Chefs Warehouse

Selling - Business Development Manager

Chefs Warehouse • $80K — $120K *
New York, NY 10025In-Person
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
Be an Early Applicant
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 4-year degree in Business or related field preferred.
  • 5-7 years of progressive foodservice sales experience, ideally in the Northeast.
  • Strong knowledge of seafood products and their sustainability.
  • Demonstrated high-level closing ability and strong negotiation skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
  • Strong computer literacy, including Excel and CRM software.
  • Proven leadership and motivation skills.

Responsibilities

  • Develop sales across current and emerging foodservice channels with a strategic approach.
  • Focus on retaining and growing multi-unit group business and recovering lost accounts.
  • Build customized solutions tailored to customer needs for each identified opportunity.
  • Analyze sales reports to target sleeper accounts for increased sales potential.
  • Maintain high closing ability and transition relationships smoothly to the sales team.
  • Provide expert seafood guidance, ensuring quality and responsible sourcing are highlighted.
  • Prepare sales forecasts and reports on product sales and customer trends.

Benefits

  • Paid vacations and holidays.
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and medical benefits.
  • Weekly pay schedule.
  • Life insurance coverage.
  • 5% discount on high-quality food products.
  • Employee discounts on travel and events.
  • 401k plan options.
  • Employee stock purchase plan.
Full Job Description
Seafood Business Development Manager

Position Summary

The Seafood Business Development Manager drives sales growth by developing new business and deepening existing accounts across the foodservice sector, with a specialized focus on premium seafood. The role blends the strategic, hunter-minded discipline of business development - multi-unit group business, platinum-level account retention and growth, and recovery of lost accounts - with the domain expertise of a seafood specialist who can advise chefs and buyers on sourcing, seasonality, sustainability, and culinary application.

The ideal candidate is equal parts closer and consultant: someone who opens doors with key decision-makers, translates deep product knowledge into compelling value, and turns raw data into customer-ready insight.

What You'll Do

Business Development & Account Growth
  • Develop sales across current and emerging foodservice channels through a multi-faceted research approach, collaborating with the sales team to identify and target opportunities aligned to budgeted goals.
  • Focus on multi-unit group business, platinum-level account retention and growth, and recovery of accounts lost within those parameters.
  • Build a methodical, goal-oriented system for each identified opportunity, developing custom-tailored solutions based on each customer's specific needs.
  • Regularly review sales reports to identify and target sleeper accounts where sales potential is not fully leveraged.
  • Demonstrate a high level of closing ability, then maintain relationships as accounts are onboarded and transitioned to the sales team.

Seafood Expertise & Consultative Selling
  • Maintain comprehensive knowledge of the full seafood range - species, sourcing, seasonal availability, quality standards, and culinary applications.
  • Provide expert guidance on seafood selection, preparation, and sustainability, positioning freshness, quality, and responsible sourcing as key differentiators.
  • Respond to inquiries with tailored product recommendations that close sales efficiently and build repeat business.
  • Stay current on industry trends, market pricing, and competitor offerings to position products effectively in the marketplace.

Analysis & Insight
  • Analyze menus, order guides, and purchase history against customer buying patterns to create valued suggestions that maximize sales.
  • Clean unfiltered data to build cost comparisons, then restate them in clear, customer-friendly terms.
  • Prepare regular sales forecasts and reports on product sales, inventory levels, and customer trends.

Relationships & Field Intelligence
  • Create and maintain relationships with key decision-makers, sustaining them after accounts are handed to sales and ensuring maximum leverage of sales potential.
  • Gather street-level business intelligence and translate it into actionable follow-up, setting appointments with decision-makers.
  • Determine and create customized content for sales presentations tailored to each opportunity.

Cross-Functional Support
  • Partner with Transportation to develop routes in need of additional tonnage, maximizing route efficiency.
  • Travel to account HQ meetings in a support role.
  • Support corporate business through daily communication with internal teams.

About You
  • 4-year degree in Business or a related field preferred.
  • 5-7 years of progressive foodservice sales experience, ideally in the Northeast, with proven success selling in the food or seafood sector.
  • Strong knowledge of seafood products - fish, shellfish, and crustaceans - including sourcing, seasonality, and sustainability.
  • Demonstrated high-level closing ability, with strong presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong computer skills (Excel, Microsoft Office) and familiarity with CRM software.
  • Proven leadership and motivation skills.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to evaluate trends, data, and opportunities.
  • Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, dynamic selling environment.
  • Well versed in multiple forms of social media.
  • A passion for seafood and sustainability in the food industry is a strong plus.

The above job description is not an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Perks & Benefits:
  • Paid Vacations, Paid Holidays
  • Health, Dental and Medical Benefits
  • Weekly pay
  • Life Insurance
  • 5% above cost for our high-quality food products
  • Employee discounts for travel and events
  • 401k
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan


About Chefs Warehouse

The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. is a specialty food distributor that began sourcing products focused on serving the specific needs of chefs who own and/or operate some of the nation's leading menu-driven independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, country clubs, hotels, caterers, culinary schools, bakeries, patisseries, chocolatiers, cruise lines, casinos and specialty food stores. The Company's product portfolio includes artisan charcuterie, specialty cheeses, unique oils and vinegars, truffles, caviar, chocolate and pastry products. The Company also offers a broad line of center-of-the-plate products, including custom cut beef, seafood and hormone-free poultry, as well as broadline food products, such as cooking oils, butter, eggs, milk and flour. The Company operates distribution centers in New York, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, California and Illinois.
Learn more about Chefs Warehouse
Size
2,712 employees
Market Cap
$1.2 billion
Industry
Food & Beverages
Net Income
-$82.9 million
Founded
1985
5 Year Trend
+7.9%
Revenue
$1.1 billion
NASDAQ
CHEF
* Ladders Estimates

Similar Jobs

Ad banner background

Get Ready For Your
Next Interview

More Jobs at Chefs Warehouse

More Food & Beverages Jobs

Find similar Selling - Business Development Manager jobs:

NationwideNew York, NY