Business Development Manager National Account

Hickory Harvest Foods is seeking a Business Development Manager, National Accounts, to accelerate growth by winning new private-label and branded snack business. The role focuses on prospecting national and regional retailers and distributors, managing complex sales cycles through closing, and collaborating with leadership and internal teams to deliver customer solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Identify, prospect, and secure new private label and branded snack opportunities with national and regional retailers and distributors
• Utilize existing relationships within the private label/own-brand industry to open doors and develop new partnerships
• Develop opportunities across short-, mid-, and long-term sales cycles, including seasonal programs and national retail RFPs
• Pursue opportunities with major grocery, convenience, and specialty retail chains
• Manage opportunities from initial outreach and relationship development through presentations, negotiations, and closing
• Work directly with senior leadership, including the CEO, on strategic customer opportunities and major sales presentations
• Collaborate with Operations, Customer Service, Product Development, and other internal teams to deliver customer solutions
• Generate profitable new business and contribute directly to the company's aggressive growth objectives

Requirements:

• 3+ years of business development experience in private label or own-brand sales, including national customer experience
• Proven success prospecting, opening new accounts, and generating profitable new business
• Demonstrated ability to generate more than $2 million in annual new business
• Experience navigating complex sales cycles and building relationships with key retail decision-makers
• Strong negotiation, communication, presentation, and financial skills
• Bachelor's degree
• Established relationships with national or regional grocery, convenience, or specialty retailers
• Experience selling private label products within the CPG industry
• Knowledge of retail buying cycles, RFP processes, and category management
• A strong network of retail buyers and decision-makers
• Experience selling into accounts such as Kroger, Publix, H-E-B, Sprouts, Whole Foods, or similar retailers
• An entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to independently build and execute a new-business strategy
• Private label experience is especially important
• We're open to professionals from different product categories, not just food and snacks, provided they understand the private label business model and have demonstrated new-business success