Sr. Technical Business Development Manager

Job Summary:

The Technical Business Development Manager will be focused on building and supporting new customer opportunities and relationships, while providing technical guidance and expertise around various applications and use of almond based components. The position will play an important role in the execution and delivery of revenue targets and will assist in customer technical discussions, technical business development R&D and applications project guidance, and customer application assistance work as required. The role will also support technical marketing activities, project management and voice of customer research. The technical business development manager will work closely with Sales Director Leads and Sales Directors within the Functional and Strategic Growth sections to engage with customers in the market to build a deep understanding of customer technical needs, value drivers and explicit needs. Together, they will increase customer intimacy and deliver applied almond expertise by providing insights related to the technical and commercial reasons to believe that maximize the use and benefits of almonds in non-dairy application spaces including yogurt, cheese, chocolate, frozen desserts, and beverages.

Primary Application: Non dairy: Yogurt, Cheese, Chocolate, Frozen Desserts and Beverages

Secondary Applications: Bakery, Cereal, Nutrition Bars, Snacks, Confectionery

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Technical Service

• Provide technical guidance and expertise to both external and internal customers regarding the use and applications of almond based components in target application areas.
• Drive the technical portion of the customer value journey and assist sales in managing the opportunity funnel from initial introduction to final purchase.
• Understanding the customers innovation strategy and how it translates into their technical needs. Identifying how customers can improve and expand their product offerings using BDG technical solutions. Applying this knowledge to define critical success factors with the customer and formulate ways to demonstrate how our solution brings value.
• Work with Sales Directors to provide consistent support, develop deep relationships with technical & R&D counterparts at each customer and share understanding and alignment around the customers jobs to be done.
• Provide technical understanding of products and the product value proposition to go to market teams and support initial sales training.
• Define the technical reasons to believe for each solution and assist with the develop of support collateral: how to win charter, sample formulations, customer presentations, etc.,
• Provide technical sales support to functional and strategic growth customers and their related products/solutions.

Business Development

• In conjunction with sales directors, initiate discussion with customers to establish projects with key targets.
• Find and develop growth opportunities based on market intelligence, future trends, sales and customer feedback. Establish connections with influencers and stakeholders at both existing and new accounts.
• Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of the market and the competitive environment to facilitate business development efforts. Actively provide market, technical and competitive intelligence to go to market teams.
• Networking at trade shows and other technical venues to build knowledge and identify new prospects.
• Partner with innovation to identify new project ideas in support of unmet needs; develop the business cases and project documentation in conjunction with sales and marketing management.
• Have a clear understanding of customer value creation (CVC) principles and work closely with innovation function and applications development group to translate needs into solutions and proof points.
• Drive to understand voice of customer (VOC) and customer jobs to be done to define and prioritize value drivers and assist with optimizing or validating technical marketing and research activities.
• Assist with account plan development to help formulate the strategy, define the resources and enable the capabilities that are required to support the customer's value journey.
• Develops and presents company products and services to current and potential clients

Technical Marketing

• Collaborates with marketing staff for the development and positioning of related marketing materials.
• Support the delivery of insights and innovation to our customers to seed new business opportunities.
• Generates new leads, sources and develop client referrals and nurture leads into opportunities that can be managed by the sales.
• Represents Blue Diamond at industry trade shows and conferences to build external network and gain a deep understanding of market innovation and trends.
• Works cross-functionally (Innovation/R&D) within Blue Diamond as needed to commercialize new functional ingredients and execute Go-To-Market plans.
• Serve as a bridge between customers, R&D, operations and Marketing to define and translate requirements to deliver against customer expectations
• Identify emerging markets and market shifts, monitor competitors, market conditions and product developments.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, Food Technology or related discipline.
• 8-10+ years commercial business experience or combination within technical service, technical sales, technical business development, R&D or Food engineering, from a functional food, beverage and nutritional ingredient industry.
• Functional Skills: Commercial acumen, business analysis and opportunity assessment capabilities, sales/networking, execution, and follow-through skills required; experience providing education and training to influence sales; ability to research, inquire, and execute on market data to build future strategies; project management skills to support opportunities
• Technical skills: Through understanding of the processes utilized in manufacturing of dairy and non-dairy foods and beverages including but not limited to: Aseptic - (Tetra Pak), Ultra High Temperature (UHT), High temperature short time (HTST), Hot filled, Retort, High pressure (HPP); Thorough knowledge of fermentation in the production of yogurt and cheese, understanding of differentiation of diary fermentation process vs non-dairy and/or plant based
• Leadership/Behaviors: Establishing trust and confidence with customers, building advocacy within the team, networking within an organization, persistence, proactiveness, self-motivation, consultative selling, ability to work effectively on a selling/consultative team.
• Enjoy acting as a subject matter expert and sharing knowledge, coaching others
• Adapt and support others through change, ambiguity and complexity
• Operate with a sense of urgency and are responsive to customer needs
• Anticipate customer needs and dedicatedly build new solutions
• Seek to understand how issues and solutions will impact other areas of the company
• Top notch presentation, analytical, written and communication skills are a must.
• Travel 40-50%, as needed to build new account base
• Experience or technical knowledge using plant-based protein, plant legume, nut butters plant/legume/nut oil ingredients in food & beverage applications
• Experience in non-dairy applications (cheese, yogurt, chocolate, frozen desserts and beverages)
• Experience selling new to world food ingredients.

Grow your career. Partner with us. We Are the Almond People!

This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Blue Diamond Growers (BDG) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital/familial status or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. BDG also complies with all provisions of the U.S. Government's Executive Order 11246 dated September 24, 1965 and the rules, regulations and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor

Education:

Bachelors (Required)

Other Job Details:

Work Shift:

Day

Pay Type:

Salary

Hourly Rate (if applicable):

N/A

Targeted Exempt Salary Range (if applicable):

$136,700.00 - $177,300.00

Grow your career. Partner with us. We Are the Almond People!

Blue Diamond Growers (BDG) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. BDG provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, or genetic information. BDG also complies with all provisions of the U.S. Government's Executive Order 11246 dated September 24, 1965 and the rules, regulations and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.