Food & Beverage Sales Manager
Location: Paramus, NJ (Hybrid/Field-Based) | Travel: Up to 70%
About the role
Join FrieslandCampina Ingredients as our Food & Beverage Sales Manager, North America and play a key role in expanding our presence across the food and beverage industry. In this highly visible role, you will identify new business opportunities, build strategic customer relationships, and drive profitable growth by delivering innovative dairy-based ingredient solutions to manufacturers and brand owners across North America.
This is a unique opportunity to combine your commercial expertise, technical ingredient knowledge, and entrepreneurial mindset within a global company that is shaping the future of nutrition and food experiences.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute strategic business plans to drive profitable sales growth throughout North America.
- Identify, pursue, and convert new business opportunities with food and beverage manufacturers, brand owners, private label companies, and contract manufacturers.
- Build and maintain strong customer relationships through a consultative, value-based selling approach.
- Promote FrieslandCampina's portfolio of functional ingredients, including caseinates, encapsulated ingredients, proteins, fats, and specialty solutions.
- Collaborate with Technical Sales Support, Marketing, R&D, and Product Management teams to deliver customer-focused solutions.
- Understand customer needs and translate them into innovative ingredient opportunities.
- Manage territory plans, sales pipelines, forecasts, and account strategies using a fact-based and data-driven approach.
- Represent FrieslandCampina at customer meetings, industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities.
- Resolve customer concerns and support issue management to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Champion continuous improvement, compliance, and integrity in all business activities.
You will lead new business development efforts focused on food and beverage manufacturers operating in segments such as pizza, whipped toppings, ice cream, desserts, savory foods, coffee applications, and other value-added food categories. Working cross-functionally with Technical Sales, Marketing, Product Management, and R&D teams, you will help customers solve challenges and unlock growth opportunities through FrieslandCampina's portfolio of functional dairy ingredients and concept solutions.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Sales, Marketing, or a related field.
- 5+ years of B2B sales experience selling functional ingredients within the food and beverage industry.
- Proven success building and growing a sales territory through new business development.
- Experience working with brand owners, private label manufacturers, and third-party manufacturers.
- Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to travel up to 70% throughout North America.
- Ability to work from or relocate to the Paramus, New Jersey area.
Preferred Qualifications
- Technical knowledge of dairy ingredients, proteins, fats, foamers, or whey-based solutions.
- Experience selling value-added ingredient systems or functional food ingredients.
- Strong understanding of value-based selling methodologies.
- Experience working across cross-functional commercial and technical teams.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and complex customer needs.
Benefits
- A competitive compensation package
- Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
- 401(k) program
- Career development and growth opportunities
- Exposure to global customers, markets, and innovation initiatives
- A collaborative culture built on integrity, entrepreneurship, and customer focus
Our Purpose
We are inspired by the possibilities of dairy ingredients to nourish people around the world, create exceptional food experiences, advance nutrition, and improve health and well-being. Join us and help shape the future of food.