Director of Business Development

Whitsons Culinary Group; Florida; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Whitsons Culinary Group is seeking a Director of Business Development in Florida to drive growth in our Food Service Management division. You will own the full sales lifecycle—from identifying opportunities and building relationships to proposals, negotiations, and profitable growth.

This role requires strong strategic thinking, executive engagement, and a track record of closing multi-year contracts. You will collaborate across Operations, Finance, Culinary, Marketing, and leadership to deliver

Qualifications

• 5+ years of B2B business development or contract sales experience in food service management.
• Experience with RFPs, contract negotiations, pricing, and financial modeling.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue new food service management contracts.
• Lead proposals, bids, and negotiations with clients.
• Engage C-suite and procurement teams to win opportunities.
• Collaborate with Operations and Finance to craft financially sound solutions.

Skills

B2B BD

Sales cycle mgmt

Relationship building

Contract negotiations

CRM experience

Market analysis

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Sales/Marketing/Hospitality

MBA preferred

Tools

CRM (Salesforce)

MS Office Suite

MS Excel

Job description

Director of Business Development – Food Service Management: Florida

Build Relationships. Create Opportunities. Drive Growth.

At Whitsons Culinary Group, we're seeking a driven, strategic, and results-oriented Director of Business Development to accelerate growth within our Food Service Management division.

This isn't your typical sales role.

We're looking for a proven business development professional who thrives on creating new opportunities, building influential relationships, and turning complex sales opportunities into long-term partnerships.

If you're passionate about driving new business, engaging executive-level decisionmakers, and winning meaningful contracts, we want to hear from you!

The Opportunity

In this role, you'll lead strategic business development initiatives, expand our market presence, and secure new food service management partnerships.

You'll own the full sales lifecycle, from identifying opportunities and building relationships to developing proposals, negotiating contracts, and driving profitable growth.

What You'll Do

• Drive New Business: Develop and execute strategies to identify, pursue, and secure new food service management contracts.
• Build Strategic Relationships: Engage C-suite executives, school administrators, healthcare leaders, procurement professionals, and other key decision-makers.
• Identify Opportunities Early: Leverage market intelligence, networking, and proactive outreach to uncover potential contracts, upcoming RFPs, and new market opportunities.
• Lead the Sales Process: Manage complex, multi-year sales opportunities, including presentations, proposals, competitive bidding, and contract negotiations.
• Collaborate Across Teams: Partner with Operations, Finance, Culinary, Marketing, and executive leadership to develop customized, financially sound solutions.
• Deliver Results: Build and maintain a strong sales pipeline, achieve revenue targets, and drive sustainable, profitable growth.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of successful B2B business development or contract sales experience within food service management.
• Proven success generating new business and securing complex, multi-year contracts.
• Experience in food service management, contract dining, K-12, higher education, healthcare, senior living, or related outsourced-services industries.
• Strong understanding of RFP processes, contract negotiations, pricing, and financial models.
• Exceptional relationship-building, prospecting, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage long sales cycles while consistently developing new opportunities.
• Strong CRM and pipeline management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, or a related field required; MBA preferred.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

The Mindset We're Looking For

You don't wait for opportunities. You create them.

You're competitive, curious, persistent, and confident building relationships from the ground up. You know how to identify opportunities before they reach the formal bidding process, understand customer challenges, and position your organization to win.

Most importantly, you're motivated by results and take pride in building partnerships that deliver lasting value.

Ready to Make an Impact?

Join Whitsons Culinary Group and play a key role in shaping the future of our Food Service Management business.

If you have the strategic mindset, relationship-building expertise, and proven track record to drive new business growth, we'd love to connect with you!