Senior Sales Manager (w/m/d) | Alternative Proteins

ProteinDistillery; Ruit; On-site; EUR 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentoring opportunities

Wellpass access to sports facilities

Corporate benefits and employee-disocv

Deutschlandticket subsidy

Job summary

ProteinDistillery is a fast-growing food-tech start-up aiming to revolutionize sustainable proteins. As Senior Sales Manager, you will own deals and lead international growth, shaping GTM execution with product leadership.

You will build relationships with customers and partners, negotiate joint ventures and distribution agreements, and mentor a small sales team while driving CRM-driven processes.

Qualifications

• Several years of sales or business development experience, preferably in food/ingredients.
• Proven track record of identifying, negotiating, and closing deals independently.
• Experience negotiating joint ventures, co-manufacturing, and distribution agreements.
• Experience managing key accounts, distributors, and contract manufacturers.
• Leadership or mentoring experience or strong leadership sense.

Responsibilities

• Drive and continuously optimize sales and communication strategy with product team.
• Build relationships with existing customers and unlock new business opportunities.
• Lead potential clients from first contact to contract signing.
• Shape partnerships with distributors and co-manufacturing partners.
• Position ProteinDistillery in food & feed markets and contribute to GTM strategy.
• Improve internal processes and workflows in CRM.
• Mentor junior sales and business development colleagues.
• Collaborate with product team and leadership to feed market knowledge into strategy.

Skills

Deal ownership

Leadership

Negotiation

Relationship building

CRM process optimization

Education

Business Administration degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM system

Job description

Your role

Join us in shaping the future of food!

ProteinDistillery is a fast-growing food-tech start-up on a mission to revolutionize the food industry with sustainable, highly functional proteins derived from brewer's yeast. As Senior Sales Manager, you take on a central role in scaling our commercial engine. You combine hands‑on deal ownership with early leadership responsibility, contributing directly to our international growth. This is a rare opportunity to shape Go-to-Market Execution and international expansion at a fast‑growing alternative proteins company from the ground up.

Your mission

As the Senior Sales Manager, you will be at the forefront of our growth journey. You will:

• Drive and continuously optimize our sales and communication strategy in close collaboration with the product team
• Build strong relationships with existing customers and actively unlock new business opportunities
• Guide potential clients independently from first contact to successful contract signing
• Contribute to shaping and negotiating partnerships with distributors, co-manufacturing partners, and key accounts
• Position ProteinDistillery within the food & feed market and help shape our Go-to-Market strategy
• Continuously improve internal processes and workflows in our CRM system
• Guide and mentor junior sales and business development colleagues in day‑to‑day work
• Work closely with the product team and leadership, feeding your market knowledge into corporate strategy

Your profile

Experience & Background

• Several years of experience in sales or business development, ideally within the food, feed, or ingredients industry
• Proven track record of independently identifying, negotiating, and closing deals
• Deep expertise in negotiating joint ventures, co-manufacturing agreements, and distribution partnerships
• Experience managing key accounts, distributors, and contract manufacturers
• Established network of decision‑makers in the food industry is a plus
• Initial leadership or mentoring experience, or a strong sense of leadership
• Degree in Business Administration or a comparable qualification

Leadership & Skills

• You identify, pursue, and close high‑value deals independently
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to inspire others
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a sharp eye for partnership opportunities

Languages

English and German (mandatory)

Full professional proficiency in additional languages (French, Spanish ect.) are a plus

Why ProteinDistillery?

• Regular team offsites & mentoring opportunities
• A young, dynamic team with a purpose-driven mindset
• Wellpass - access to thousands of sports and wellness facilities
• Corporate Benefits - exclusive employee discounts with numerous partners
• Individual Benefits such as subsidy for Deutschlandticket, fuel costs or vouchers

About Us

Welcome to ProteinDistillery

a revolutionary force in the food industry! At the forefront of the next generation of highly functional, eco-friendly proteins made from brewer's yeast, we are pioneering a movement to make sustainable foods the new norm. Our dynamic team of business innovators and passionate scientists are committed to challenge the status quo and transform the food industry on a daily basis.

Workspace and culture

We are building something big - in the next three to four years we want to build a global team, so culture and team spirit are particularly important to us, which we share in our welcoming offices in Ostfildern near Stuttgart and our production in Heilbronn.

A note on diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equal opportunities and value diversity. Our unifying element is alignment with ProteinDistillery's mission and core values. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, ages, genders and orientations.