Director of Business Development

Mueller Yurgae Associates•Grimes, IA

About The Position

The Director of Business Development drives strategic growth across Mueller Yurgae Associates (MYA) by identifying, evaluating, and securing new client partnerships and expanding opportunities within the existing client portfolio. The role is the central point of coordination and gatekeeper for prospective clients, assessing strategic fit, available white space, potential conflicts, financial value, and alignment with MYA’s capabilities. The Director works with Executive Leadership, divisional leaders, Finance, and other internal teams to evaluate, contract, onboard, and transition new clients. The position emphasizes growth in the Grocery channel while maintaining a companywide perspective across MYA’s divisions, channels, and service capabilities. The Director leads new-business development, including pipeline management, presentations, proposals, RFPs, negotiations, and internal review and approval. The role also identifies expansion opportunities and risks across existing clients, coordinates cross-divisional growth, and builds senior-level client relationships. For approved prospects, the Director coordinates contract and financial review, documents commitments, establishes onboarding ownership and timelines, and remains engaged through the initial launch and transition. The position monitors CPG, grocery, retail, manufacturer, and competitive trends; provides Executive Leadership with visibility into pipeline activity, expansion opportunities, threats, and client risks; and represents MYA with clients, partners, manufacturers, retailers, industry organizations, and other stakeholders. The Director promotes growth that is consistent with profitability, operational capabilities, existing client relationships, and MYA’s long-term objectives.

Requirements

Significant experience in business development, sales leadership, client management, or strategic account management within the CPG, food brokerage, grocery, retail, or related industries.
Strong knowledge of the Grocery class of trade and relationships among manufacturers, brokers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.
Demonstrated success identifying, developing, negotiating, and securing new business.
Strong business and financial acumen, including the ability to evaluate the strategic and financial value of prospective opportunities.
Ability to evaluate category white space, client conflicts, market opportunities, and organizational capabilities.
Strong executive presence and excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to collaborate across divisions and functions and influence outcomes without relying solely on direct authority.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple opportunities and priorities simultaneously.
Willingness to travel as needed for client meetings, presentations, industry events, and internal meetings.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Sales, Management, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Identify, qualify, develop, and pursue new client opportunities across MYA.
Develop and maintain a strategic pipeline of prospective manufacturers and brands aligned with MYA’s capabilities, retailer relationships, geographic footprint, and growth strategy.
Serve as the primary gatekeeper for prospective clients and coordinate their internal review and approval.
Assess prospects for strategic fit, revenue potential, category and client white space, competitive conflicts, operational requirements, and overall value.
Lead capabilities presentations, proposals, RFPs, negotiations, and other new-business activities.
Partner with Executive and divisional leadership to prioritize opportunities with the greatest strategic and financial potential.
Assess the existing client portfolio for expansion into additional divisions, customers, channels, geographies, and services.
Identify white-space opportunities to broaden relationships and provide additional value to existing clients.
Coordinate cross-divisional growth opportunities to ensure a unified approach and clear ownership.
Build and strengthen senior-level relationships with strategic clients to support retention and long-term growth.
Identify potential client risks or service gaps and partner with leadership to strengthen at-risk relationships and protect existing business.
Own the transition of approved prospects from business development through formal client onboarding.
Work with Finance to review and obtain approval for contracts, commission structures, fees, financial terms, and other business requirements before onboarding.
Document commitments made during business development and transition them clearly to teams responsible for execution.
Coordinate onboarding with Finance, divisional leadership, Sales, Analytics, Marketing, Operations, Distribution, and other applicable teams.
Establish ownership, timelines, expectations, and communication for each new client.
Remain engaged through initial onboarding and transition to support a successful launch and client experience.
Monitor CPG, grocery, retail, manufacturer, and competitive trends for emerging opportunities and business risks.
Keep Executive Leadership informed about the new-business pipeline, client expansion opportunities, competitive threats, and significant client risks.
Represent MYA with prospective clients, existing strategic partners, manufacturers, retailers, industry organizations, and other key stakeholders.
Promote a companywide approach to business development that balances growth with profitability, operational capabilities, existing client relationships, and MYA’s long-term strategic objectives.