Business Development Manager

Layn Natural Ingredients; United States; On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Layn Natural Ingredients is looking for a highly driven Business Development Manager to spearhead growth in the Food Ingredient (Antioxidant) markets. This role requires a blend of strong commercial instincts, technical understanding, and disciplined project management.

The ideal candidate will have 3–8+ years of experience in ingredient sales, able to generate opportunities effectively and manage multiple projects simultaneously. A strong emphasis is placed on building and maintaining relationships while driving customer acquisition.

Qualifications

• 3–8+ years of experience in ingredient sales, business development, or technical sales.
• Experience in food ingredients (Antioxidants).
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Generate new business in the food ingredient industry.
• Follow up on leads from trade shows and convert to opportunities.
• Coordinate with internal teams for project management.
• Support existing customers and identify upsell opportunities.

Skills

Commercial drive

Prospecting ability

Project management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Tools

CRM software (Zoho preferred)

Job description

We are seeking a highly driven and results focused Business Development Manager to lead new business growth in the Food Ingredient (Antioxidant) markets. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong commercial instincts with disciplined project management and technical understanding.

The right person for this role:

• Knows how to hunt for business aggressively
• Follows through with discipline and urgency
• Understands technical products without overcomplicating sales
• Communicates clearly and professionally
• Thrives in a fast-paced growth environment
• Takes ownership and executes relentlessly

This is not a junior coordinator role. We need someone who can independently generate opportunities, move projects quickly through the pipeline, and convert leads into commercial sales.

Key Responsibilities1. Generate New Business (Primary Focus)

• Identify and target new customers food ingredient industry (antioxidants)
• Prospect through LinkedIn, email outreach, industry databases, networking, and events
• Schedule meetings and develop qualified opportunities
• Build, manage, and maintain an active sales pipeline
• Drive customer acquisition through consistent outbound activity

2. Trade Show & Lead Follow-Up

• Follow up with all trade show and event leads within 48–72 hours
• Convert leads into meetings, samples, trials, and projects
• Ensure no qualified opportunity is lost due to delayed follow-up

3. Opportunity & Project Management

• Coordinate internally with R&D, QA, operations, and supply chain teams
• Maintain accurate and timely CRM updates in Zoho
• Ensure fast, organized, and structured execution across all opportunities
• Monitor project timelines and proactively remove roadblocks

4. Key Account Support (20%)

• Support existing customers with ongoing projects and trials
• Follow up on samples, testing, and commercialization progress
• Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Strengthen customer relationships while supporting account growth
• Identify emerging applications and market opportunities
• Monitor industry trends including:
• Natural antioxidants
• Share competitive and market insights with leadership and technical teams

Qualifications & Experience

• 3–8+ years of experience in ingredient sales, business development, or technical sales
• Experience in food ingredients (Antioxidants)
• Strong commercial drive with proven prospecting ability
• Excellent organizational and follow-up skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Comfortable interacting with technical, R&D, procurement, and commercial teams
• CRM experience required (Zoho preferred)
• Trade show and industry event experience preferred