Food Service Manager

Manus; Augusta (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Manus is seeking a Food Service Sales Manager to drive business development and expand the adoption of stevia and monk fruit sweeteners across foodservice channels, including restaurants, hotels, and beverage chains.

The role requires deep knowledge of sweetener applications, cost-in-use economics, and sugar-reduction strategies. You will lead market expansion, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and manage key strategic accounts to achieve revenue growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in food science/technology, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field.
• Experience in food ingredients, sweeteners, or foodservice is preferred.
• Understanding of stevia, Reb M, monk fruit, and sweeteners including cost-in-use economics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales strategies to expand stevia and monk fruit adoption across foodservice customers and strategic accounts.
• Identify growth opportunities in beverage chains, QSRs, cafés, hotels, restaurants, and food service manufacturers.
• Build relationships with key decisionmakers, including chefs, menu developers, procurement teams, R&D professionals, and distributors.
• Drive new customer acquisition, account development, and revenue growth across targeted markets.
• Develop customer-specific value propositions based on dosage, sweetness equivalency, formulation costs, and total cost-in-use.
• Evaluate sweetener blends to optimize sweetness performance and formulation economics.
• Support pricing strategies, commercial negotiations, product positioning, and profitability objectives.
• Demonstrate benefits of stevia and monk fruit in taste, formulation flexibility, and cost-in-use advantages.
• Conduct product trials, tastings, demonstrations, and customer presentations to accelerate adoption.
• Monitor trends in sugar reduction and clean-label preferences for foodservice.
• Track competitor portfolios, customer adoption, market pricing, and opportunities.
• Identify regional opportunities for stevia and monk fruit solutions.

Skills

Business development

Market expansion

Negotiation skills

Customer relationships

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Manus works across industries and value chains to accelerate the transition to BioAlternatives - better performing and more sustainable versions of complex molecules traditionally sourced from plants, animals, or fossil fuels. Our platform is proven to work across scales, bridging the Valley of Death between lab and manufacturing more efficiently and more reliably to deliver the benefits of synthetic biology today.

The Food Service Sales Manager will drive business development, market penetration, and customer engagement for high-intensity sweeteners, with a primary focus on stevia (including Reb M) and monk fruit sweeteners. The role will focus on expanding applications across foodservice channels, including restaurants, cafés, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), hotels, catering, beverage chains, and institutional foodservice. The position requires a strong understanding of sweetener applications, customer needs, taste optimization, cost-in-use (CIU), and sugar-reduction strategies.

Why work at Manus:

• Opportunity – For motivated, results-oriented team members, our growth creates opportunities for personal and professional advancement.
• Accountability – You are given the resources you need to succeed and the freedom to make it happen; in return, we hold each other accountable for our high expectations.
• Passion – We love what we do and enjoy working with others who feel the same way. We embrace the challenge and hard work that comes with working on the cutting edge.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Market Expansion

• Develop and execute sales strategies to expand stevia and monk fruit adoption across foodservice customers and strategic accounts.
• Identify growth opportunities in beverage chains, QSRs, cafés, hotels, restaurants, and food service manufacturers.
• Build relationships with key decisionmakers, including chefs, menu developers, procurement teams, R&D professionals, and foodservice distributors.
• Drive new customer acquisition, account development, and revenue growth across targeted markets.
• Develop customer‑specific value propositions based on dosage, sweetness equivalency, formulation costs, and total cost‑in‑use.
• Evaluate sweetener blends and complementary high‑intensity sweeteners to optimize sweetness performance and overall formulation economics.
• Support pricing strategies, commercial negotiations, product positioning, and profitability objectives.
• Demonstrate the benefits of stevia and monk fruit sweeteners in terms of taste profile, formulation flexibility, and potential cost‑in‑use advantages.
• Conduct product trials, tastings, demonstrations, and customer presentations to accelerate adoption.
• Monitor trends in sugar reduction, clean‑label preferences, natural‑origin sweeteners, and evolving foodservice requirements.
• Track competitor portfolios, customer adoption, market pricing, and emerging application opportunities.
• Identify regional and category‑specific opportunities for stevia and monk fruit solutions.

4. Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with sales, marketing, R&D, regulatory, quality, and supply chain teams to deliver customer‑focused solutions.
• Coordinate product sampling, technical documentation, customer trials, and commercialization activities.
• Ensure proposed applications comply with applicable food regulations, labeling requirements, and customer specifications.

5. Business Performance & Account Management

• Develop annual business plans, sales forecasts, customer pipelines, and account growth strategies.
• Track key performance indicators, including revenue growth, gross margin, new customer acquisition, conversion rates, and volume growth.
• Maintain strong customer relationships to drive repeat business, long‑term partnerships, and portfolio expansion.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in food science/technology, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field.
• Relevant experience in food ingredients, sweeteners, foodservice, beverage solutions, or specialty ingredients.
• Understanding of stevia, Reb M, monk fruit, and sweeteners is required including taste profiles, application suitability, and cost‑in‑use economics.
• Experience working with QSRs, beverage chains, cafés, restaurants, foodservice distributors, or industrial food and beverage customers.
• Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, presentation capabilities, and customer relationship management skills.
• Ability to collaborate with technical teams and translate customer requirements into commercially viable solutions.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Revenue and volume growth for stevia and monk fruit sweeteners.
• New customer acquisition and strategic account penetration.
• Number of successful customer trials and commercial conversions.
• Growth in foodservice applications and customer adoption.
• Improvement in customer retention, profitability, and cost‑in‑use competitiveness.
• Development and commercialization of new sweetener‑based solutions.

Desired Outcome

Establish a strong foodservice business in high‑intensity sweeteners including stevia and monk fruit sweeteners by combining customer‑centric selling, application expertise, cost‑in‑use optimization, and strategic account development to accelerate sugar reduction and deliver sustainable commercial growth.