Director National Accounts

Candidate must reside in the eastern portion of United States!

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and driven Director of Sales – National Accounts to manage and expand a balanced portfolio of current national account customers and high‑potential prospective operators across the Eastern United States. This individual contributor role will champion Kettle Cuisine’s differentiated offerings and leverage our culinary excellence, customization capabilities, and world‑class manufacturing platform to support, grow, and secure national account partnerships throughout the East.

National Account Development

• Manage and strengthen multi‑level relationships with existing Eastern region customers across Marketing, Culinary, Purchasing, Supply Chain, and QA teams to uncover insights, align on needs, and drive mutual growth.
• Collaborate with internal insights, marketing, culinary, and product development teams to create tailored, operator‑specific solutions that meet the needs of both current and prospective accounts.
• Represent Kettle Cuisine’s branded and custom product capabilities—including culinary‑led development, small‑batch craftsmanship at scale, and flexible manufacturing—to operators throughout the region.
• Proactively identify and initiate engagement with high‑potential operators in the Eastern U.S. who are not yet working with Kettle Cuisine, leveraging strategic outreach, industry networks, and market intelligence.
• Partner with our broker’s dedicate chain sales team to
• Drive top‑line growth by delivering best‑in‑class partnerships, differentiated solutions, and consistent, superior execution for both existing customers and targeted prospects.

Operator‑Driven Innovation

• Engage directly with Eastern region operators to understand menu strategies, 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 that emphasize 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 both new and existing accounts.
• Maintain accurate forecasts, pipeline management, and activity 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 highly detail‑oriented.
• Passionate about food, culinary innovation, and delivering differentiated solutions that drive operator success.