Director of Business Development - Illinois

Director of Business Development - Illinois #17599 Requisition Number 17599 Location Chicago Job Description DirectorofBusinessDevelopment–FoodServiceManagement BuildRelationships.CreateOpportunities.DriveGrowth. At WhitsonsCulinaryGroup ,we'reseekingadriven,strategic,andresults-orientedDirectorofBusinessDevelopmenttoaccelerategrowthwithinourFoodServiceManagementdivision. Thisisn'tyourtypicalsalesrole. We'relookingforaprovenbusinessdevelopmentprofessionalwhothrivesoncreatingnewopportunities,buildinginfluentialrelationships,andturningcomplexsalesopportunitiesintolong-termpartnerships. Ifyou'repassionateaboutdrivingnewbusiness,engagingexecutive-leveldecisionmakers,andwinningmeaningfulcontracts,wewanttohearfromyou! TheOpportunity Inthisrole,you'llleadstrategicbusinessdevelopmentinitiatives,expandourmarketpresence,andsecurenewfoodservicemanagementpartnerships. You'llownthefullsaleslifecycle,fromidentifyingopportunitiesandbuildingrelationshipstodevelopingproposals,negotiatingcontracts,anddrivingprofitablegrowth. WhatYou'llDo DriveNewBusiness: Developandexecutestrategiestoidentify,pursue,andsecurenewfoodservicemanagementcontracts. BuildStrategicRelationships: EngageC-suiteexecutives,schooladministrators,healthcareleaders,procurementprofessionals,andotherkeydecision-makers. IdentifyOpportunitiesEarly: Leveragemarketintelligence,networking,andproactiveoutreachtouncoverpotentialcontracts,upcomingRFPs,andnewmarketopportunities. LeadtheSalesProcess: Managecomplex,multi-yearsalesopportunities,includingpresentations,proposals,competitivebidding,andcontractnegotiations. CollaborateAcrossTeams: PartnerwithOperations,Finance,Culinary,Marketing,andexecutiveleadershiptodevelopcustomized,financiallysoundsolutions. DeliverResults: Buildandmaintainastrongsalespipeline,achieverevenuetargets,anddrivesustainable,profitablegrowth. WhatWe'reLookingFor 5+yearsofsuccessfulB2Bbusinessdevelopmentorcontractsalesexperiencewithinfoodservicemanagement. Provensuccessgeneratingnewbusinessandsecuringcomplex,multi-yearcontracts. Experienceinfoodservicemanagement,contractdining,K-12,highereducation,healthcare,seniorliving,orrelatedoutsourced-servicesindustries. StrongunderstandingofRFPprocesses,contractnegotiations,pricing,andfinancialmodels. Exceptionalrelationship-building,prospecting,presentation,andnegotiationskills. Abilitytomanagelongsalescycleswhileconsistentlydevelopingnewopportunities. StrongCRMandpipelinemanagementexperience. Bachelor'sdegreeinBusiness,Sales,Marketing,Hospitality,orarelatedfieldrequired;MBApreferred. Willingnesstotravelupto50%. TheMindsetWe'reLookingFor Youdon'twaitforopportunities.Youcreatethem. You'recompetitive,curious,persistent,andconfidentbuildingrelationshipsfromthegroundup.Youknowhowtoidentifyopportunitiesbeforetheyreachtheformalbiddingprocess,understandcustomerchallenges,andpositionyourorganizationtowin. Mostimportantly,you'remotivatedbyresultsandtakeprideinbuildingpartnershipsthatdeliverlastingvalue. ReadytoMakeanImpact? JoinWhitsonsCulinaryGroupandplayakeyroleinshapingthefutureofourFoodServiceManagementbusiness. This role offers a salary range of $100,000 – $175,000 annually, based on skills, experience, and location. Employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, and time off. Requirements REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES Education A bachelor’s degree in business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality or a related field is required. MBA preferred. Experience 5+ years of successful B2B business development or contract sales experience within food service management. Experience in food service management, contract dining, K-12, higher education, healthcare, behavioral health, senior living, residential services, hospitality, facilities management, or another outsourced-services industry strongly preferred. Demonstrated success developing and closing complex, multi-year contracts. Experience working with RFPs and formal procurement processes. Strong executive-level presentation and negotiation skills. Ability to understand financial models, pricing, margins, labor assumptions, food costs, and contract structures. Strong prospecting and relationship-development skills. Ability to manage a long and complex sales cycle while continuously building future pipeline. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong CRM discipline and accountability for pipeline activity. Core Competencies Strategic Business Development & Revenue Growth – Drives revenue through long-range sales strategies, new business acquisition, strategic partnerships, and expansion across food service sectors. Customer & Account Management – Builds influential relationships with partners to drive retention, profitability, and long-term value. Data-Driven Category Strategy – Leverages syndicated data and market insights to inform fact-based selling, category growth strategies, and innovation opportunities. Executive Communication & Negotiation – Leads complex negotiations and communicates with clarity and confidence across senior internal and external stakeholders. Technical Skills Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Familiarity with CRM platforms for pipeline management and reporting. WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER DETAILS Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time exempt position. Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with flexibility required to meet the demands of a sales leadership role. Extended hours, evenings, or weekends may be necessary during peak business cycles or travel periods. Travel Requirements: Up to 50% travel is required to support regional operations, customer engagement, trade events, and leadership meetings. Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the team member is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear; use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus Work Environment: The work is performed primarily in a company or home-office setting. The noise level in the company work environment is moderate. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work and duties that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duty does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, or a logical assignment to the position, and the Company reserves the right to add additional duties or modify existing duties. Work Schedule Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Salary Target $100,000 – $175,000 EEO is the Law #J-18808-Ljbffr