Business Development Manager – Fresh Food

Elk Recruitment; Connacht; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Elk Recruitment is seeking a Business Development Manager – Fresh Food to cover the Connacht region, based in Ballinasloe, Ireland. The role focuses on growing existing accounts, securing new business, increasing product distribution and building strong relationships with customers across retail, convenience, and foodservice channels.

You will plan structured territory activities, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive sustainable sales growth while delivering excellent customer

Qualifications

• A degree or relevant qualification in Business, Sales, Marketing or a related discipline is desirable.
• Ideally 5+ years' experience in food sales, FMCG or a related commercial environment.
• Proven track record of developing existing accounts and generating new business.
• Experience within retail, convenience and/or foodservice would be advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and key decision-makers.
• Strong negotiation, communication and presentation skills.
• The ability to independently manage and develop a large geographical sales territory.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and general sales/reporting systems.
• A full clean driving licence.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop sales across the Connacht region and agreed adjoining territories.
• Develop and implement a structured territory sales plan to deliver agreed sales, distribution and new-business targets.
• Maintain an effective and organised customer call cycle to ensure appropriate coverage of existing and prospective customers.
• Monitor territory performance and prioritise opportunities based on commercial potential.
• Work collaboratively with other Business Development Managers to ensure clear territory alignment, effective regional coverage and appropriate management of border areas.
• Develop strong, long-term relationships with existing customers and key decision-makers.
• Identify and secure new business opportunities across retail, convenience, foodservice and other relevant channels.
• Generate new leads and proactively engage with relevant decision-makers.
• Identify opportunities to increase existing product listings and introduce additional SKUs and product formats.
• Present new products, innovations and commercial opportunities to customers.
• Work closely with customers to understand their needs and opportunities for mutually beneficial growth.
• Agree and implement account-specific promotional activity where appropriate.
• Increase the distribution, visibility and availability of product portfolio across the territory.
• Support rollout of marketing/promotional initiatives at store level.
• Ensure pricing/promotions are implemented in locations.
• Maintain understanding of competitor activity and market trends.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Relationship management

Time management

Customer service

Education

Business, Sales, Marketing or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Sales reporting systems

Job description

Business Development Manager – Fresh Food (BH-6294)

Location Ballinasloe, Ireland Sector FMCG

Role: Business Development Manager – Fresh Food
Location: Connaught
About the Role
This is a field-based role focused on growing existing business, developing new customer accounts, increasing product distribution and strengthening long-term relationships across the assigned territory.
Main Purpose of the Role
The Business Development Manager will be responsible for delivering sustainable sales and distribution growth across the assigned territory.
Key areas of responsibility will include:

• Growing and developing existing customer accounts.
• Identifying, targeting and securing new business opportunities.
• Increasing product distribution, listings and visibility.
• Building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with customers and key decision-makers.
• Working collaboratively with the wider Business Development team to maximise opportunities across regional and territory boundaries.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities
Territory & Sales Management

• Manage and develop sales across the Connacht region and agreed adjoining territories.
• Develop and implement a structured territory sales plan to deliver agreed sales, distribution and new-business targets.
• Maintain an effective and organised customer call cycle to ensure appropriate coverage of existing and prospective customers.
• Monitor territory performance and prioritise opportunities based on commercial potential.
• Work collaboratively with other Business Development Managers to ensure clear territory alignment, effective regional coverage and appropriate management of border areas.

Business Development & Account Growth

• Develop strong, long-term relationships with existing customers and key decision-makers.
• Identify and secure new business opportunities across retail, convenience, foodservice and other relevant channels.
• Generate new leads and proactively engage with relevant decision-makers.
• Identify opportunities to increase existing product listings and introduce additional SKUs and product formats.
• Present new products, innovations and commercial opportunities to customers.
• Work closely with customers to understand their individual needs and identify opportunities for mutually beneficial growth.
• Agree and implement account-specific promotional activity where appropriate.

Product Distribution & Marketplace Execution

• Increase the distribution, visibility and availability of product portfolio across the territory.
• Support the successful rollout and execution of marketing and promotional initiatives at customer and store level.
• Ensure agreed product positioning, availability, pricing and promotional activity are effectively implemented within customer locations.
• Maintain a strong understanding of competitor activity, market trends, customer requirements and emerging commercial opportunities.

Customer & Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with Commercial, Marketing, NPD, Logistics, Production and Administration teams to ensure customer requirements are effectively managed.
• Assist with the resolution of customer queries and complaints, working with the relevant internal departments where required.
• Provide timely feedback from customers and the marketplace to support product development and wider commercial decision-making.
• Ensure agreed actions and opportunities are followed up within the required timelines.

Reporting & Performance

• Provide accurate and timely reporting on sales performance, customer activity, new business opportunities, account development and territory progress.
• Maintain accurate customer records and ensure relevant sales and business development information is kept up to date.
• Monitor progress against agreed targets and proactively identify actions required to maximise performance.

Professional Representation

• Represent the company professionally and positively when dealing with customers, prospects and other industry stakeholders.
• Attend customer meetings, trade shows, conferences and relevant industry events as required.

Qualifications & Experience
The ideal candidate will have:

• A degree or relevant qualification in Business, Sales, Marketing or a related discipline is desirable.
• Ideally 5+ years' experience in food sales, FMCG or a related commercial environment.
• A proven track record of developing existing accounts and generating new business.
• Experience within retail, convenience and/or foodservice would be advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and key decision-makers.
• Strong commercial awareness and a results-driven approach.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and presentation skills.
• The ability to independently manage and develop a large geographical sales territory.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise opportunities and manage multiple accounts effectively.
• Excellent customer service and relationship-management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and general sales/reporting systems.
• A full clean driving licence.