Director of Sales - National Accounts

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and driven Director of Sales – National Accounts to champion Kettle Cuisine’s differentiated offerings and expand our footprint with leading national foodservice operators. This individual contributor role leverages Kettle Cuisine’s culinary excellence, customization capabilities, and world‑class manufacturing platform to secure, grow, and support national account partnerships.

National Account Development

• Build multi‑level relationships across customer Marketing, Culinary, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and QA teams to uncover insights, align on needs, and strengthen partnership value.
• Collaborate with internal insights, marketing, culinary, and product development teams to create tailored, operator‑specific solutions.
• Represent Kettle Cuisine’s branded and custom product capabilities—including culinary‑led development, small‑batch craftsmanship at scale, and flexible manufacturing—to national foodservice operators.
• Proactively identify and initiate engagement with high‑potential operators not yet working with Kettle Cuisine, leveraging strategic outreach, industry networks, and market intelligence.
• Drive top‑line growth by delivering best‑in‑class partnerships, differentiated solutions, and consistent, superior execution.

Operator‑Driven Innovation

• Engage directly with operators to understand menu strategy, operational constraints, and evolving culinary trends.
• Partner with operators to develop on‑trend custom soups, sauces, broths, sides, and other kettle‑crafted and sous‑vide items that showcase Kettle Cuisine’s full capability set.
• Work with culinary and marketing teams to deliver compelling product solutions and operator‑ready storytelling emphasizing craftsmanship, quality, and innovation.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure seamless development, trials, and commercialization for new and existing accounts.
• Maintain accurate forecasts, pipeline management, and reporting aligned to strategic growth priorities.
• Actively participate in PMO governance and S&OP processes to ensure organizational alignment and operational readiness.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive foodservice sales experience, including at least 4 years in national accounts or major operator development.
• Proven success partnering cross‑functionally—especially with R&D and culinary—to commercialize custom products.

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional negotiation, presentation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Proficient in CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), Microsoft Office Suite, and foodservice analytics.
• Self‑directed, collaborative, and detail‑oriented.
• Passionate about food, culinary innovation, and delivering differentiated solutions that drive operator success.