Business Development Executive in Reading

Overview

Role Purpose

To grow Great Foods’ UK customer base from the ground up. This is a true new-business, hunter role: you will cold call and open doors with food manufacturers, importers, distributors and foodservice buyers, introduce the Great Foods range, and convert prospects into ordering customers. You start from zero and build your own pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Carry out high-volume outbound cold calling to prospective B2B customers across food manufacturing, importers and distributors, wholesale and foodservice.
• Build a pipeline from a standing start: research markets, identify target accounts, and reach the right decision-makers (buyers, procurement, NPD/technical).
• Introduce and sell the Great Foods product range, including tomato paste and concentrate, IQF fruits and vegetables, purées and canned goods.
• Open new accounts and secure first orders, then nurture them into repeat and contracted business.
• Coordinate product samples with the office team and follow up promptly to move opportunities to close.
• Negotiate pricing and terms within approved parameters, working with sales management and finance.
• Keep accurate, up-to-date records of all activity, contacts and opportunities in the CRM.
• Consistently meet and exceed activity and revenue targets (calls, opportunities, new accounts and volume).
• Represent Great Foods professionally at all times, including occasional travel to customers and trade events.

Person Specification

Essential

• Resilient, self-motivated cold-caller who is comfortable starting from zero and hearing “no”.
• Proven B2B telephone sales or new-business development experience with a track record of opening accounts.
• Confident, persuasive communicator and capable negotiator.
• Highly target-driven, organised, and disciplined with CRM and pipeline management.
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Experience in food, ingredients or FMCG sales.
• Understanding of import, wholesale or manufacturing food supply chains.
• Familiarity with tomato products, IQF or canned categories.
• Additional languages.

Remuneration & Benefits

• £35,000 basic salary, paid monthly.
• 1% commission of net invoiced sales you generate, uncapped.
• £1,000 bonus for each new customer you open who orders at least two full loads within 12 months.
• 28 days’ holiday per year, inclusive of bank holidays (5.6 weeks).
• Workplace pension (auto-enrolment).
• Office-based role in central Reading, close to the station and The Oracle.

Notes

Commission: 1% of the net invoiced sales value (excluding VAT, freight and any credits or returns) that you generate, uncapped, paid in arrears once the customer has settled the relevant invoice, in line with the company commission scheme in force from time to time.

• New-customer bonus: £1,000 for each new customer account you open that places orders for at least two full loads within its first 12 months. A “load” means a full truckload or container as defined by the company.