Business Development Manager

About the role

To lead our toll and contract manufacturing sales division. In this role, you will be responsible for identifying, pursuing, and securing new co-packing partnerships with FMCG brands, grocery retail chains (private label), food service operators, and emerging frozen dessert brands. To act as the bridge between prospective clients and internal R&D, operations, and supply chain teams, ensuring that client recipes and product visions can be successfully commercialized and scaled in our ice cream manufacturing facility.

Key responsibilities

• Identify and prospect regional and national brands, private label retailers, and innovative dessert startups seeking outsourced ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and novelty manufacturing
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of contract manufacturing leads, tracking progress from initial contact to contract execution
• Act as a strategic advisor to clients regarding production capabilities, minimum order quantities (MOQs), packaging formats (pints, tubs, stick novelties, sandwiches), and ingredient sourcing
• Structure, negotiate, and close complex tolling and co-packing agreements, defining clear terms surrounding processing fees, raw material ownership, yield loss allowances, and quality specifications
• Partner closely with internal R&D and QA teams to coordinate lab trials, pilot runs, and sensory testing for successful product scale-up
• Collaborate with finance and operations teams to develop accurate cost models and pricing proposals that ensure profitable margins while remaining competitive
• Oversee the smooth transition of closed deals into active production, acting as the primary point of escalation during initial commercial runs
• Stay updated on dairy commodity trends, plant-based/vegan ice cream trends, packaging innovations, and cold chain logistics to position the company as an industry leader
• Represent the company at major food and beverage industry trade shows, co-packing expos, and private label association events

About you

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related field
• 5+ years of B2B sales or business development experience, with a minimum of 3 years specifically in food and beverage contract manufacturing, co-packing, or private label sales
• Deep understanding of food processing, preferably in dairy, ice cream, or frozen foods
• Familiarity with cold chain logistics, frozen storage (3PL), and ingredient sourcing is highly preferred
• Proven track record of managing long, complex sales cycles (6–18 months) and successfully closing multi-year manufacturing contracts
• Excellent presentation and negotiation skills
• Ability to communicate technical manufacturing constraints to marketing-focused brand owners
• Willingness to travel up to 30-40% to meet with clients, attend trial runs, and visit industry events