Director of Business Development, AI Transformation (Food & Beverage Distribution)

Zaigo builds AI software for real businesses. Not demos. Not slide decks. Actual tools that people use to run parts of their company. Many of our clients move physical goods: lots of shipments, lots of tracking, customers asking where their order is, and a lot of moving pieces held together by email and spreadsheets. That is exactly where AI saves real time and money. They are companies with 50 to 500 people, often family-owned, and most are a long way from Silicon Valley. We build the AI roadmap with them, then we build the whole thing. We are based in New York, with engineering teams in Eastern Europe and Latin America, and we are growing fast. We are hiring a Director of Business Development for food and beverage distributors, specialty food and coffee importers, produce and foodservice suppliers. A hunter who already knows this world, and who gets us in the room. What the work looks like You own new business in your industry. You find the companies that need us, get in front of the owner, and set up the first real conversation. From there one of our founders or Principals sells, scopes and builds the prototype. You stay close, keep the deal moving, and go find the next one. A normal week might include coffee with the owner of a specialty coffee importer, a walk through a food distributor's cold storage, an intro from a broker or a buyer who trusts you, and a follow-up that turns into a first call with the owner and the head of operations. You do not need to build anything. You do need to understand the work well enough that an owner takes you seriously. Who we are looking for A hunter. You create your own opportunities: the intro, the trade show, the association dinner, the phone call nobody else would make. You already sell to food and beverage distributors or importers, or into them: distribution or ERP software, packaging, freight, food safety, or services. You know the trade shows and association events where their owners spend time, and some of those owners take your call. You beat your number, consistently. Creative and relentless. When the front door is closed, you find another way in. Comfortable in a warehouse and in a boardroom. You use AI tools yourself and can talk about them plainly to an owner who does not care about the technology. Bonus points if you have sold for a smaller, scrappier company where you had to hunt for every deal, or if you have started something yourself. Who should not apply This is not an SDR role. If your plan is to buy a list and run email sequences, this is not the job. If you need inbound leads or a big marketing machine, it is probably not right either. We want someone who gets the first meeting the hard way, in person. Pay and location We are profitable and bootstrapped, so pay is a strong base salary plus commission and real performance bonuses. Anywhere in the US. Ideally you live close to the customers you sell to. This role requires authorization to work in the US. Full-time. Process A short application, then a 5-minute video introduction built around a real sales scenario in your industry. Then a call with Kyle, our co-founder, and a conversation with Pete, our other co-founder. We move quickly. If there is a fit, you will hear from us within days, not weeks.