Associate Director of Food Service

Position Title: Associate Director of Foodservice

Industry: Food & Beverage Technology / Functional Food Ingredients

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA (Remote / Hybrid flexibility)

Role Type: Full-Time, Direct-Hire

Target Compensation: $170,000 – $210,000 Base Salary + Annual Performance Bonus + Equity / Stock Options

Travel: Approximately 40% – 50% across key national markets and trade events

About the Opportunity An established, venture-backed pioneer in advanced bio-ingredient and sustainable food technology is seeking an entrepreneurial commercial leader to build and scale its North American Foodservice Channel.

The company produces next-generation, high-performance functional protein ingredients designed as direct 1:1 replacements for conventional culinary applications across commercial baking, foodservice operators, and packaged foods. Reporting directly to the executive commercial leadership, this individual will start as an agile individual contributor to define go-to-market strategy, secure distribution footholds, close marquee multi-unit operator accounts, and subsequently expand and lead the dedicated foodservice sales organization.

Key Responsibilities & Objectives Channel & Go-to-Market Strategy: Architect the nationwide commercial foodservice roadmap across targeted sub-segments: multi-unit restaurant chains, independent commercial bakeries, campus & university dining, contract caterers, and healthcare foodservice. Establish volume forecasts, margin targets, and annual revenue milestones.

Distribution & Broker Infrastructure: Identify, negotiate terms with, onboard, and manage key route-to-market partners, including national broadline distributors (e.g., Sysco, US Foods), regional specialty distributors, redistribution networks (e.g., Dot Foods), and commercial sales broker agencies.

Operator Acquisition & Culinary Trials: Prospect and close high-volume operator accounts. Lead hands-on culinary ideations, cuttings, menu formulations, and product trials alongside corporate executive chefs, R&D culinary teams, and VP-level procurement leaders to drive permanent menu placements and LTOs (Limited-Time Offers).

Field Commercial Execution: Spend dedicated time on-site in commercial test kitchens and operator facilities to evaluate ingredient functionality, kitchen operational workflows, yield performance, and cost-in-use metrics.

Commercial Feedback Loop: Collaborate closely with internal Applications, Food Science, and Operations teams to guide commercial pack sizes, ingredient specifications, nutritional/allergen documentation, and handling instructions for back-of-house culinary teams.

P&L, Pipeline & Channel Governance: Maintain ownership of the foodservice revenue pipeline, pricing structures (deviated pricing, contracts, volume rebates), billbacks, and trade spend allocations.

Team Growth & Scale: Build the business rationale for incremental commercial headcount, regional sales support, and operator sampling budgets as the channel grows into a major business unit.

Candidate Qualifications 8+ years of direct commercial sales, business development, or national accounts experience within commercial foodservice, with at least 3+ years leading a foodservice sales channel, business unit, or key national accounts for a specialty food or functional ingredient manufacturer.

Established Industry Rolodex: Immediate, active relationships across national and regional food brokers, leading broadline/specialty distributors, Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), and commercial multi-unit restaurant groups.

Deep Foodservice Mechanics: Fluency in distributor margins, deviated pricing, line review cycles, broker compensation models, and operator purchasing pathways.

Dual-Track Selling Ability: Proven track record presenting comfortably in commercial kitchens with culinary leadership (Executive Chefs, Culinary Directors) and across boardroom tables with corporate procurement and finance executives.

Hands-on Entrepreneurial Mindset: Thrives in a high-growth environment; capable of setting high-level channel architecture while actively rolling up their sleeves to prospect, sample, and execute deals.

Education & Tech: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Food Science, Hospitality/Culinary Arts, or equivalent practical industry background. Proficiency in enterprise CRM tools and pipeline management.

Work Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship requirements.

Compensation & Comprehensive Benefits Competitive base salary range ($175k – $215k) plus performance-based bonus incentives.

Significant equity participation via company stock options.

Comprehensive 100% employer-sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance.

401(k) retirement plan with corporate matching.

Generous paid time off (PTO) and paid company holidays.

Flexible spending accounts (FSA/HSA), commuter benefits, and wellness perks.