Director of Business Development - Bakery

Our client is a European founded, global producer of fine food ingredients with over 100 years of history. Through the latest culinary offerings, the company blends premium ingredients with unparalleled expertise in bakery, patisserie, and chocolate to craft innovative food solutions that resonate with discerning palates worldwide. Reporting directly to President, as the Director of Business Development - Fruit Fillings, your mission is to envision and execute a comprehensive strategy for our fruit and crème fillings and channels, fostering collaboration with business development and operations teams. This is a hybrid role based in Chilliwack, BC (min 3 days per week), and offers a competitive base salary (140-150k target range, based on skills & experience), bonus, car allowance, benefits, and RRSP. Key Responsibilities: Market Analysis : Conducting thorough market research to identify opportunities and trends in the industry Strategic Planning: Developing and implementing strategies to achieve business unit goals aligned with the overall company objectives Product Development: Collaborating with cross-functional teams to conceptualize, plan, and launch new products or services Channel Strategy: Design and implement market-specific growth strategies across target sectors; Retail, Industry and Foodservice Partnership and Alliances: Building and managing strategic partnerships to enhance the business unit's reach and capabilities Financial Management: Responsible for budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance analysis to ensure the business unit's financial health Performance Monitoring : Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly monitoring performance against set targets Customer Engagement: Ensuring a customer-centric approach, understanding customer needs, and implementing strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Risk Management : Identifying and mitigating potential risks that may impact the business unit's success. Continuous Improvement: Implementing processes for ongoing improvement, adapting strategies based on feedback and market dynamics. Key Qualifications: 5+ years sales experience in the food industry in Canada, with US experience an asset Experience selling to industrial customers Proficient in technical food sales, dessert/bakery an asset R&D and/or manufacturing experience an asset Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively interact with clients and internal teams Ability to thrive in a target-driven, fast-paced environment Proactive attitude with excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities Willingness to travel extensively, including to office in Chilliwack, for customer visits and other business development activities An understanding of financial management, manufacturing processes, operational excellence and product to ensure growth realization Capable of managing high levels of complexity and change management Demonstrates high level of emotional intelligence; able to adapt style to suit teams and smooth transitions