Business Development / Key Account Manager - Food Ingredient Industry

SUMMARY:
A well-known food raw material company requires the above to drive new business as well as manage senior key accounts within the Food Ingredient Markets, supplying Food and Beverage Manufacturing industries with food raw materials.

POSITION INFO:
Minimum requirements for the role: A relevant tertiary qualification such as Marketing or a related qualification is preferred for this role. Previous relevant experience having worked within the Food Ingredient industry supplying Food Raw materials to food and Beverage Manufacturers, is preferred for the role. The company is also happy to consider any strong salesperson from any chemical raw material market who is keen to move into the Food Segment. Must have good leadership and team management skills and have a good understanding of supply chain management principles. The successful candidate will work closely with International and local Suppliers. Must have good strategic thinking and decision-making abilities. Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills are essential. The successful candidate will be responsible for: Driving new business as well as managing senior key accounts within the Food Ingredient Markets, supplying Food and Beverage Manufacturing industries with food raw materials. Generating specific development plans for the respective raw material segments and regional export markets in which the business operates. Assessing and facilitating business development plans based on research within the sub-regions. Managing and ensuring that stock availability is sufficient for customer requirements. Identifying new market opportunities across food manufacturing sectors including bakery, dairy, confectionery, beverages, meat processing, snacks, sauces, and ready meals. Developing strategic business plans to increase market share and achieve sustainable revenue growth. Negotiating pricing, commercial agreements, and long-term supply contracts to maximise profitability. Driving profitable growth within existing accounts through cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Expanding the customer portfolio by targeting key food manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and ingredient distributors. Achieving annual sales, margin, and volume targets in line with company objectives. Managing strategic relationships with key food manufacturing customers across multiple product categories. Building long-term partnerships with procurement, technical, R&D, quality, and production teams. Conducting regular business reviews to evaluate account performance and identify growth opportunities. Managing account profitability through effective pricing and margin management. Preparing annual account plans, sales budgets, and revenue forecasts. Monitoring sales performance against budgets and implementing corrective actions where necessary. Reviewing customer sales performance and profitability on a regular basis. Negotiating annual pricing reviews and commercial agreements. Managing customer forecasts to improve production planning and inventory management. Communicating customer demand changes to internal stakeholders. Supporting supply chain planning to minimise stock shortages and delivery delays. Ensuring customer orders are fulfilled accurately and within agreed lead times. Representing the company at industry exhibitions, conferences, and customer events. Supporting product launches and promotional campaigns. Establishing strategic relationships and identifying and liaising with potential suppliers in collaboration with the local\/ international Procurement teams and business development managers. Salary package, including benefits, is highly negotiable depending on experience gained.