Account Executive/Manager, Partner Development - Culinex

FUTURE DIFFERENCE MAKERS WANTED! 

At CuliNEX, we nourish a brighter future through food innovation by developing delicious, clean label foods that create a better planet, healthier people, and happier communities. We continue to grow. And while we continue to add like-minded people and passionate food professionals to our team, we never forget our roots. We’re a group of friends who think of our place more as a boutique than your typical office.  

Are you Hungry, Humble and Smart? If so, then CuliNEX may be the place for you! These are the core requirements for every employee at our company. If you are looking to accelerate your sales career in culinary innovation and food product development, let’s start the conversation today.  

Our business is growing, and we have an immediate need for an Account Executive to join our team. 

About You

You are a responsive and resourceful Account Executive with a passion for the food product development industry. You thrive on finding creative solutions to challenges and are quick to adapt to changing situations. Your genuine enthusiasm for our products and services drives your success and motivates those around you.

You care deeply about your clients and their success, building trust and long-term partnerships through your strong emotional intelligence and empathetic nature. You actively engage with clients, colleagues, and employees, ensuring that all interactions are meaningful and productive.

Your organizational skills are top-notch, allowing you to manage multiple tasks and priorities efficiently. You bring a sense of humor to your work, making interactions enjoyable and helping to build rapport with clients and colleagues. Overall, you are committed to contributing to the team's success and delivering exceptional results.

Our Company 

Since 2005, CuliNEX has been the industry’s premier consulting firm providing food innovation and product development services focused on clean label food products. While maintaining our commitment to continuous learning, we exceed our client’s business goals by developing delicious, clean label foods that create a better planet, healthier people, and happier communities. 

What We Do 

We’re passionate about creating great tasting, wholesome food. We specialize in assisting brand owners, food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and retailers with achieving their growth goals by bringing successful products to market. Our expertise covers a wide variety of food product categories including frozen, refrigerated and shelf stable products, seafood, bakery goods, soups and sauces, dairy products, grains, produce and snack items.

Job Title: Manager, Partner Development 

Department: Revenue Operations 

Reports to:   Chief Revenue Officer 

Direct Reports: None 

Salary: $80k - $100k Base + Commission - OTE $110k - 160k/yr

Job Summary and Mission 

This position contributes to CuliNEX success by cultivating and managing prospect and client buying relationships with the company.   This role involves:      

• identifying sales opportunities with qualified prospects,  

• understanding client/prospect needs,  

• defining success for a project and leading pivots to projects as needed to achieve the original or redefined definition of success,  

• collaborating with team members in multiple departments to present solutions that meet company pricing and contracting requirements,  

• advancing and closing deals to meet sales goals, and  

• consistently delivering exceptional service as the bridge between opportunities and operations.  

 The Partner Development Team seeks to identify and grow essential partner relationships with accounts, managing the buying relationship from initial project through additional sales as well as other measures of account value, including referrals, reputation enhancement, strategic relationships, etc. 

 The Account Executive must exhibit CuliNEX Core Competencies and adhere to Core Values (see exhibits A and B). 

 Summary of Key Responsibilities   

 Essential job functions include but are not limited to the following: 

• Attend trade shows and host client events with commitment to sales outcomes associated with all event activities.  

• Prospect new sales leads at Tradeshows and through networking and LinkedIn to build relationships with new prospects. 

• Coordinate with the Partner Engagement Team for Discovery Calls and Qualifying Leads to establish Qualified Sales Relationships (SQRs) as new Partner Accounts that you will develop. 

• Represent CuliNEX in capabilities presentations, sales meetings, webinars, events, etc. to advance deals and develop partnerships. 

• Collaborate with key decision-makers to identify opportunities and develop ideas that support both sales goals and client delight. 

• Communicate with clients to gather information about project scope, budgets, and timeline expectations during sales process. 

• Collaborate with operations, project management, and executives to discuss project goals, progress, and outcomes. 

