About this role
POSITION SUMMARY The Grocery Business Development Manager is TGF's primary new-business hunter in the grocery channel. This role owns the full acquisition process: identifying high-value targets, creating access, building buyer relationships, leading persuasive customer presentations, programs and guiding newly won customers through commercialization and first shipment. The right person is commercially sharp, persistent without being transactional and excited by the challenge of turning white space into revenue. You understand that great selling starts with curiosity and preparation. You can connect retailer needs to the right mix of consumer insight, category opportunity, innovation and operational credibility. WHAT YOU WILL OWN Prospecting and New Account Acquisition Build and execute a focused target-account strategy across regional and national grocery retailers. Create a consistent flow of qualified opportunities through direct outreach, industry relationships, brokers, trade events, referrals and disciplined follow-up. Map decision makers and influencers within priority accounts and develop thoughtful entry strategies for each retailer. Secure first meetings, line reviews, innovation presentations and new-item discussions with grocery buyers and merchandising leaders. Own day-to-day from initial contact through commercial agreement, item authorization and launch commitment. Maintain a healthy, stage-based pipeline in HubSpot with clear next steps, values, probabilities and timing. Strategic Selling and Retailer Solutions Develop retailer-specific selling stories that connect TGF capabilities to the customer's strategy, shopper and category needs. Identify white-space opportunities across Henrietta Said, private label, bulk, seasonal programs and custom manufactured mixes. Use category data, competitive intelligence and consumer trends to build credible, financially sound recommendations. Along with VP, lead customer presentations, proposals, product tastings and negotiations with confidence and executive presence. Build programs that create value for both the retailer and TGF, with clear attention to margin, trade investment, volume and operational feasibility. Broker Leadership Recruit, onboard and direct grocery brokers in priority markets where they strengthen access and execution. Set specific expectations for prospecting activity, customer introductions, pipeline creation and presentation quality. Use brokers as force multipliers while retaining personal ownership of strategy, relationships and closing the business. Evaluate broker performance and make changes when results or accountability do not meet expectations. Commercialization and Handoff Partner with Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance and Customer Success to translate customer opportunities into launch-ready programs. Lead the internal and external commercialization process for newly won business, including assortment, packaging, forecast and timing alignment. Remain accountable through first shipment and initial launch stabilization. Complete a deliberate day-to-day handoff to the Retail Business Manager once the account is established, ensuring customer commitments, contacts, forecasts and future opportunities are clearly documented. Use CRM, BI tools, and pipeline analytics to track performance, forecast new business, and report results to leadership.