Business Development Manager

About Botanic Healthcare

Botanic Healthcare is a global supplier and innovator of high-quality branded botanical ingredients, nutraceutical ingredients and specialised health solutions for the health food, dietary supplement, sports nutrition and wellness industries.

We work with brands, formulators, contract manufacturers and product developers to provide differentiated ingredients supported by quality, science, innovation and commercial value.

We are looking for an energetic and commercially driven Business Development Manager to grow Botanic Healthcare's presence across New Zealand, with a particular focus on Auckland.

This is a hands-on business development role for someone who enjoys finding new customers, developing relationships, converting opportunities into sales and building long-term strategic accounts.

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The Role

The Business Development Manager will be responsible for developing new business while protecting and growing existing customer relationships across New Zealand.

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of, or connections within, the:

• Nutraceutical industry
• Dietary supplement industry
• Health food industry
• Functional food and beverage industry
• Sports nutrition industry
• Natural health products industry
• Contract manufacturing sector
• Ingredient distribution sector
• Pharmaceutical/consumer health sector

The primary focus will be Auckland and surrounding markets, while the role will also develop customers nationally across New Zealand.

This position requires a strong hunter mentality — identifying potential customers, opening doors, creating opportunities and converting prospects into long-term commercial relationships.

At the same time, the successful candidate will be expected to maintain excellent relationships with existing customers and identify opportunities to increase their business with Botanic Healthcare.

Key Responsibilities

1. New Business Development

• Identify and develop new customers across New Zealand.

• Build a strong pipeline of prospective customers and opportunities.

• Actively prospect through:

  • Direct calling
  • Email outreach
  • LinkedIn and other professional networks
  • Industry events
  • Trade shows
  • Referrals
  • Existing industry relationships
  • Market research
  • Customer introductions

• Identify key decision-makers within target organisations, including:

  • Managing Directors
  • CEOs
  • R&D Managers
  • NPD Managers
  • Procurement/Purchasing Managers
  • Product Managers
  • Technical Managers
  • Regulatory Managers
  • Formulators

• Arrange customer meetings, presentations and product discussions.

• Convert prospects into qualified opportunities and ultimately into sales.

• Develop relationships with major brands and contract manufacturers.

• Identify opportunities for Botanic Healthcare’s branded ingredients to replace existing ingredients or become part of new product formulations.

2. Account Management – Protect & Grow Existing Business

• Maintain strong relationships with existing Botanic Healthcare customers.
• Ensure existing customers remain engaged and satisfied.
• Regularly meet customers to understand their upcoming product development and ingredient requirements.
• Identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities.
• Introduce customers to new Botanic Healthcare ingredients and technologies.
• Monitor customer purchasing patterns and identify potential lost or declining business.
• Develop account plans for key customers.
• Ensure excellent follow-up and customer service.
• Work closely with internal teams to resolve customer issues quickly.

The objective is not simply to maintain existing sales, but to continuously grow the value of each customer account.

3. Market Development

Develop and maintain a detailed understanding of the New Zealand market, including:

• Major nutraceutical brands
• Health food brands
• Dietary supplement companies
• Contract manufacturers
• Private-label manufacturers
• Ingredient distributors
• Functional food companies
• Sports nutrition companies
• Natural health product companies
• Emerging start-ups and challenger brands

Identify market trends and opportunities in areas such as:

• Healthy ageing
• Women’s health
• Men’s health
• Weight management
• Metabolic health
• Gut health
• Sports nutrition
• Energy and performance
• Immune health
• Beauty-from-within
• Healthy longevity
• Cognitive health
• Sleep and stress
• Functional foods and beverages

Provide regular market intelligence to Botanic Healthcare management.

4. Branded Ingredient Sales

The Business Development Manager will be responsible for presenting Botanic Healthcare’s branded ingredients based on customer needs and product applications, rather than simply selling commodities.

Responsibilities include:

• Understand the science and commercial positioning of Botanic Healthcare’s branded ingredients.
• Clearly communicate ingredient benefits and differentiation.
• Present technical and scientific information to customers.
• Identify suitable applications for each ingredient.
• Work with R&D and NPD teams to introduce ingredients into new formulations.
• Coordinate samples and technical documentation.
• Follow up on trials and formulation projects.
• Track projects from initial discussion through to commercialisation.
• Identify opportunities to secure long-term ingredient supply.

5. Customer & Product Pipeline Management

Maintain an accurate CRM/pipeline covering:

• Prospect name
• Company
• Contact person
• Job title
• Customer segment
• Current supplier/ingredient
• Product/application
• Ingredient opportunity
• Estimated annual volume
• Estimated sales value
• Project stage
• Next action
• Expected conversion date
• Probability of conversion
• Forecast sales

Maintain a minimum number of qualified opportunities and actively manage the sales funnel from lead → meeting → sample → trial → formulation → commercial order → repeat business.

6. Relationship Building

Build strong relationships throughout the New Zealand industry.

This includes:

• Regular face-to-face customer visits
• Networking
• Industry conferences
• Trade shows
• Seminars
• Product presentations
• Technical workshops
• Customer events
• Industry associations

The successful candidate should become a well-connected and recognised commercial representative of Botanic Healthcare in New Zealand.

7. Internal Collaboration

Work closely with Botanic Healthcare’s:

• Sales team
• Technical/R&D team
• Regulatory team
• Supply chain team
• Marketing team
• Finance team
• Senior management

Coordinate customer requirements, pricing, samples, documentation, forecasts and supply requirements.

8. Sales Forecasting & Reporting

Provide regular reporting covering:

• New leads generated
• Customer meetings
• New opportunities
• Samples supplied
• Trials underway
• New accounts opened
• Sales achieved
• Gross margin
• Pipeline value
• Forecast sales
• Existing account growth
• Key customer developments
• Competitor activity
• Market opportunities

Participate in regular sales meetings and provide accurate sales forecasts.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be measured against agreed annual and monthly targets, including:

New Business

• Number of new qualified accounts
• Number of new customers acquired
• New sales revenue
• New gross margin generated
• New projects initiated

Existing Business

• Customer retention
• Existing account revenue growth
• Cross-selling and upselling
• Customer engagement

Sales Pipeline

• Number and value of qualified opportunities
• Sample-to-order conversion
• Project-to-commercialisation conversion
• Pipeline coverage against sales targets

Activity

• Customer meetings
• New prospects contacted
• Decision-makers engaged
• Product presentations
• Customer visits

Overall

• Achievement of annual sales target
• Achievement of gross-margin target
• Sustainable growth of Botanic Healthcare’s New Zealand business

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a commercially minded sales professional who is:

• Highly motivated and target-driven
• Confident in business development
• A strong relationship builder
• Comfortable cold calling and opening new accounts
• Persistent and resilient
• Well organised
• Strong in communication and presentation
• Commercially aware
• Able to work independently
• Comfortable dealing with senior executives
• Passionate about health, wellness, nutrition and innovation

Experience in nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, health foods, functional foods, ingredients, pharmaceuticals, contract manufacturing or natural health products would be highly desirable.

Experience & Qualifications

Ideally, the candidate will have:

• 3+ years’ experience in B2B sales or business development.
• Experience selling ingredients, health products, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, food ingredients or related products.
• Existing relationships within the New Zealand nutraceutical/health food/contract manufacturing industry would be highly advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to win new customers.
• Proven sales track record.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal English.
• A valid New Zealand driver’s licence and ability to travel for customer meetings.

A degree or qualification in Business, Food Science, Nutrition, Pharmacy, Chemistry, Science or a related field would be advantageous but is not essential if the candidate has strong industry experience.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary.
• Performance-based sales bonus with significant earning potential.
• Opportunity to build and lead the New Zealand market for Botanic Healthcare.
• Exposure to innovative and differentiated branded ingredients.
• Direct interaction with senior management and customers.
• Opportunity to work with leading health, nutrition and nutraceutical companies.
• Career growth within a growing international business.
• Auckland-based role with national customer exposure.

Who Will Succeed in This Role?

This role is particularly suited to someone who thinks:

“I don’t just want to manage existing customers — I want to find the next 20 customers.”

The successful candidate will be a hunter, relationship builder and commercial account manager who can identify opportunities, open doors, build trust, understand customer requirements and ultimately convert opportunities into profitable long-term business.

The role will have clear sales targets and a base salary + performance-based bonus structure, rewarding both new business acquisition and sustainable growth of existing accounts.