Manager, Business Development

SUMMARY

The Oat Business Unit at Bay State Milling is focused on growing a differentiated portfolio of oat-based ingredients that help food manufacturers meet evolving consumer and market needs. PurelySown and SowNaked are priority product lines within this portfolio, offering compelling opportunities to expand customer relationships, enter new applications and channels, and deliver profitable growth.

This Business Development Representative is the primary driver of new business for the PurelySown and SowNaked product lines — proactively identifying, generating, and converting new commercial opportunities from first contact through commercial launch. The role calls for a natural networker with a growth mindset: someone who builds relationships with key decision-makers, uncovers unmet customer needs, and champions the value of the portfolio to win new business and expand existing accounts.

Success in this role requires a strong commercial mindset, disciplined pipeline management, effective negotiation, and the ability to build long-term customer and channel partnerships through active networking across the industry. The representative will work across food manufacturers, distributors, and other strategic accounts to increase awareness, trial, adoption, and repeat business for PurelySown and SowNaked products.

As a member of the Oat Business Unit commercial team, this individual will proactively align Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Customer Service, and other internal partners around each opportunity — serving as the connective thread that keeps pipeline opportunities moving efficiently toward commercial sales.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Include the following:

• Own the generation and conversion of new business opportunities for PurelySown and SowNaked, developing and executing a business development plan that expands sales, distribution, and market penetration.
• Build and continually grow a network of industry relationships; customers, distributors, co-manufacturers, and other channel partners, as a primary source of qualified opportunities, supplemented by proactive prospecting, inbound lead follow-up, referrals, industry events, and targeted account outreach.
• Focus on priority customer segments, applications, channels, and accounts; build trusted relationships with commercial decision-makers and develop account-specific strategies to convert prospects into customers.
• Lead customer discovery and sales conversations to understand business needs, communicate the value proposition of PurelySown and SowNaked, and position the appropriate product solution.
• Manage opportunities through the full sales funnel using customer relationship management tools, with clear next steps, probability, volume, timing, revenue, margin, and risk visibility from first contact through commercial launch.
• Prepare and deliver customer presentations, proposals, pricing recommendations, and commercial business cases; support negotiations and contracting in alignment with Oat Business Unit strategy and sales guardrails.
• Serve as the connective thread across the organization; proactively aligning Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Customer Service around each opportunity to confirm feasibility, resolve roadblocks, and drive pipeline opportunities efficiently to commercial launch.
• Support forecasting and demand planning activities for the given customer base and new prospects.
• Represent Bay State Milling and the PurelySown and SowNaked product lines at customer meetings, trade shows, conferences, and industry events, treating each as a networking opportunity to expand the pipeline; capture competitive and market insights and translate them into actionable growth opportunities.
• Bring a growth mindset to the role; continuously testing new approaches to prospecting and commercialization, learning from wins and losses, and seeking out new markets, applications, and partnerships that grow the business beyond the current portfolio.

ALLOCATION OF TIME

• Up to 40% travel

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Direct experience in food-related R&D, innovation, and/or sales position, with a demonstrated ability to drive projects through the new product development process and successfully commercialize new business.
• Proven experience in a Sales or Business Development role (6-10 years), with customer-facing experience and a demonstrated track record of generating new business a plus.
• Strong, demonstrated networking ability; skilled at building and sustaining relationships with decision-makers, industry contacts, and cross-functional partners to create and advance opportunities.
• Skilled in the ability to communicate information and insights internally and externally in a clear, concise manner—verbally and in written communications.
• Proven ability to deliver data-driven recommendations and analysis and apply them in clear, compelling manners.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and align a variety of stakeholders across functional and cultural backgrounds, seniority, and internal/external boundaries, to move pipeline opportunities efficiently to commercial sales.
• Ability to work independently and within a cross-functional team to effectively handle multiple projects and influence stakeholders while driving toward competing deadlines.
• Superior ability to represent Bay State Milling with professionalism, integrity, and diplomacy.
• Strong organizational skills, able to juggle various priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment while also at times being a strong independent contributor able to thrive with autonomous decision-making.
• A growth mindset; genuinely curious, resilient in the face of setbacks, and motivated by finding new ways to win business and grow the portfolio.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in the food industry promoting new-to-the-world products and commercializing new business, especially in a start-up environment.
• Sincere passion for food innovation and providing solutions that will drive improved consumer health.
• Strong desire to win and generate growth — a natural networker who enjoys building relationships that turn into pipeline.
• Knowledge of agriculture and nutrition science a plus.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 6 years of applicable professional experience in a food, culinary, or Sales role.
• Experience working in food ingredients is preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Fluent in English.
• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written formats is critical.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Fluent in Microsoft Office programs.
• Ability to network, build relationships, and extract information from sources.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ordinary ability to see, hear and speak.
• Ability to travel domestically and sometimes internationally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Primarily an office environment, remote or at a Bay State Milling facility.
• Comfortable working in food product development lab/pilot plant/manufacturing environments.
• Comfortable performing business needs while traveling.