Director of Sales

Director of Sales - Food service Distribution

Portland, Maine | On-Site

Are you a proven sales leader with the ability to turn strong customer relationships into sustained, profitable growth? If so, you might be interested in this role!

We have been asked to assist a great private equity-backed food service distribution client with a search for a Director of Sales to lead its commercial organization and help write its next chapter of growth. Serving restaurants, institutions, and schools, the company has built a respected regional presence and now has the resources, leadership support, and ambition to expand well beyond its current footprint.

This is not a caretaker position. It is an opportunity to strengthen an established sales team, introduce greater structure and accountability, accelerate new-business development, and build the commercial strategy for geographic expansion.

What You'll Do

• Lead, coach, and develop a team spanning field sales, inside sales, business development, and customer success.
• Build a more disciplined, proactive sales culture focused on both growing existing accounts and winning new business.
• Develop and execute a strategy to expand the company’s presence into attractive new territories and adjacent markets.
• Deepen relationships within the restaurant and food service community, including chefs, operators, and other key decision-makers.
• Protect margin while driving profitable case-volume and revenue growth.
• Strengthen territory planning, pipeline management, pricing discipline, and performance accountability.
• Refine the balance between field and inside sales to create greater coverage, efficiency, and customer engagement.
• Develop inside sales as a meaningful source of new business, account growth, win-back opportunities, and future field-sales talent.
• Lead adoption of a new CRM and e-commerce platform, ensuring the technology becomes part of how the team sells - not simply another system to manage.
• Partner closely with the General Manager and broader leadership team to shape the company’s commercial direction.

What We're Looking For

• A classically trained sales leader who has successfully introduced process, structure, coaching, and accountability into a growing sales organization.
• A demonstrated record of generating organic growth and winning new business—not simply maintaining an existing customer base.
• Experience leading both field and inside sales teams.
• Food service distribution experience is strongly preferred.
• A culinary, restaurant, or hospitality background would be especially valuable, as credibility with chefs and operators is important to success.
• Experience expanding into new markets, territories, or customer segments.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to balance volume growth with pricing and margin.
• Comfort using CRM, e-commerce, and sales data to improve execution and decision-making.
• A hands-on leadership style and the confidence to bring a clear commercial point of view to the leadership table.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Lead the commercial organization of an established business with approximately $60 million in annual revenue.
• Join a respected regional company with significant runway for organic and geographic growth.
• Shape the sales strategy rather than simply inherit and maintain it.
• Influence how a new CRM and e-commerce platform are implemented from the beginning.
• Work with the resources and support of a larger private equity-backed platform while retaining the autonomy and influence of a local leadership role.
• Live and work in one of New England's most appealing markets, with easy access to Portland, Maine's exceptional food scene, coastline, lakes, mountains, and year-round outdoor lifestyle.

Compensation is compelling and does include base, bonus and a car allowance.

In sum, this is an exceptional opportunity for a food service sales leader who enjoys building teams, creating structure, developing people, and pursuing meaningful growth. If you are excited by the opportunity to help a strong regional business expand its reach and realize its full potential, we would welcome a conversation.

* Candidates must be eligible to work in the US as well as meet the qualifications listed above in order to be considered for the Director of Sales job.