SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
A rapidly expanding, privately-owned manufacturer is seeking an energetic and commercially-minded HORECA / Foodservice Sales Specialist. While the company has a strong footprint in retail, this role is dedicated to the Professional Kitchen sector—targeting Hotels, Restaurants, Catering, and Industrial Food Services
The Foodservice Sales Specialist is responsible for more than just order-taking; they are a partner to the kitchen. This role focuses on solution-based selling, demonstrating how the company’s 250+ SKU dry-goods range can solve operational challenges, reduce food costs, and maintain consistency for chefs and hospitality groups.
Primary Responsibilities:
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New Business Development: Aggressively prospecting and securing new accounts within the HORECA and industrial catering sectors.
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Solution Selling: Understanding ingredient applications and kitchen needs to present products as culinary solutions rather than just commodities.
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Relationship Management: Leveraging an existing industry network (Chefs, Owners, and Procurement Managers) to ensure long-term account retention.
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Distributor Coordination: Working closely with foodservice distributors to ensure stock availability and seamless delivery logistics.
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Negotiation & Pricing: Managing pricing discipline and volume-based contracts while maintaining healthy gross profit margins.
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Operational Oversight: Coordinating between the manufacturing site and the client to ensure service excellence, from order placement to final delivery.
Requirements
The successful candidate must possess a unique blend of culinary understanding and "hunter" sales aggression.
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Experience: Proven track record in HORECA / Foodservice sales within the South African market.
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Industry Network: An established, active network of contacts within the hospitality and catering industry is essential.
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Knowledge: A deep understanding of kitchen operations, ingredient applications, and how to sell value over price.
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Sales Mindset: A self-motivated, resilient "hunter" who thrives on opening new doors and closing complex deals.
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Operational Strength: Highly organized with the ability to manage the logistics of supply, stock levels, and service coordination independently.
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Attributes: Energetic, professional, and capable of representing a premium manufacturing brand to executive-level stakeholders.
