Sales Development Representative

Carlstadt, NJ Full-Time Reports to: Director of Brands Salary: $70,000 Since 1983, Paris Gourmet has sourced and delivered the world's finest specialty foods to professional chefs, starting with one founder's simple realization that talented chefs deserved better access to gourmet ingredients. Today, we're one of America's leading specialty food suppliers, offering more than 20 proprietary brands across pastry, chocolate, beverage, gelato, bread, dairy, and savory categories, delivered nationwide through a network of 100+ independent distributors. Everything we do is in service of the chefs and culinary professionals who trust us to fuel their craft. We're looking for a Sales Development Representative (SDR) who can confidently own outbound and inbound prospecting, qualify high-fit leads, and set our sales team up for success. What You'll Do The Sales Development Representative (SDR) is responsible for identifying, engaging, and qualifying high-fit prospects such as chefs, foodservice operators, retailers, and potential distributor partners, and running first-conversation discovery calls before handing off sales-ready opportunities to our Sales teams. This role owns the top of the sales funnel and make sure every lead generated through digital campaigns, trade shows, and referrals is well-qualified before it reaches the field. Metrics for success will include outbound activity, qualified leads generated, and conversion to qualified meetings for our sales team. Responsibilities Identify and Qualify High-Fit Prospects Respond to and qualify inbound leads generated by marketing campaigns, website inquiries, trade shows, and referrals Proactively source and engage outbound prospects (chefs, foodservice operators, retailers, and potential distributor partners) who align with Paris Gourmet's ideal customer profile Research accounts and contacts to assess fit, purchasing potential, and timing Clearly disqualify low-fit opportunities to protect the sales team's time and focus Run Discovery Lead initial conversations to uncover a prospect's needs, current suppliers, menu or product goals, and buying process Ask thoughtful, consultative questions about culinary needs, volume, and distribution channels Clearly communicate Paris Gourmet's value, including product quality, reliability, and the breadth of our proprietary brand portfolio, and recommend next steps Determine when a prospect is ready to advance to a Sales Team or the Director of Brands Document call notes and turn qualified conversations into tracked opportunities in the CRM CRM and Pipeline Management Maintain clean, accurate CRM records and detailed call notes (HubSpot experience a plus) Use CRM tools (tasks, sequences, reporting, etc.) to manage daily outreach activity Partner with the marketing team to improve lead flow, campaign feedback, and conversion rates Follow and help refine SDR processes as the sales team evolves Collaborate with the Sales Team Provide clear, thorough handoffs with context and qualification insights to sales teams and the Director of Brands Align with the sales team on ideal customer profile, messaging, and qualification standards Participate in feedback loops to continuously improve lead quality and consistency Support overall pipeline health across our distributor network Own the Outreach System Execute consistent, professional inbound and outbound outreach across phone, email, and LinkedIn Test and optimize messaging for different segments — chefs, foodservice operators, distributors, and retail buyers Maintain relationships through outreach sequences, templates, and follow-up cadences from first-touch to confirming that purchases occurred Identify gaps and opportunities in outreach performance and bring ideas to the team Qualifications To excel in this role, you should possess the following qualifications: 1–3 years of experience in sales development, inside sales, or a similar prospecting role (food and beverage distribution experience a plus) Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to speak confidently about product quality and culinary applications Comfort running discovery calls and asking business-level questions Experience with a CRM platform (HubSpot experience preferred) Organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing a high volume of outreach Coachable, curious, and eager to grow with the company A genuine interest in food, culinary trends, and the specialty food industry is a plus Where Exceptional Cuisine Begins — Our Values Everything we do is in service of the chefs and culinary professionals who trust us to deliver quality, reliability, and support for their craft. We show up with: Quality Without Compromise — we source and stand behind the finest specialty products in the world Reliability Chefs Can Count On — a kitchen only runs when its ingredients show up on time Support for the Craft — our team of chef technicians and specialists exists to help our customers innovate Long-Term Relationships — we've grown for over 40 years by treating distributors, customers, and each other like partners, not transactions Benefits and Perks Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance 401(k) Plan Paid Vacation Paid Holidays Where You'll Work Paris Gourmet is headquartered in Carlstadt, NJ, where our team works closely with our chef technicians, purchasing, and warehouse teams to keep our distributor network stocked and supported. This role is only available on-site in our East Rutherford, NJ offices. #J-18808-Ljbffr Paris Gourmet Inc.