFG; (2) King’s Hawaiian; (3) King’s Hawaiian Restaurants; (4) Grillo’s Pickles; (5) Shaka Tea; (6) Innovation Bakers; and (7) Hello Hilo - our new restaurant in Gainesville, GA that spreads Aloha through Hawaii-inspired cuisine and hospitality.

Who Are You?

You are intrigued by what you’ve read so far. You are an authentic, passionate, strategic problem solver who is highly motivated by the opportunity to play a significant role in taking the growth of a fast-growing ecosystem of companies to the next level. You are a thinker, builder, and advisor, not just a number cruncher. Your associates trust you and would use words like “collaborative” and “creative” to describe you. They might even go so far as to say that they are unusually comfortable with you swimming (a bit) in their lane because you add so much value when you do, and you always do it respectfully. You model behaviors and activities that set a standard for those around you. You care much more about getting the right things done than about who gets the credit for doing them. You are a “get stuff done” person who gets things done so fast, efficiently, and effectively that it usually surprises those around you.

This position will specifically focus on our Innovation Bakers brand.

What Will You Do?

Reporting directly to the VP of IFG Sales, the New Business Development Manager facilitates the development and management of both current customers as well as new areas of business for Innovation Bakers in support of their aggressive strategic growth plan. Principal outcomes of this position include identifying new business priorities and establishing sustainable year over year sales growth. The New Business Development Manager must work collaboratively with both the internal IB team and external partners to ensure smooth product development processes and best in-class customer service.

Job Tasks:

  • Analyze category data and customer opportunities to inform channel and customer priorities and support IB business growth objectives.
  • Cultivate and leverage relationships with existing, new, and potential business partners to acquire data, strategic insights, standard methodologies, and innovative solutions to grow new businesses.
  • Develop in-depth knowledge of business products, capabilities, and value propositions for new and potential businesses and apply learnings to make strategic recommendations.
  • Develop and maintain Product and Capabilities portfolio to aid in customer sell-in.
  • Participate in new product development/commercialization process to deliver against customer needs/opportunities.
  • Proactively identify headwinds and business obstacles and propose strategies to overcome them.
  • Follow market trends and opportunities that have the potential to grow the business and increase revenue.
  • Manage sales broker partnerships as necessary to build on new customer opportunities.
  • Support in customer relationship management to deliver best-in-class customer service experience.
  • Support IB logistics and production teams with product demand forecasting based on customer needs.
  • Report successes and areas needing improvements. Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of this role.
  • Strive to set the example of living our values: Innovate, Make it Sweet Together, Make it Happen, and Make it Right.

Experience and Capabilities:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year college with a concentration in Business, Analytics, or a related field or equivalent work experience.
  • At least 4 years of progressively responsible experience within the consumer goods industry; in a sales or analytics-related function required.
  • At least 1 year of applied business analytics experience is required, which must include conducting analysis with syndicated data (IRI preferred) as well as other common CPG data sources (shipments, depletions, other syndicated, etc.).

Additional Qualifications Desired (Job Skills, Abilities, Knowledge):

  • Experience with private label / B2B products sell-in with a broad spectrum of regional and national accounts across multiple channels of trade (ex. Grocery, C-Store, Club, Foodservice, etc.).
  • Understanding/familiarity working with syndicated data (IRI preferred) and other data sets (ex. Microsoft 365 Excel or Power BI).
  • Experiences building new customer relationships and strengthening strategic partnerships.
  • Ability to deliver key insights based on data analysis to provide recommended solutions and drive smart business decisions.
  • Willing to support business integration efforts (systems and applications).
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
  • Fluency in developing and reviewing vendor contracts.
  • Experience with new product development commercialization and customer launches.
  • Work well in group problem-solving situations.
  • Complete projects on time with communication to project stakeholders.
  • Identifies, responds, and resolves requests for service and assistance in a timely manner.
  •  Ability to adapt to changing priorities, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
  • Ability to travel up to 20%.

Physical Requirements:

  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
  • Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds.

The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $130,000 annual base plus a 15% annual bonus target.

Irresistible Foods Group is an equal opportunity employer.


 

King's Hawaiian is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our ohana.