Market Development Manager - Hospitality

Office Depot • Signal Hill, CA

10h • $87,500 - $147,900

About The Position

The Market Development Manager develops and maintains go-to-market frameworks that drive consistent, scalable execution across the Hospitality vertical. The role works with regional leadership and coworkers to translate business priorities into go-to-market models, decision frameworks, sales processes, and execution standards that reflect Hospitality's unique dynamics while maintaining enterprise-level consistency, governance, and analytical rigor.

The position serves as the primary advisor on how the company grows within Hospitality and drives continuous process improvement across coverage, deal execution, and operational workflows in partnership with Sales. Working across Sales and Merchandising, the manager partners with vendors on seller recruitment, training, and enablement, and helps ensure the assortment reflects Hospitality's opportunities. Although the role has no direct people-management authority over the sales team, it is accountable for vertical performance outcomes through governance, enablement, and process improvement.

The manager owns Hospitality's vertical revenue and margin target, develops the vertical strategy and curated assortment approach, participates in qualifying deal-desk decisions, and co-designs the Hospitality component of field incentives. The role provides structured input on account assignments and coverage, leads quarterly business reviews and monthly pipeline check-ins, reports performance to senior leadership, and partners with Marketing and Product on vertical-specific offers, collateral, and campaigns. Travel may be required to support strategic pursuits, reviews, and regional leadership engagement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• At least 8 years of experience.
• Deep Hospitality-vertical sales or go-to-market experience, ideally in food service or hospitality distribution, or a comparable multi-unit, franchise, or managed-property buying environment.
• Demonstrated ability to drive results through influence in a matrixed organization, not solely through direct reports.
• Strong command of pricing, deal structuring, and sales incentive design.
• Track record of measurable revenue impact against a target.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of CRM tools such as Salesforce.com and sales or pipeline reporting platforms.
• Ability to interpret vertical performance data, including pipeline, win rate, and margin, to inform decisions.
• Executive presence and credibility with Regional VPs and senior sales leaders.
• Ability to lead through structured governance and process-improvement mechanisms without direct authority.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with key Hospitality accounts and partners.
• Strong communication and presentation skills for reporting performance and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate across Sales, Merchandising, Marketing, and Product.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
• Results-driven mindset and accountability for outcomes achieved through influence rather than authority.
• Comfort operating in a matrixed organization without direct reports.
• Ability to travel as needed to support strategic account pursuits, QBRs, and regional leadership engagement.

Nice To Haves

• A degree or field of study in Business, Sales, Hospitality Management, or a field relevant to Hospitality is preferred.
• Hospitality sales or go-to-market experience in food service or hospitality distribution, or a comparable multi-unit, franchise, or managed-property buying environment, is ideal.

Responsibilities

• Own the Hospitality vertical's revenue and margin target, achieving results through influence rather than direct management.
• Develop the Hospitality go-to-market strategy, including target segments, value propositions, and win themes.
• Serve as the enterprise subject-matter expert on Hospitality buying dynamics, including procurement, brand standards, franchise and management-company relationships, and the competitive landscape.
• Shape the curated assortment strategy for Hospitality and identify industry-specific promotions to reinforce the go-to-market strategy and drive growth.
• Participate in deal-desk reviews for qualifying Hospitality opportunities above a defined threshold, advising on pricing, scoping, and win strategies, with advisory sign-off on non-standard terms.
• Co-design the Hospitality component of the field incentive plan with Sales Compensation and Regional VPs, and recommend targeted campaigns within an agreed budget.
• Provide structured input on strategic Hospitality account assignments across regions and representatives.
• Maintain a prioritized target-account list, review coverage gaps with Regional VPs, and recommend named-account or white-space reassignments.
• Lead quarterly business reviews for the Hospitality vertical with Regional VPs and Sales leadership, covering pipeline, win rates, margin, and target attainment.
• Run monthly pipeline check-ins with field leaders and report the vertical's performance narrative to senior leadership as the single accountable voice.
• Partner with vendors to support seller recruitment, training, and enablement.
• Partner with Merchandising to align the assortment with Hospitality opportunities, and with Marketing and Product on vertical-specific offers, collateral, and campaigns.
• Join field representatives on strategic pursuits as an expert resource.
• Support the company's operational safety culture by working safely and addressing potential hazards or concerns.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Competitive salaries
• Benefits package
• Opportunities to move and grow within the organization
• Possible eligibility to participate in an incentive program, subject to the Incentive Plan terms and conditions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager