The Sr. Director Business Development- Cultured will be responsible for accelerating profitable growth across national brands in cottage cheese, sour cream, dips, crema, and other value-added cultured dairy categories. This leader develops and executes customer growth strategies, identifies new business opportunities, expands distribution, and strengthens strategic partnerships with national and regional retailers, foodservice operators, and emerging channels.

The role serves as a key commercial leader, connecting customer needs, category insights, innovation, supply chain capabilities, and financial objectives to deliver sustainable long-term growth. The ideal candidate will be based out of the St. Louis Park, MN or Chicago, IL area. This position has flexibility to be based remotely anywhere in the US with close access to a major airport. Job Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Customer Leadership Develop and execute annual customer business plans aligned with company growth objectives

Support customer business reviews, strategic planning sessions, and top-to-top meetings

Translate customer objectives into profitable growth initiatives and joint business plans

Serve as a trusted partner and advisor to customer leadership teams New Business Development Identify, prioritize, and secure new distribution opportunities across retail, club, convenience, foodservice, and emerging channels

Develop retailer-specific growth strategies that expand category penetration

Lead/support customer acquisition efforts and strategic market expansion initiatives

Evaluate new market opportunities, partnerships, and channel diversification strategies

Drive commercialization of innovation platforms and category expansion opportunities Commercial Leadership & Financial Management Own profitable growth across national brand launches, crossing multiple DFA groups, retailers and account owners

Develop pricing strategies that balance volume growth, profitability, and competitive positioning

Manage trade investment, forecasting, customer profitability reviews, and business planning

Evaluate growth initiatives through rigorous ROI and financial analysis

Partner with Finance to achieve revenue, margin, and profit objectives Category Leadership & Consumer Insights Become the category expert in cultured dairy, leveraging consumer, shopper, and retailer insights

Utilize Circana, NielsenIQ, Kantar, retailer loyalty data, and syndicated resources to identify growth opportunities - partner with CDT resources

Develop fact-based selling stories that drive assortment, shelf space, pricing, and promotion improvements

Identify category whitespace opportunities and emerging consumer trends

Deliver actionable customer recommendations that strengthen category performance Cross-Functional Commercial Leadership Collaborate closely with Marketing, Customer Development, Revenue Management, Category Management, Supply Chain, Finance, R D, and Operations

Support commercialization efforts for new products, product line extensions, and innovation initiatives

Resolve customer service, inventory, and supply chain challenges while protecting customer relationships

Influence organizational priorities without direct authority

Ensure alignment between customer strategies and internal business goals Negotiation & Influence Lead annual customer negotiations involving pricing, trade investment, distribution, assortment, and promotional programs

Effectively communicate value propositions that differentiate the cultured dairy portfolio

Influence internal and external stakeholders to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes Leadership & Talent Development Establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures

Foster a culture of customer-centricity, collaboration, and continuous improvement Change Leadership & Strategic Agility Adapt strategies to evolving market conditions, retailer consolidation, and competitive activity

Monitor industry trends, private label growth, and emerging consumer preferences

Leverage technology, analytics, and AI-driven insights to improve decision-making

Lead through ambiguity while maintaining focus on long-term objectives

Champion innovation and continuous improvement initiatives

Education and Experience Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or related field, or relevant industry experience

10+ years of progressive sales, business development, category management, or commercial leadership experience.

5+ years leading strategic customer relationships within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG).

Proven success selling to major grocery retailers, mass merchandisers, club, or foodservice accounts via WHS distribution

Experience managing complex negotiations and delivering profitable growth Experience within cultured dairy, refrigerated foods, dairy, or perishable categories

Experience with national retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, Meijer, Ahold Delhaize, Target, or regional grocers Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Strong financial acumen including pricing, P&L management, forecasting, and trade investment analysis

Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and commercialization initiatives

Advanced proficiency with Circana, NielsenIQ, Kantar, Retail Link, 84.51°, or retailer-specific analytics platforms

Knowledge of cottage cheese, sour cream, dips, crema, and adjacent refrigerated categories

Strategic Thinking

Customer-Centric Leadership

Business Development & Growth Mindset

Commercial Acumen

Executive Presence

Negotiation Excellence

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Talent Development

Data-Driven Decision Making

Innovation Leadership

Change Agility

Results Orientation

Must be able to read, write and speak English An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans