Business Development Manager

Job description

Job Title: Business Development Manager (BDM)

Business Function: Food Solutions

Location: Field Based, Dublin

Operating in over 70 markets around the world, Unilever Food Solutions is the dedicated foodservice business of Unilever . Our portfolio in Ireland encompasses many of the world’s leading food brands including Knorr, Colman’s, Carte D’or and Hellmann’s. Through combining a world-class product portfolio, knowledge of our customers and investment in our staff, we deliver year-on-year growth through offering chefs and caterers tailored solutions, helping them to expand their business and do what they love.

The world of Foodservice is dynamic and exciting. It involves working with customers ranging from Michelin star restaurants, hotels, through to pub chefs and workplace, school or hospital caterers - as well as the wholesalers and cash and carries who service the foodservice industry. Unilever Food Solutions business is ambitious for growth and for the right individuals, we offer great development opportunities, both within the local business and beyond. 

·  Are you passionate about food and passionate about building relationships with customers and offering them solutions based on their needs? 
·  Do you want to work with iconic brands?
·  Are you ambitious and willing to learn?
·  Do you have bags of energy and a desire to succeed?
·  Do you want to be part of a successful team?

If the answer to all these questions is YES , then this is a fantastic opportunity for you!

At Unilever regardless of experience or role, we encourage ownership of your career and offer a wealth of opportunities to expand your knowledge and network. We will give you an in-depth induction, including time in our kitchens and will invest in your individual career aspirations and development needs through our numerous training opportunities. A career with us is a career you shape and promises to be tailored and fulfilling, much like the solutions we offer to our customers.

Our working culture embraces diversity and acknowledges that work is an activity and not a place and encourages all employees to balance the entirety of their life commitments.  As such we offer generous family-friendly policies (including parental, elderly care and enhanced maternity/paternity leave) and agile working is the norm, facilitated by up-to-date technology. 

Every day, around the world, people reach for Unilever products. Our brands are trusted everywhere and, by listening to the people who buy them, we've grown into one of the world's most successful consumer goods companies. On any given day, 2 billion people use Unilever products to look good, feel good and get more out of life.  

JOB PURPOSE  

This role is responsible for delivery of volume & other financial targets via our Trade (Wholesaler) partners and Operators (e.g. Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs etc.), by using a combination of face-to-face selling, customer relationship management and ingredient demonstrations to reach new customers, penetrate more products and increase usage within existing customers. An ability to analyse Data to identify opportunities and to engage digitally with Wholesalers and Operators is fundamental to the role.

The right candidate will be fully responsible for engaging, negotiating, and implementing relevant activities across all customers. They will liaise both internally and externally to ensure excellence in execution.

RESPONSIBILITIES  

Maximise sales of Unilever Food Solutions ingredients and concepts to ensure achievement of Business and personal targets by:-

·  Achieve all Objectives and Key Results (OKR’s) assigned to you in your role.
·  Ensure accounts are serviced and maintained to the required standards to achieve the required objectives. (Reach, penetration and usage).
·  Ensure all designated Operator & Trade accounts are called in line with the company call cycle and contact strategy.
·  Ensure on time in full execution of Trade or chains activity plans.
·  Demonstrate to Operators in kitchens, at shows and sample Food Solutions ingredients where required.
·  Maintain/develop business relationships with Distributive Trade, Marketing, Tele business and Chain Accounts Management Teams, reporting any information relating to trade/customer activity that could affect the business and also being responsible for implementing any tailored activity by said team.
·  Utilise and maintain the Food Solutions CRM system in order to provide quick and accurate information relating to customers, orders and activities, which must be communicated to head office by synchronising daily.
·  Analyse Data on hand to identify opportunities and risks.
·  Engage Digitally with Trade Customers and Operators using their platforms and using the tools provided by UFS to grow our business.
·  Complete all relevant documentation and return within the set time frame as required by the business.
·  Support line manager and trade colleagues through attending trade and industry events
·  Attend all sales meetings and deliver the following:
·  Report on individual performance.
·  Share the HOW of your successes.
·  Action new campaigns as dictated by Food solutions marketing, Distributive and Chain Account Teams.

ALL ABOUT YOU  

·  Degree level preferable
·  Experience selling in the Food Service marketplace desirable but not essential.
·  Knowledge and understanding of all areas in the catering market, including foodservice trends.
·  Commercially aware
·  Prove ability to develop customer relationships, self-starter.
·  IT literate in WORD, Excel, Power Point, Outlook.
·  Digitally competent.
·  E-commerce experience desirable

Strong Selling Skills

·  Excellent Questioning and Listening Skills
·  Have the confidence to handle and overcome objections.
·  The ability to identify ongoing customer needs and associate a product benefit back to that need.
·  Good organisational and diary management skills
·  Ability to think and communicate in a clear structured way.
·  The ability to multitask and plan ahead.
·  The ability to leverage Wholesale Partners relationships for short- or long-term benefit, in conjunction with UFS distributive team.
·  The ability to work well on your own and also as part of a team.

Internal : Line Manager, National Trade Account Managers, National Chains Team, Tele business, Administration and Culinary, Regional Account Executives

Ext ernal : Customer Care Line , Wholesale partners and End user (Operator)customers. Industry bodies

Standards of Leadership

·  Consumer & Customer Focus
·  Bias For Action
·  Building Talent & Teams
·  Accountability & Responsibility
·  Growth Mindset

Key Performance Indicators

·  Delivery of annual individual goal plan (3+1’s), to be defined in discussion with your Line Manager
·  Able to achieve quarterly sales targets.
·  Able to achieve individual key performance indicators (KPIs)

Additional Information

·  Occasional national travel and overnights required.
·  Full clean manual driving licence required.
·  An ambassador of Unilever Food Solutions at all times displaying the company in a positive and professional manner

NOTES

About Unilever  

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’  

What We Offer  

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all. 

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever | Unilever .

Recruitment Fraud  

Cyber criminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. In the most sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever. They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs.  These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate. 

How is Unilever tackling this?  

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scan for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and act to close them down. 

What can I do?  

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat. 

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!