National Key Account Director - Foodservice

About Farm Frites Farm Frites is an international family-owned company specializing in potato products. For over 50 years, we have been passionate about creating tasty products that bring people together all over the world. We work closely with farmers, customers, and colleagues to grow our business in a forward-looking, flexible, and fair way. Within North America, we are focused on strengthening our commercial position and accelerating growth with strategic customers. To support these ambitions, we are looking for a commercially strong and relationship-driven National Key Account Director – North America . Your role As Strategic Key Accounts Manager – North America, you are responsible for developing, managing, and growing strategic customer relationships with Group, Chain, and Multi-State Operator accounts. You play a key role in expanding Farm Frites’ position within strategic foodservice and QSR-related business, with a strong focus on customers operating across multiple states and regional structures. You know how to build relationships at both the head office and the field level, understand customer complexity, and translate opportunities into sustainable commercial growth. In this role, you work in close alignment with the Commercial Director North America and connect directly with the Head Office and International Key Account structures where relevant. The current business focus is primarily east of the Mississippi River, but the role is designed with enough flexibility to attract the strongest candidate in a location that supports business needs, customer access, and efficient travel. Purpose of the role The Strategic Key Accounts Manager – North America is responsible for building long-term commercial value through the development of strategic accounts and chain partnerships. The role exists to strengthen Farm Frites’ market position, unlock new opportunities, and ensure excellent execution across complex customer structures. You bring focus, ownership, and commercial energy to key account development while acting as a strong connector between customer needs, regional priorities, and international alignment. What you will do Strategic account development Develop and implement account plans for strategic groups, chains, and multi-state operators across North America. Identify growth opportunities within existing customers and convert new business opportunities into sustainable partnerships. Build and execute customer strategies that support Farm Frites’ commercial and strategic objectives. Translate market, customer, and channel insights into actionable commercial plans. Group and chain business growth Develop Group/Chain business relationships and grow Farm Frites’ footprint within strategic operator networks. Manage commercial relationships with multi-state operator groups in a structured and proactive manner. Drive distribution, volume growth, and customer engagement across key strategic accounts. Support implementation and rollout of agreements, concepts, and activation initiatives across customer organizations. Relationship management Build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders at customer headquarters and operational levels. Navigate complex stakeholder environments, including procurement, operations, culinary, marketing, and leadership teams. Position Farm Frites as a trusted and professional business partner with a strong value proposition. Ensure consistent follow-up, responsiveness, and customer focus in all account interactions. Cross-functional alignment Work closely with the Commercial Director North America to align account priorities and commercial direction. Coordinate with internal stakeholders across sales, marketing, supply chain, finance, and category management. Ensure direct alignment with Head Office and International Key Account structures where relevant. Share customer developments, market intelligence, and commercial priorities with the wider organization. Commercial performance Deliver against agreed sales and margin targets. Manage pipeline, forecasting, and opportunity tracking with strong commercial discipline. Lead negotiations within the mandate and in line with the company strategy. Monitor account performance, identify risks, and take timely corrective action where needed. What you bring Experience Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or a related field. Solid commercial experience in strategic account management, chain sales, foodservice, or QSR-related business. Proven experience in developing and managing complex customer relationships. Experience with Group, Chain, and/or Multi-State Operator accounts is highly preferred. Experience in foodservice, FMCG, potato products, or a related food category is a strong advantage. Knowledge and skills Strong commercial acumen with the ability to spot and convert growth opportunities. Skilled in account planning, relationship management, and strategic selling. Comfortable operating in complex multi-stakeholder customer environments. Strong negotiation and influencing skills. Able to work effectively in a regional and international matrix organization. Strong communication skills in English, both verbal and written. Structured, disciplined, and confident in managing multiple priorities. Personal profile Entrepreneurial and opportunity-driven. Strong relationship builder with credibility and presence. Self-starting and ownership-oriented. Resilient, pragmatic, and commercially sharp. Hands-on in execution, while able to think strategically. Energized by growth, customer contact, and business development. Archetype Hunter-Farmer / Strategic Connector This role requires someone who combines the drive of a business builder with the maturity of a strategic relationship manager. The ideal candidate is: strong in opening doors and creating new commercial momentum; equally capable of growing and deepening existing strategic partnerships; comfortable working with both head office decision-makers and field-level stakeholders; able to connect commercial opportunities to internal execution; naturally effective in building bridges between local account needs and international key account alignment. This is not a purely transactional sales role. It requires thoughtful account development, disciplined execution, and the ability to create long-term value in complex customer environments. Preferred location The original thought for this position was the New York area. However, to broaden the talent pool and optimize budget and customer reach, the preferred search area may also include Georgia, Texas, and Florida. These states offer strong access to major airport hubs and proximity to relevant commercial opportunities. Given the current business focus on customers east of the Mississippi River, candidates based in GA, TX, FL, NY, or NJ are all considered relevant. Final location should support customer connectivity, travel efficiency, and long-term commercial impact. Why this role matters This role is critical in accelerating Farm Frites’ growth with strategic accounts in North America. By developing strong Group and Chain relationships, managing multi-state operator complexity, and ensuring close alignment with international structures, the Strategic Accounts Manager directly contributes to sustainable commercial success in the region. What we offer At Farm Frites, you will join an ambitious and international family company where entrepreneurship, ownership, and collaboration truly matter. We offer a role with visibility, impact, and the opportunity to help shape strategic growth in an important market. You can expect: a commercially important role within a growing international business; the opportunity to work with strategic customers and key internal stakeholders; a dynamic environment with room for initiative and ownership; collaboration within a committed and entrepreneurial team; a company culture built around our values: Family, Forward, Flexible, and Fair . Our values At Farm Frites, our values guide the way we work: Family – We build relationships based on trust, respect, and long-term commitment. Forward – We look ahead, see opportunities and keep developing. Flexible – We adapt quickly and work pragmatically in a changing environment. Fair – We act with integrity, transparency, and respect for people and business.