Customer Development Specialist

Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc.•Itasca, IL

11d•$50,000 - $55,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Customer Development Specialist develops, manages, and grows relationships with existing and prospective customers. The role is the primary point of contact for inbound leads from marketing campaigns, website inquiries, distributor referrals, trade shows, and other customer engagement activities. The specialist identifies customer needs, qualifies opportunities, develops account growth strategies, and drives revenue through account management and business development. The role manages customer relationships throughout the sales cycle, from lead qualification and opportunity development through ongoing account support and growth. It works cross-functionally with Product Management, Marketing, R&D, Customer Service, Supply Chain, and Operations to deliver an exceptional customer experience. The position works primarily from the Itasca office, with the possibility of working remotely one day per week; after onboarding and training, employees are expected to work onsite at least four days per week. Occasional travel may be required.

Requirements

At least 2 years of experience in account management, business development, territory sales, inside sales, outside sales, customer development, customer success, or another revenue-generating customer-facing role.
Experience managing customer accounts and growing customer relationships.
Experience using Salesforce or a similar CRM platform.
Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to identify customer needs and recommend solutions.
Ability to conduct effective discovery conversations and qualify opportunities.
Ability to grow business within existing accounts while developing new opportunities.
Strong customer service mindset focused on long-term relationship development.
Ability to manage multiple customer requests, projects, and priorities simultaneously.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Experience achieving sales goals, revenue targets, or account growth objectives.
Ability to influence and communicate effectively with all levels of an organization.
Ability to travel up to 5%, including occasional overnight travel.

Nice To Haves

BA/BS in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Experience in food ingredients, foodservice, manufacturing, industrial products, distribution, or B2B sales environments.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain long-term strategic relationships with existing and prospective customers.
Manage and qualify inbound leads generated through marketing campaigns, website inquiries, trade shows, and other channels.
Conduct discovery conversations to understand customer needs, business objectives, challenges, and opportunities.
Identify and develop opportunities for customer growth, account expansion, cross-selling, and upselling.
Manage a portfolio of customer accounts and maintain regular customer engagement.
Proactively identify new business opportunities within assigned accounts and territories.
Achieve annual sales goals, revenue targets, and profit objectives.
Collaborate with Product Management, Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, and Customer Service teams.
Maintain accurate customer records, opportunities, activities, and follow-up plans in Salesforce.
Serve as a liaison between customers and internal teams.
Support customer product evaluations, trials, samples, and product recommendations.
Follow up on customer inquiries and ensure timely resolution of customer concerns.
Communicate customer opportunities, challenges, and feedback to appropriate internal stakeholders.
Maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.
Support forecasting, business planning, and account review activities.
Assist with sales, marketing, business development, and customer service initiatives.
Continuously develop knowledge of products, customers, market trends, and industry developments.
Perform other duties as assigned.