Director of Business Development - #914aS

You've Built a Career in CPG. What If Your Next Big Opportunity Is in Fresh Produce?

Great salespeople know that success isn't just about what you're selling. It's about understanding your customers, spotting opportunities others miss, building relationships that last, and knowing how to turn a great idea into real business.

Sound familiar? Then we'd love to introduce you to an industry you may not have considered.

Fresh produce.

It's fast. It's competitive. It's unpredictable. And it's an industry where relationships, instincts, creativity, and the ability to think on your feet really matter.

Our client is an established, privately held produce company with an impressive history, strong retail partnerships, and a reputation for doing things differently. There's a lot of experience behind this organization, but there's also an entrepreneurial mindset, engaged leadership, and an appetite for new ideas.

They're looking for a Director of Business Development who knows how to make things happen.

Someone who can walk into a meeting with a major retail buyer, ask the right questions, uncover an opportunity, and build a program that delivers. Someone who sees beyond the next order and thinks about what's possible for the customer and the business.

And here's the exciting part: You don't need to come from produce.

If you've built a successful career in CPG, food, beverage, or another retail-driven business, your experience could translate exceptionally well.

What You'll Be Doing

• Opening doors, developing new retail business, and growing relationships with major accounts.
• Getting to know your customers beyond the numbers. What drives their business? Where are the gaps? What's the next opportunity?
• Bringing new ideas, products, and programs to the table that create value for customers.
• Working directly with retail buyers and decision-makers to build partnerships that go beyond transactions.
• Using sales data, category insights, and market trends to make smart commercial decisions.
• Collaborating with a talented internal team to turn opportunities into results.
• Navigating an industry where no two days are quite the same, and being energized by that.

Who We're Hoping to Meet

You've spent years learning how retail works. You understand buyers, margins, promotions, category performance, and what it takes to earn and grow business.

You're commercially sharp, naturally curious, and comfortable asking questions. You don't wait for opportunities to land in your lap. You go find them.

You're equally comfortable digging into sales data and sitting across the table from a senior retail executive. You can think strategically, move quickly, and adjust when the market throws you a curveball.

Most importantly, you have a track record of growing business and the drive to keep doing it.

We're particularly interested in professionals who bring:

• Successful business development or retail sales experience in CPG, food, beverage, or related consumer products.
• Strong relationships and experience working with major retail customers.
• Proven success winning new business and expanding existing accounts.
• A combination of strategic thinking, commercial instincts, and hands-on execution.
• Confidence, adaptability, creativity, and the ability to thrive in a high-expectation environment.

Why Make the Move?

Because sometimes the best career opportunities are in industries you haven't explored yet.

Fresh produce offers a unique mix of agriculture, consumer trends, retail strategy, and relationship-driven business. It's an essential industry with real complexity, constant movement, and opportunities for people who know how to sell.

This is a chance to bring everything you've learned in CPG into a new category, work alongside experienced industry leaders, and make a meaningful impact in an established business.

Curious? Let's Talk.

You don't need to know the difference between every variety of lettuce or how produce gets from the field to the shelf.

You need to know how to build relationships, recognize opportunities, and grow business.

If that sounds like you, we'd love to have a confidential conversation.

Connect with us at recruiting@joeproduce.com