Global Relationship Lead (GRL)

Lallemand; May (MO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Lallemand Baking is seeking a Global Relationship Lead to build and manage strategic, multinational customer partnerships. The role acts as senior advisor, coordinating with regional account teams and HQ to align customer needs with Lallemand's yeast and bakery ingredient solutions.

You will lead global key account planning, maintain executive-level contact, and drive profitable growth while ensuring food safety and compliance across regions.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of sales experience in managing global strategic key accounts and global teams, preferably in baking and baking ingredients.
• Track record in relationship building with large, complex strategic accounts and delivering sales results and growth.
• Experience operating within a global organization and understanding cultural differences across regions.
• Financial knowledge and ability to understand organizational financials.
• Fluent in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Develop, present, and approve a shared Strategic Global Key Account Plan with the three Business Units, then execute locally.
• Grow and maintain direct contact with global customers, focusing on solution selling and relationship management.
• Engage HQ and regional account teams to strengthen global alignment and communication.
• Ensure Lallemand participates in relevant supplier platforms at R&D and procurement levels.
• Coach regional teams to deliver on plans with technical, quality, marketing, and product development support.
• Prepare, monitor, and deliver monthly sales/status reports to Lallemand Baking leadership.
• Map key decision makers and stakeholders and align strategy with the key account plan.
• Facilitate collaboration between client and internal departments (sales, product management, tech support, regulatory, operations).
• Follow GMPs and safety procedures to ensure product safety, legality and quality.
• Be prepared to travel approximately 50%.

Skills

GRL/KAM experience

Global accounts

Relationship building

Travel 50%

Education

MBA

Technical degree

Tools

CRM/CDP

Job description

Main Functions

PURPOSE: The Global Relationship Lead (GRL) is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with customers at a global level and with senior decision‑making positions at their local operations. This involves acting as a senior‑level dedicated Lallemand point of contact who serves as a trusted advisor, ensuring client satisfaction, retention, and growth by understanding their needs and aligning them with the company's products and services. The GRL works to provide strategic insights and facilitate communication between the client and the internal key account teams to foster long‑term, profitable relationships.

For large, complex global customers operating across multiple regions with a mix of centralized coordination and local autonomy, the GRL helps Lallemand navigate the organization as one strategic relationship. The role connects regional opportunities and relationships, strengthens global alignment, and broadens the customer's perception of Lallemand from a traditional yeast supplier to a strategic partner providing both yeast and bakery ingredient solutions worldwide.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Develop, present, and approve a shared and aligned Strategic Global Key Account Plan with the three Business Units at Lallemand (LBS, NAB, EMEA), which is then executed locally.


• Grow and maintain direct and consistent contact with global customers, focusing on solution selling and customer relationship management.


• Cultivate strong relationships and interface with various levels with the customer organization.


• Develop rapport and excellent working relationships directly with HQ and via regional account teams throughout the customer's organizations.


• Ensure Lallemand's participation in relevant supplier platforms at R&D, and procurement levels.


• Challenge, coach, and support the regional teams to deliver on plans, including technical support, quality support, marketing support, product development support, sales support, and leadership support. Empowers these regional teams while aligning strategy with the overall key account plan. This includes revising the current key account structures and organization to enable the execution of this plan.


• Prepare, monitor, and deliver a monthly sales report/status report to leadership of Lallemand Baking. Be the liaison and customer voice of your key account(s) to Lallemand Baking.


• Deliver on identified sales growth goals at agreed‑upon margins and profitability, engaging the local key account teams.


• Obtain and record information about the customer regarding key contacts, production, competitor presence, and potential opportunities/threats. Proficiency with using a company CRM/CDP is essential.


• Know key account organization and map out key decision makers and functions needing influence (stakeholder map).


• Facilitate communication and collaboration between client and various internal departments, such as sales, product management, tech support, regulatory, operations, etc.


• Follow BMS-P-08-02-A01 GMPs and applicable BMS/DC and SITES Procedures and Instructions at all times to ensure product food safety, legality, and quality.


• Consider Food Safety and Health & Safety Standards in all decisions and operations to ensure full compliance.

Technical skills

Required

• Minimum 10 years of sales experience in managing global strategic key accounts and global team(s), preferably in baking and baking ingredients.


• Experienced track record with relationship building in large, complex strategic key accounts, and experienced in managing internal/external interfaces, delivering on sales results, and profitable growth.


• Experience with operating within a global organization, understanding different cultures of regions and ways of working within a global business.


• Financial knowledge/awareness, must understand the financials of an organization.


• Fluent in both English and Spanish

An asset

• Technical degree and/or business degree desired; MBA is a plus.

Personal abilities

Required

• Self‑starter and motivated individual with a proven track record of GRL/KAM and selling baking related products, technical products, or functional components.


• Ability to recognize and develop the strategic alignment between Lallemand and the Strategic Key Account.


• Problem‑solving skills, creative, flexible, and collaborative with an ability to work in a teamoriented environment.


• Offer strategic insights and guidance to clients based on market trends, regulatory changes, and the company's services to help them achieve their objectives.


• Skilled to identify opportunities for selling not only products but also services and total value to ensure the client is getting maximum value from their relationship with the company.


• Managing positive customer experiences.

General criteria

Required

• Location will be in NA, but flexible. Near a major airport with ease of travel to and from required.


• Available to travel approximately 50% of the time.

Organization

Lallemand is a privately held Canadian company founded in the late 19th century, which develops, produces, and markets microorganisms for various markets. The administrative offices of the parent company are in Montreal, Canada. Today, Lallemand employs more than 6,500 people working in more than 45 countries on 5 continents.

Lallemand Baking offers a range of superior quality baker's yeast – both fresh and dry varieties – and specialty ingredients to meet bakers' needs across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Baking cultures and dough conditioners round out our impressive product range.

The Lallemand baking team's many branches collaborate closely to provide innovative products and efficient services, backed by a skilled technical support team in each region of operations.

Please take note that accommodations will be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.