CONFIDENTIAL SEARCH

Director - Community Nutrition & Food Solutions (Sales)

Industry:

Food Distribution, Nutrition Solutions & Supply Chain Position Type:

Full-Time Leadership Role Location:

Confidential / Discussed with

Qualified Candidates Travel:

Regular travel to customers, partners and program locations

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our client is an established, privately held organization with significant capabilities across food sourcing, distribution, logistics, supply chain and value-added customer solutions. The company is expanding a high-growth platform focused on developing commercially sustainable food and nutrition programs for communities and populations with specialized needs. We are seeking an entrepreneurial Director of Community Nutrition & Food Solutions to serve as the commercial leader for this growing business. This executive will own market strategy, revenue and gross-profit growth, business development, strategic customer relationships, and expansion into community nutrition and feeding markets. The Director will work with government agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, Tribal organizations, nonprofits, and community partners to convert complex nutrition needs into scalable, repeatable, and financially sustainable solutions. This is not simply a traditional food-distribution sales position. The successful candidate will help build and scale a business within an established organization by identifying emerging markets, developing solutions, winning customers and creating a repeatable commercial model for future growth.

STRATEGIC MANDATE

The Director will lead expansion across several high-potential markets: Children & Family Nutrition Develop scalable meal and food-box solutions supporting children, families, schools and community nutrition initiatives. Programs may include shelf-stable meals, multi-day food packages, direct-to-home delivery, community pickup and other flexible distribution models. Senior & Aging Nutrition Develop nutrition solutions supporting seniors, aging-services organizations, healthcare partners and home-delivered nutrition initiatives, addressing food insecurity, independent living and recurring nutrition needs. Tribal & Rural Communities Develop culturally responsive food and nutrition programs with Tribal governments, Tribal organizations and geographically dispersed communities while considering cultural preferences, local infrastructure and the challenges of serving remote populations. Food as Medicine & Healthcare Nutrition Build partnerships with healthcare systems, health plans, providers and community organizations. Opportunities may include chronic-condition support, maternal health, post-discharge nutrition, medically appropriate food programs and food-insecurity interventions. Emergency & Community Response Identify opportunities to leverage sourcing, packaging, fulfillment and distribution capabilities to support communities during emergencies and periods of elevated food need.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Commercial Strategy & Growth Develop and execute the annual commercial strategy, including target markets, priority accounts, partnerships, revenue objectives, gross-profit expectations and pipeline requirements. Build a multi-year growth roadmap identifying addressable markets, funding and procurement pathways, priority prospects, pilot opportunities and expansion potential. Own revenue and gross-profit performance while maintaining pricing and margin discipline. Establish market positioning, value propositions and account strategies for priority segments. Report sales performance, forecasts, pipeline development, opportunities and commercial risks to executive leadership. Business Development Build and manage a national opportunity pipeline across public agencies, schools, Tribal organizations, aging-services organizations, food banks, healthcare organizations, health plans, nonprofits and strategic partners. Lead customer discovery, presentations, solution development, pricing, proposals, contract negotiations, renewals, and account expansion. Build relationships with senior decision-makers and establish the organization as a trusted partner for complex food and nutrition programs. Understand government, grant, budget, and procurement cycles and develop effective pursuit strategies. Identify pilot opportunities that can be measured, refined, and expanded into larger or multi-year programs. Solution Development Translate customer needs into commercially viable solutions that may incorporate: Food and product sourcing Meal and food-box configuration Kitting, packaging and labeling Warehousing and inventory management Transportation and last-mile distribution Direct-to-home or community-site delivery Participant communications Program reporting and analytics Nutrition and clinical partnerships Develop solutions based on population needs, nutritional requirements, cultural preferences, program duration, shelf life, delivery environment, funding, and customer objectives. Partner with Operations, Procurement, Transportation, Quality, Finance and Technology to validate feasibility, capacity, risk, cost and implementation requirements before customer commitments are made.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Help develop a scalable Food as Medicine strategy with healthcare organizations, health plans, providers and community partners. Develop opportunities involving condition-appropriate groceries, nutrition-support programs and other food-based health interventions. Establish partnerships with registered dietitians, clinical organizations or specialized providers when expertise extends beyond the company's core capabilities. Create pilots with defined populations, eligibility requirements, nutrition standards, delivery expectations and measurable outcomes.

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITY MARKETS

Develop relationships with agencies and organizations responsible for addressing food insecurity and community nutrition needs. Understand the intersection of public funding, procurement, nutrition standards, community impact and commercial sustainability. Create solutions capable of operating in urban, rural and hard-to-serve markets using appropriate distribution and community delivery models.

COMMERCIAL & OPERATIONAL HANDOFF

Ensure new business is commercially and operationally executable before final commitments. Develop commercial assumptions covering volume, seasonality, pricing, service requirements and margin safeguards. Establish disciplined sales-to-operations handoffs following contract award. Remain accountable for strategic customer relationships and commercial scope while operational leaders manage day-to-day execution.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Success will be measured through: Revenue and gross-profit growth Qualified pipeline development New customer acquisition Proposal and competitive win rates Customer retention and contract renewals Expansion of successful programs Forecast accuracy and margin discipline Geographic and market expansion Successful commercialization of new nutrition solutions Customer satisfaction and measurable program outcomes

LEADERSHIP

The Director must operate as both a strategist and a doer . This leader will enter emerging markets where the playbook is still being developed, personally build relationships and open doors while creating the processes, tools and team required to scale. As the business grows, the Director will help build and lead a high-performing commercial organization supporting business development, strategic accounts, proposals, analytics and customer relationships.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, supply chain, nutrition, healthcare administration or related discipline; equivalent experience considered. 8+ years of progressive experience in food distribution, nutrition programs, healthcare food solutions, government contracting, business development or related fields. Demonstrated success developing sales strategies and growing revenue through complex, consultative, multi-stakeholder sales cycles. Experience selling to or partnering with government agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, nonprofits or community organizations. Strong understanding of solution selling involving sourcing, operations, logistics and complex customer requirements. Strong commercial judgment and financial acumen, including pricing, margins, forecasting and contract economics. Executive-level communication, presentation and negotiation skills. Ability to build senior-level relationships and navigate complex organizations. Strong cross-functional leadership and influencing skills. Willingness to travel regularly.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

Experience in one or more of the following is particularly valuable: Government or community nutrition programs School or youth nutrition Senior nutrition and aging services Food as Medicine Healthcare nutrition benefits Medically tailored groceries Tribal or rural community programs Food banks or hunger-relief organizations Government contracting and procurement Food sourcing and distribution Meal or food-box programs Kitting and value-added fulfillment Warehousing, transportation and last-mile delivery National or multi-market program development

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is a commercial builder who understands that mission and profitability are not competing objectives. This person can engage a public agency, healthcare organization, community organization or executive team, understand a complex need and translate it into a credible, scalable and economically sustainable solution. We are seeking leaders who combine: Mission Orientation

+ Commercial Discipline

+ Entrepreneurial Drive

+ Operational Credibility The successful candidate will be energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful, develop new markets, and create solutions that improve access to food and nutrition for communities across the country.

Pay:

$160,000.00 - $200,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance

Work Location:

In person