Business Development Manager

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Robertet is the world's leading source of natural, sustainable, and organic ingredients and is one of the oldest fragrance and flavor companies in the world. Robertet is a world-renowned innovator in scent and taste with a global reach represented in over 50 countries, 14 manufacturing sites on 3 continents, 3 R&D innovation centers and 12 creative centers.

Robertet is the only fragrance, flavor and ingredient company fully integrated at each step of the creation process, from the source ingredient to the final fragrance and flavor. Founded in 1850 in Grasse, France, Robertet continues to be privately owned and managed by the fourth generation of family members. With a passion for and unparalleled understanding of naturals, together with boundless creativity and market insight, allows Robertet to provide their customers with world class innovation in scent and taste.

SUMMARY:

The Business Development Manager for the Chicagoland market is a pivotal role within our organization. This position encompasses the primary responsibility of overseeing the introduction, expansion, and delivery of new sales for our Savory Ingredients business. The individual in this role will lead and motivate our customers and prospects through consultative value-added sales techniques. They will be responsible for the implementation of effective sales strategies and executing plans to drive continuous growth and increase market share in the territory.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Execute strategic plans to achieve and exceed sales targets (revenue and profit).
• Succeed in new client acquisition through prospecting of new accounts to drive business growth.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with key clients to foster loyalty.
• Formulate and promote weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales objectives.
• Collaborate closely with customers to comprehend their business needs and objectives.
• Analyze cost, competition, supply, and demand to determine competitive selling prices, effectively communicating your recommended play to win strategy for the market.
• Forecast sales volume and profitability for existing and new products.
• Provide oversight and training to customers, leading customer-driven projects and finding new opportunities to add value to their business.
• Manage and maintain a sales pipeline using existing tools.
• Attend relevant conferences and trade shows to increase Robertet’s visibility while prospecting for new clients.
• Prepare comprehensive and accurate sales reports.

COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrates strong strategic and tactical thinking abilities. With a keen focus on driving top-line revenue growth through effective business development activities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Outlook applications.
• Champions continuous improvement initiatives to optimize processes and enhance business development outcomes.
• Develops leadership skills within the team to foster a culture of proactive business expansion.
• Competent in establishing and monitoring KPIs and implementing countermeasures.
• Proficient in pipeline management to ensure consistent sales growth.
• Solutions oriented mindset.
• Self-starter, independent thinker, and self-motivated.
• Team player.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Reside in the Chicago area**
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, food science or a relevant field.
• Experience with Food & Beverage selling channels and segments (Ingredient sales preferred). Desirable Flavor & Fragrance as well.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar role.
• In-depth knowledge of marketing techniques and best practices.
• Capacity to manage various projects and work to tight deadlines.
• Excellent negotiation and leadership skills.
• Comfortable in both a leadership and team-player role
• A deep understanding of the market services/products
• Great communication and presentation skills
• Expert level interpersonal skills
• Ability to accurately forecast sales
• Ability to analyze data to find trends and problems.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated and self-directed
• Languages spoken: Fluent in English.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Travel as business requires (50%).
• The individual may be exposed to elevated room temperatures and above-average noise levels in manufacturing environments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The demands expected of a typical office environment are the normal expectation.
• The ability to perform in a manufacturing area as needed is a rare necessity but required

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS:

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the Essential Duties & Responsibilities of the position so long as it does not impose significant difficulty or expense on the company.