Associate Director Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• At least 8 years of food service sales or commercial experience, including at least 3 years owning a food service channel or national accounts for an ingredient or food manufacturer.
• Demonstrated success growing food service revenue, with quantifiable results such as accounts won, distribution gained, or volume or revenue growth.
• An active network of food service brokers, broadline and specialty distributors, GPOs, and chain operators.
• Deep understanding of food service, including distributor and broker economics, program and deviated pricing, line reviews, pull-through, trade spend, and operator menu and purchasing decisions.
• Experience selling to culinary and purchasing decision-makers and leading tastings or menu ideation sessions alongside chefs.
• Experience building or relaunching a channel and willingness to work hands-on as a team of one while setting strategy and executing.
• Business acumen, including ability to build a channel plan, P&L, forecast, and investment case and present it to leadership.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• CRM experience, specifically HubSpot.
• Willingness to travel extensively, approximately 50%.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality, Culinary, Food Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Authorization to work in the United States; the company cannot sponsor employment visas.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with egg products, proteins, bakery ingredients, or other specialty or alternative ingredients in food service.
• Established relationships with key decision-makers at major food service operators, including Aramark and Compass Group, and leading broadline distributors.
• Experience launching a new or category-creating product into food service.
• Culinary training or a background working in professional kitchens.
• Experience in high-growth or startup environments where speed and adaptability are essential.
• Experience with K-12, college and university, or healthcare food service programs.
• Familiarity with sustainability and clean-label claims in food service menus.

Responsibilities

• Define the food service go-to-market strategy, including target segments, priority applications, route-to-market, pricing, and annual volume and revenue targets.
• Select, onboard, and manage food brokers, sales agencies, distributors, redistributors, GPOs, institutional caterers, and ordering platforms.
• Secure distributor listings, negotiate program and partner agreements, and drive product pull-through.
• Develop chain and multi-unit operator accounts by engaging culinary, R&D, purchasing, and leadership stakeholders; lead tastings, menu ideation, and product trials; and convert opportunities into menu adoption and recurring orders.
• Spend time in operator kitchens and at operator sites to gather feedback on product performance, cost-in-use, and workflow, and assess product-market fit and applications.
• Work with R&D, Applications, and Product to translate operator needs into food service formats, pack sizes, specifications, and documentation.
• Manage the channel pipeline, forecast, and budget; track sales, distributor depletions, and trade spend; and report progress to the CRO and leadership team.
• Develop the business case for channel staffing, marketing, sampling, and trade investment; recruit, lead, and develop the food service team as it grows.
• Represent EVERY at industry events, distributor food shows, and partner sales meetings, and train broker and distributor sales teams.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Quality/Regulatory, and Finance to deliver a seamless experience from sampling through on-time delivery.

Benefits

• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) matching.
• Stock options.
• Weekly catered lunches.
• FSA and HSA options.
• Commuter benefits.
• Pet care benefits.
• Additional life insurance.
• Flexible PTO.
• 10+ paid company holidays per year.
• Free parking.
• Unlimited gym access.
• Unlimited sparkling water, granola bars, snacks, local coffee, and tea.
• Themed happy hours and quarterly company outings.