Business Development Manager

CAYI – Drink Tech is seeking a high-impact Business Development Manager – U.S. Strategic Accounts, Retail & Promotional Channel Development to drive new business growth throughout the United States. This role is responsible for identifying, developing, and converting new strategic customers while building long-term partnerships with leading retail, wholesale, promotional products, and consumer brands. This is a hunter/rainmaker role focused on creating new business opportunities, developing relationships with executive decision-makers, and converting opportunities into long-term commercial partnerships. The ideal candidate has proven experience selling into retail, wholesale, consumer products, promotional products (PPAI/ASI), private label, and branded merchandise markets and can position Drink Tech as a strategic global manufacturing and product solutions partner. Responsibilities New Customer Development Identify, prospect, and develop new strategic customers throughout the United States. Generate new business opportunities through cold calling, networking, referrals, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, trade shows, and industry relationships. Build relationships with founders, buyers, category managers, sourcing leaders, product development teams, and executive decision-makers. Develop opportunities within: Drinkware & Hydration Brands Consumer Products Promotional Products Industry Private Label Manufacturing Licensed Products Corporate Gifting Retail & Wholesale Channels Target brands including Stanley, Owala, YETI, BrüMate, Frost Buddy, Hydro Flask, Takeya, CamelBak, Ello, Reduce, Simple Modern, and other emerging consumer brands. Retail & Promotional Channel Development Develop and execute growth strategies across retail, wholesale, e-commerce, and promotional products channels. Build relationships with retail buyers, wholesalers, distributors, brokers, category managers, and promotional product suppliers. Develop strategic partnerships with ASI distributors, PPAI members, SAGE distributors, decorators, promotional agencies, and corporate branding organizations. Drive retail sell-in strategies, product presentations, line reviews, and assortment expansion. Identify opportunities for national retail placement and promotional product distribution. Expand Drink Tech's presence with major retailers including Costco, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Sam's Club, Whole Foods, Kroger, Dick's Sporting Goods, REI, Academy Sports, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, and other strategic retail partners. Strategic Account Management Build and manage a robust sales pipeline from prospecting through commercial conversion. Develop strategic account plans for key customers. Conduct customer presentations, product demonstrations, pricing discussions, quotations, and contract negotiations. Convert opportunities into product development projects and long-term supply agreements. Maintain executive-level relationships with strategic accounts. Achieve annual sales, profitability, and customer growth objectives. Promotional Products Business Development Develop new business through ASI, PPAI, SAGE, distributors, decorators, and promotional products suppliers. Build strategic relationships with promotional product distributors, corporate branding agencies, and promotional product organizations. Increase Drink Tech's visibility within the Promotional Products Industry. Represent Drink Tech at ASI Shows, PPAI Expo, and other industry trade shows. Identify opportunities for custom-branded drinkware and promotional merchandise. Monitor industry trends across retail, consumer products, drinkware, promotional products, and e-commerce. Analyze competitor activity, pricing, product launches, and market opportunities. Identify emerging brands, retailers, distributors, and growth opportunities. Translate market insights into actionable business development strategies. Solution Selling Position Drink Tech as a global manufacturing and product innovation partner. Sell value through design, engineering, sourcing, manufacturing capabilities, supply chain solutions, and customer service. Develop customized private-label and branded solutions for customers. Support new product development initiatives from concept through commercialization. Cross-Functional Collaboration Collaborate with Product Development, Engineering, Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, and global manufacturing teams. Coordinate customer requirements from quotation through production and delivery. Support forecasting, inventory planning, and successful product launches. Maintain CRM and an active sales pipeline. Develop monthly sales forecasts and business development reports. Report pipeline activity, sales performance, conversion rates, revenue projections, and strategic opportunities. Track KPIs including new customer acquisition, revenue growth, gross margin, pipeline development, retail expansion, promotional products growth, and customer retention. Travel Requirements Approximately 40–50% travel within the United States. Travel to customer locations, retailers, distributors, trade shows, promotional products events, and company meetings as business needs require. Qualifications Education Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field preferred. Experience Minimum 5+ years of experience in Business Development, National Account Management, Channel Development, Strategic Sales, Consumer Products, Manufacturing, Retail Sales, Wholesale Sales, or Promotional Products. Proven success developing new business and opening strategic accounts. Experience managing retail, wholesale, distributor, and promotional product channels. Demonstrated success with private label manufacturing, branded merchandise, and product commercialization. Experience leading retail sell-in presentations and national account development. Skills Hunter mentality with a proven ability to generate new business. Promotional products industry experience (PPAI, ASI, SAGE) strongly preferred. Strong negotiation and commercial business acumen. Executive-level presentation and communication skills. Excellent relationship-building and networking abilities. Ability to manage complex sales cycles from prospecting through closing. Strong analytical, organizational, and strategic planning skills. Experience with CRM systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, or similar. Understanding of global sourcing, manufacturing, and supply chain operations. Preferred Qualifications Experience within the drinkware, hydration products, consumer goods, promotional products, or private label manufacturing industries. Existing relationships with retail buyers, wholesalers, distributors, brokers, promotional product suppliers, and strategic consumer brands. Active experience working with ASI, PPAI, SAGE, or other promotional products organizations. Experience selling into Costco, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Sam's Club, Whole Foods, Kroger, Dick's Sporting Goods, REI, and other national retail accounts. Experience attending and representing companies at ASI Shows, PPAI Expo, retailer meetings, and national trade shows. Ability to work independently while collaborating with cross-functional global teams. English required; additional languages are a plus. #J-18808-Ljbffr