Director of Business Development US

Food Impact Partners; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Food Impact Partners is seeking a Director of Business Development to establish and scale its US commercial presence. This is the first senior US hire, reporting to the Co-Founder and CEO.

You will build the market from the ground up, opening doors through your network and guiding opportunities from first conversations to product development and launch. The role is hands-on and autonomous, working with challenger brands and major accounts.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in strategic sales, business development or partnerships within food ingredients, CPG, food industries.
• Strong track record of selling functional, nutritional or specialty ingredients to US B2B companies.
• Experience commercialising technical or science-led products, with the ability to translate science to commercial propositions.
• Experience in entrepreneurial, early-stage or high-growth businesses, building without a US inbound pipeline.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement at senior levels.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the US B2B commercial strategy across food, beverages, supplements, health and wellness.
• Lead the full commercial cycle from prospecting through product trials, negotiation, launch and account growth.
• Build a high-quality sales pipeline through your network of brands, manufacturers, product developers and R&D leaders.
• Translate microbiome science and clinical evidence into clear commercial propositions.
• Work consultatively with customers to identify products, formats, inclusion levels and consumer propositions.
• Develop partnerships with challenger brands and multinational businesses.
• Identify opportunities for joint research and evidence-backed health claims.
• Represent the client at customer meetings, industry events and conferences across the US.
• Provide market intelligence to leadership and science teams, including feedback and competitor developments.

Skills

Strategic sales experience

Partnership development

US market knowledge

Job description

Food Impact Partners is working with a pioneering, science-led nutrition company developing a new approach to gut health.

Built on more than a decade of microbiome research, they have developed precision, patent-protected fibre blends designed to work across different microbiomes. Their formulations support the production of short-chain fatty acids, the beneficial substances created when gut bacteria ferment prebiotic fibre.

Their blends are clinically researched, gentle on sensitive digestive systems and designed to integrate into food, beverages and supplements without materially changing taste or texture.

Having established a successful direct-to-consumer business in the UK and demonstrated the potential of their ingredients through international commercial partnerships, they are entering their next stage of growth.

Following a recent Series A investment, their ambition is to bring clinically supported precision fibre to everyday products across the US food, beverage and wellness markets.

About the Business Development Director opportunity

The US represents the company’s largest B2B growth opportunity. They are hiring a Director of Business Development to establish and scale their commercial presence in the market. This role reports to the Co-Founder and CEO.

This will be their first senior commercial hire in the US. You will build the market from the ground up... opening doors through your existing network, generating new opportunities and taking partnerships from initial conversations through product development and commercial launch.

This is a hands-on individual contributor role for someone who enjoys building, selling and operating with significant autonomy. You will work with challenger brands capable of launching quickly, as well as larger strategic accounts with longer development cycles.

As their eyes and ears in the US, you will help shape how they approach the market. Customer insights will inform their positioning, scientific programme, product development and future US capabilities.

What you'll do

• Develop and execute the client’s US B2B commercial strategy across food, beverages, supplements, health and wellness.
• Lead the full commercial cycle, from prospecting and qualification through product trials, negotiation, launch and account growth.
• Build a high-quality sales pipeline through your network of brands, manufacturers, product developers, R&D leaders and commercial decision-makers.
• Translate the client’s microbiome science, clinical evidence into clear commercial propositions.
• Work consultatively with customers to identify suitable products, formats, inclusion levels and consumer propositions.
• Develop partnerships with emerging challenger brands and established multinational businesses.
• Identify opportunities for joint research, customer-specific studies and evidence-backed health claims.
• Represent the client at customer meetings, industry events and conferences across the US.
• Provide market intelligence to the client’s leadership and science teams, including customer feedback, competitive developments and potential research priorities.
• Help shape the client’s future US infrastructure, including local manufacturing, technical support, supply chain capabilities and team development.

What we're looking for

• 15+ years of experience in strategic sales, business development or partnerships within food ingredients, CPG, food industries.
• Strong track record of selling functional, nutritional or specialty ingredients to B2B companies in the US. Ability to build relationships from scratch, close complex partnerships and drive revenue growth.
• Experience commercialising technical or science-led products, with the ability to
• Experience working in entrepreneurial, early-stage or high-growth businesses.
• The ability to build without an established US team or inbound pipeline.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to operate under pressure and high personal accountability
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including senior-level stakeholder engagement
• Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills, with experience working across diverse internal and external stakeholders

Experience in prebiotic fibre, microbiome science, branded ingredients or clinically supported health claims would be advantageous but is not essential.