Director of Sales-Foodservice
5 days ago
Anaheim
With a legacy spanning over 35 years, Harris Spice has been a trusted partner and leading supplier of high-quality spices, herbs, and innovative seasoning blends. With international facilities and a global supply chain, we proudly serve multiple channels of trade—including industrial bulk, food service, and retail. Our commitment to excellence, quality and consistency has earned us the trust of some of the nation’s largest and most recognized brands. As Harris Spice continues to grow, we are dedicated to cultivating a dynamic, inclusive workplace where innovation thrives. We're looking for diverse, talented individuals who are ready to grow with us and help strengthen a brand known for trust, quality, and bold flavor solutions. Position Overview/Job Summary: The Director of Food Service Sales will lead and execute the commercial growth strategy for Harris Spice’ Custom Spice and Seasonings ingredients across private-label and/or branded foodservice channels and Regional / National Chain accounts. This executive role holds full responsibility for driving top-line revenue, protecting margin contribution, and expanding high-value customer partnerships across broadline distributors, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), Regional / National chain accounts, higher education, hospitality, and legacy Direct-Store-Delivery (DSD) networks. The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of commercial acumen, technical product understanding (spices, seasonings, custom blending), and deep experience leading executive-level distributor and chain-restaurant relationships. Essential Job Functions: • Define and execute a multi-year foodservice sales growth strategy targeting both national broadline distributors (Sysco, US Foods, Performance Food Group, Shamrock) and key regional broadline partners (BiRite, Jordano’s, Viele & Sons, Growers Ranch, Gold Star Foods)., • Lead corporate and headquarters-level sales engagements with QSRs, commercial Regional / National restaurant chains, and non-commercial foodservice accounts., • Conduct Joint Business Planning (JBP) and structured business reviews with major distributor partners to align on annual growth initiatives, promotional calendars, and mutual volume targets., • Partner closely with internal R&D, Culinary, and Quality Assurance (QA) teams to manage stage-gate development, sample approvals, and custom blend formulations for chain restaurant R&D and menu development cycles (including Limited-Time Offers / LTOs)., • Translate technical spice specifications, mesh sizes, moisture profiles, and flavor characteristics into clear commercial value propositions for chain culinary leadership and industrial buyers., • Maintain revenue, gross margin, and contribution profitability targets across all foodservice accounts and product lines., • Lead complex contract negotiations, volume commitment agreements, annual pricing renewals, trade spend, and deviated pricing structures., • Monitor agricultural market trends, global spice crop yields, and commodity price fluctuations to proactively adjust commercial pricing strategies and safeguard margins., • Direct and evaluate broker networks and distributor sales representatives to ensure complete alignment with Harris Spice execution standards and growth metrics., • Partner with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Operations to align sales demand forecasting with sourcing and manufacturing capacity., • Champion CRM (Salesforce/HubSpot) adoption, sales pipeline discipline, and trade management analytics to enable data-informed decision-making., • Represent Harris Spice at key industry trade shows, executive client summits, and culinary association events., • Ensure compliance with company policies, food safety standards, and regulatory requirements across all sales activities, • Support strategic initiatives including new plant launches, capacity expansion planning, and product line extensions, • Maintain strong awareness of industry trends and emerging market opportunities to inform sales strategy, • Uphold ethical business practices and ensure adherence to contractual, quality, and audit requirements across all customer engagements, • Perform other duties as assigned., • This job description outlines key duties and responsibilities, which may change at any time with or without prior notice. Skills/Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Food Science, or a related field (MBA or culinary certification preferred)., • 8+ years of progressive commercial sales leadership in foodservice, specifically within spices, seasonings, flavorings, or custom food ingredients., • Demonstrated track record negotiating at headquarters level with major broadliners (Sysco, US Foods, PFG, Shamrock) and regional California distributors., • Working knowledge of food safety standards, product specifications, custom blending processes, and commodity spice markets., • Proven ability to manage account P&L, analyze margin contribution, oversee trade spend, and generate accurate demand forecasts., • Ability and willingness to travel up to 35–50% for customer meetings, trade shows, and field sales engagements., • Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective relationships across all levels of the organization and with external partners, • Self-motivated, proactive, and results-driven, with a strong sense of accountability and ownership for achieving goals Physical Requirements • Ability to work in both seated and standing positions for extended periods within an office, • Must be able to travel (35-50%) including driving, flights, and overnight stays to visit customer accounts, • Ability to spend long hours on the road or in customer meetings., • Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods during travel and customer visits., • Ability to lift or carry up to 35 lbs. occasionally (e.g., samples, promotional materials, product literature)., • Must have the visual and auditory ability to communicate effectively in person and via phone or video conferencing., • Capable of operating a personal or company-provided vehicle safely., • Comfortable with occasional walking or moving around warehouses, production facilities, or trade shows as part of customer visits.