Business Development Manager, Foodservice

Company Description

SIMPLi is a leading regenerative food brand founded in 2020 by Sarela Herrada and Matt Cohen. Our mission is to connect people worldwide through the joy of food by bringing the best single-origin ingredients directly to consumers. We partner directly with farmers to source the finest ingredients, ensuring benefits for people, producers, and the planet. SIMPLi's products are accessible nationwide in stores, restaurants, and online.

Role Description

We’re seeking a results-driven Business Development Manager (BDM) to drive new business growth within the foodservice channel. You will be responsible for identifying and converting new operator partners—ranging from fast-casual chains and fine dining restaurants groups to corporate cafeterias, hospitality, and institutional foodservice groups. This is a pivotal, hunter-style sales role for a mission-aligned, entrepreneurial self-starter who can open doors and close deals. 

Key Responsibilities  

• Prospect and qualify new foodservice leads, including restaurant groups, universities, hotels, hospitals, corporate food programs.  
• Own the full sales cycle: lead outreach, pitch SIMPLi’s value proposition, coordinate samples, negotiate terms, and close deals. 
• Develop customized pitches and sales collateral in collaboration with the marketing team to address specific operator needs. 
• Maintain a clean, up-to-date CRM pipeline with accurate forecasting and deal progression tracking (HubSpot or similar). 
• Organize and lead trade shows, events, and culinary demos to generate leads and build industry relationships. 
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, marketing, and account management to ensure smooth onboarding of new customers. 
• Stay up to date on foodservice trends, sustainability initiatives, and competitive dynamics to inform sales approach. 
• Support development of R&D funnel with account stakeholders and SIMPLi team 
• Support SIMPLi sales team in the execution of customer paperwork (onboarding, item setup, etc) 
• Create and analyze sales reports, present weekly team updates, produce progress reports, as well as other ad-hoc reports when asked. 

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities 

• Strong networking, analytical, and project management skills. 
• Excellent social and communication skills (written and verbal). 
• Strong attention to detail. 
• Highly adaptive and innovative in dynamic environments. 
• Self-directed and resourceful, thriving in unstructured, fast-paced settings. 
• Role model for the company’s culture. 
• Passionate about connecting people through the joy of food and advancing the company mission. 
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and external partners effectively. 
• Willingness and ability to communicate effectively outside of normal office hours, as needed. 
• Ability to work on-site from our Philadelphia offices at least 3 days per week. 
• Familiarity with foodservice distribution (e.g., Dot Foods, US Foods, Sysco) and national operators (e.g., Sweetgreen, Compass Group). 

Qualifications 

• 5 years of relevant sales experience within foodservice or a similar channel. 
• Ability to travel (ground/air) regularly, up to 50% of the time. 
• Knowledge or fluency with CRMs. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).