• Arbitrate development of project/account budgets and timelines for clients and the company. 

• Prepare and present accurate proposals and bids following the company project planning process. 

• Negotiate contract terms and conditions to coordinate with legal approval and administration to secure signed agreements. 

• Organize regular client conversations outside of project work to ensure excellent client service and identify next sales opportunities. 

• Attend kick-off, key milestone, final presentations, and project close-out meetings to support high-value conversations with the client.   

• Support Project Manager (PM), Subject Matter Experts, and client to accommodate adjustments in projects—adjustments to budgets, scopes of work, and timelines. 

• Review project meeting notes monthly and company contact records with emails, check-in with PM on questions and check-in with clients as appropriate. 

• Conduct project close-out meeting with client to get feedback, understand client perspective, identify future opportunities, and gage adjustments/impacts for future work together. 

Education and Experience  

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science or related field (preferred). 

• Proven experience in consultative sales or account management. 

• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills. 

• Familiarity with and commitment to leveraging the value of CRM systems in your work and for reporting/forecasting purposes. 

• Ability to understand client needs and help the team tailor solutions accordingly. 

• Results-oriented mindset with a focus on meeting quotas and goals. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  

• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.  

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.  

• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.  

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 

• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.  

• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment. 

• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality handling sensitive information. 

• Strong commitment to collaborating with others to identify best solutions to complex challenges. 

• Strong focus and proven experience finding opportunities to achieve client delight without significant deviation from standard processes. 

• Maintain a solutions-oriented mindset while being agile toward shifting client needs.  

How Success Is Measured: 

Lead Generation 

• New Prospects Generated from prospecting activities as measured by new deals in the Lead Qualifications Pipeline 

• New Qualified Sales Targets with completed contact and company records in HubSpot and signed non-disclosure agreements following discovery calls. 

• New revenue deals created in the CuliNEX sales pipeline for identified opportunities to sell services to Qualified Sales Targets 

Sales Conversion: 

• Advancing deals in the sales pipeline to win new and repeat business with accounts for which you are the assigned Account Executive. 

• Upselling and cross-selling services, identifying new opportunities, and growing project accounts into strategic accounts. 

• Maintaining company profit margin goals and contracting terms in proposal, Scope of Work, and contract negotiations 

• Maximizing client/prospect delight as appropriate for the size/type of account caring for company capacity. 

• Conducting appropriate levels of sales activities (meetings, calls, emails) to engage Qualified Sales Relationships and grow accounts. 

Physical Work Abilities and Requirements: 

• Mobility: This position may be required to move around the office environment to perform various job duties, such as delivering documents, attending meetings, and assisting colleagues. 

• Dexterity: The position may involve the use of computers, telephones, and other office equipment, requiring the ability to manipulate small objects and perform repetitive tasks with accuracy. 

• Visual Acuity: This position must have sufficient vision to read documents, view computer screens, and operate office equipment effectively. 

• Hearing: The ability to hear and understand verbal communication is essential for effective interaction with colleagues, supervisors, and external parties. 

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills are necessary for conveying information, responding to inquiries, and providing excellent customer service. 

• Sitting/Standing: This position may be required to sit or stand for extended periods while performing job duties. 

• Lifting/Carrying: Occasional lifting and carrying of light to moderate objects, such as files, supplies, or equipment, may be required. 

• Manual Dexterity: The ability to perform tasks that require precise finger and hand movements, such as typing, writing, and operating office machinery, is essential. 

Our organization is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job, consistent with applicable laws. Applicants and employees requiring accommodations should contact Carrie Schuman, Director of People Operations to discuss their needs. 

This statement serves as a guideline and does not constitute a comprehensive list of all physical work abilities and requirements associated with the Administrative Assistant position. The duties and responsibilities of the position may evolve over time, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. 

For further information or inquiries regarding our commitment to equal employment opportunity please contact Carrie Schuman, Director of People Operations.