Director of Business Development

At Whitsons Culinary Group, we're seeking a driven, strategic, and results-oriented Director of Business Development to accelerate growth within our Food Service Management division.

This isn't your typical sales role.

We're looking for a proven business development professional who thrives on creating new opportunities, building influential relationships, and turning complex sales opportunities into long-term partnerships.

In this role, you'll lead strategic business development initiatives, expand our market presence, and secure new food service management partnerships.

You’ll own the full sales lifecycle, from identifying opportunities and building relationships to developing proposals, negotiating contracts, and driving profitable growth.

• Drive New Business: Develop and execute strategies to identify, pursue, and secure new food service management contracts.
• Build Strategic Relationships: Engage C-suite executives, school administrators, healthcare leaders, procurement professionals, and other key decision-makers.
• Identify Opportunities Early: Leverage market intelligence, networking, and proactive outreach to uncover potential contracts, upcoming RFPs, and new market opportunities.
• Lead the Sales Process: Manage complex, multi-year sales opportunities, including presentations, proposals, competitive bidding, and contract negotiations.
• Collaborate Across Teams: Partner with Operations, Finance, Culinary, Marketing, and executive leadership to develop customized, financially sound solutions.
• Deliver Results: Build and maintain a strong sales pipeline, achieve revenue targets, and drive sustainable, profitable growth.

• 5+ years of successful B2B business development or contract sales experience within food service management.
• Proven success generating new business and securing complex, multi-year contracts.
• Experience in food service management, contract dining, K-12, higher education, healthcare, senior living, or related outsourced-services industries.
• Strong understanding of RFP processes, contract negotiations, pricing, and financial models.
• Exceptional relationship-building, prospecting, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage long sales cycles while consistently developing new opportunities.
• Strong CRM and pipeline management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, or a related field required; MBA preferred.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

You don't wait for opportunities. You create them.

You're competitive, curious, persistent, and confident building relationships from the ground up. You know how to identify opportunities before they reach the formal bidding process, understand customer challenges, and position your organization to win.

Most importantly, you're motivated by results and take pride in building partnerships that deliver lasting value.