Director of Business Development - Texas

Whitsons Culinary Group•Dallas, TX

23h•$100,000 - $175,000

About The Position

Whitsons Culinary Group is seeking a strategic, results-oriented Director of Business Development to accelerate growth in its Food Service Management division. The role leads business development initiatives, expands market presence, and secures new food service management partnerships. The position owns the full sales lifecycle, from identifying opportunities and developing relationships through proposals, competitive bidding, contract negotiations, and profitable growth. It works across Operations, Finance, Culinary, Marketing, and executive leadership to develop customized, financially sound solutions, while building a strong pipeline and achieving revenue targets. This is a full-time exempt position with standard Monday–Friday hours of 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; flexibility and extended hours, evenings, or weekends may be needed during peak business cycles or travel periods. Up to 50% travel is required. The work is performed primarily in a company or home-office setting with a moderate noise level in the company environment. The role frequently requires sitting, standing, walking, talking, hearing, handling objects or controls, and reaching; occasional lifting or moving of up to 25 pounds is required.

Requirements

At least 5 years of successful B2B business development or contract sales experience within food service management.
Demonstrated success generating new business and developing and closing complex, multi-year contracts.
Experience working with RFPs and formal procurement processes.
Strong understanding of contract negotiations, pricing, margins, labor assumptions, food costs, financial models, and contract structures.
Strong executive-level presentation and negotiation skills.
Excellent prospecting, relationship-development, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage long and complex sales cycles while continuously developing future pipeline.
Strong CRM discipline and experience with pipeline management, reporting, and accountability for pipeline activity.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, or a related field.
Willingness to travel up to 50%.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

MBA.
Experience in contract dining, K-12, higher education, healthcare, behavioral health, senior living, residential services, hospitality, facilities management, or another outsourced-services industry.
Familiarity with CRM platforms for pipeline management and reporting.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategies to identify, pursue, and secure new food service management contracts.
Build strategic relationships with C-suite executives, school administrators, healthcare leaders, procurement professionals, and other decision-makers.
Use market intelligence, networking, and proactive outreach to identify potential contracts, upcoming RFPs, and new market opportunities.
Manage complex, multi-year sales opportunities, including presentations, proposals, competitive bidding, and contract negotiations.
Collaborate with Operations, Finance, Culinary, Marketing, and executive leadership to develop customized, financially sound solutions.
Build and maintain a strong sales pipeline, achieve revenue targets, and drive sustainable, profitable growth.
Develop strategic partnerships and expansion opportunities across food service sectors.
Use syndicated data and market insights to inform fact-based selling, category growth strategies, and innovation opportunities.
Build partner relationships that support retention, profitability, and long-term value.