Grocery Business Development Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The Grocery Business Development Manager is TGF's primary new-business hunter in the grocery channel. This role owns the full acquisition process: identifying high-value targets, creating access, building buyer relationships, leading persuasive customer presentations, programs and guiding newly won customers through commercialization and first shipment.

The right person is commercially sharp, persistent without being transactional and excited by the challenge of turning white space into revenue. You understand that great selling starts with curiosity and preparation. You can connect retailer needs to the right mix of consumer insight, category opportunity, innovation and operational credibility.
Key Responsibilities

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

Prospecting and New Account Acquisition

• Build and execute a focused target-account strategy across regional and national grocery retailers.
• Create a consistent flow of qualified opportunities through direct outreach, industry relationships, brokers, trade events, referrals and disciplined follow-up.
• Map decision makers and influencers within priority accounts and develop thoughtful entry strategies for each retailer.
• Secure first meetings, line reviews, innovation presentations and new-item discussions with grocery buyers and merchandising leaders.
• Own day-to-day from initial contact through commercial agreement, item authorization and launch commitment.
• Maintain a healthy, stage-based pipeline in HubSpot with clear next steps, values, probabilities and timing.

Strategic Selling and Retailer Solutions

• Develop retailer-specific selling stories that connect TGF capabilities to the customer's strategy, shopper and category needs.
• Identify white-space opportunities across Henrietta Said, private label, bulk, seasonal programs and custom manufactured mixes.
• Use category data, competitive intelligence and consumer trends to build credible, financially sound recommendations.
• Along with VP, lead customer presentations, proposals, product tastings and negotiations with confidence and executive presence.
• Build programs that create value for both the retailer and TGF, with clear attention to margin, trade investment, volume and operational feasibility.

Broker Leadership

• Recruit, onboard and direct grocery brokers in priority markets where they strengthen access and execution.
• Set specific expectations for prospecting activity, customer introductions, pipeline creation and presentation quality.
• Use brokers as force multipliers while retaining personal ownership of strategy, relationships and closing the business.
• Evaluate broker performance and make changes when results or accountability do not meet expectations.

Commercialization and Handoff

• Partner with Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance and Customer Success to translate customer opportunities into launch-ready programs.
• Lead the internal and external commercialization process for newly won business, including assortment, packaging, forecast and timing alignment.
• Remain accountable through first shipment and initial launch stabilization.
• Complete a deliberate day-to-day handoff to the Retail Business Manager once the account is established, ensuring customer commitments, contacts, forecasts and future opportunities are clearly documented.
• Use CRM, BI tools, and pipeline analytics to track performance, forecast new business, and report results to leadership.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

WHO YOU ARE

You do not wait for a perfect lead list or a warm introduction. You create momentum. You are energized by prospecting, resilient through long sales cycles and comfortable hearing no without losing your confidence or curiosity. You know how to earn access, uncover the real business need and move a complex opportunity forward.

• A true hunter who prefers opening new accounts to maintaining mature ones.
• A strategic seller who can turn TGF capabilities into a compelling customer-specific growth story.
• Commercially minded and comfortable discussing margin, trade spend, pricing and customer economics.
• Highly organized, self-directed and disciplined with CRM and pipeline management.
• Collaborative enough to bring the full company behind an opportunity, yet accountable enough to own the result.
• Confident with senior customers, humble with teammates and willing to do the detailed work required to win.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Five or more years of grocery retail business development experience within food, snacks, CPG or manufacturing.
• Demonstrated record of personally acquiring new regional or national grocery customers.
• Experience selling directly to buyers, category managers, merchandising leaders and other senior retail decision makers.
• Experience with branded, private-label and/or custom-manufactured product programs.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, financial and written communication skills.
• Experience recruiting and managing grocery brokers.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms, BI tools, Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Ability to travel up to approximately 30%, including customer visits, broker meetings, trade shows and TGF facilities.

WHY TOP PERFORMERS JOIN TGF

You can build something. This is a newly dedicated growth role with meaningful white space, clear expectations and room to shape how we win.

You will be close to the decisions. You will work directly with the Vice President of Sales & Marketing and collaborate with leaders across Marketing, R&D, Operations and Supply Chain.


You can influence innovation. Your customer insight will help determine which products, formats, retailer exclusives and capabilities we prioritize.

You will have real capabilities behind you. TGF combines entrepreneurial speed with established manufacturing, operational depth and a broad snack portfolio.


Your impact will be visible. The accounts you open and programs you create will directly influence the next phase of TGF growth.


You can grow with the business. Strong performance creates the opportunity to take on larger strategic responsibilities as our retail organization expands.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

This role is TGF’s primary new business hunter in the grocery channel. The Grocery Business Development Manager operates with significant autonomy in prospecting and pipeline management, reporting results and escalating strategic partnership decisions to the VP of Sales & Marketing.

This job will have access to confidential data including pricing, margin, trade investment, and customer pipeline information. Ability to handle sensitive commercial information with discretion is required.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Hunter mentality, energized by prospecting, pipeline building, and winning new business.
• Strong strategic selling skills, including senior-level relationship development and consultative selling.
• Proven broker management experience with the ability to recruit, develop, and hold partners accountable.
• Financial acumen includes trade spend management and new account P&L analysis.
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills.
• Proficient in CRM platforms (Hubspot preferred), BI tools, distributor portals, Nielsen data and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Organized and self-directed; thrives in a role with significant autonomy and accountability.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years of grocery retail business development experience within CPG or food manufacturing.
• Demonstrated track record of acquiring new retail customers and growing distribution.
• Experience calling on regional and/or national grocery retailers.
• Experience recruiting and managing broker partners in the grocery channel.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in snack, bulk, or better-for-you food categories.
• Existing relationships with regional and national grocery retailers.
• Experience with private label and manufactured product sales alongside branded programs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods, use hands to operate a computer, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work is primarily performed in Charlotte office with occasional trade travel and customer visits.
• The noise level in the typical work environment is usually moderate.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

• Up to 30% travel required, including customer visits, broker meetings, trade shows, and industry events.

Benefits

• Affordable healthcare (medical/dental/vision)
• Opportunity to participate in the Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Short Term Disability Insurance paid by the company
• Basic life Insurance equals to your annual salary paid by the company
• Employee Assistance Program – paid by the company
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• The opportunity to purchase additional voluntary insurance coverage for:
• Life Insurance
• Accident
• Whole Life
• Prepaid Legal
• PTO (Paid Time Off)
• 9 Paid Holidays per year
• 401-k Plan (eligible after 6 months of employment)