As EFI expands, we need an effective Business Development Manager to identify and research potential new customers, educate them about our program, and create opportunities to negotiate contracts.
The Business Development Manager helps develop relationships with major produce buyers, distributors, food service companies, trade associations and growers to encourage adoption of the EFI training, certification and verification model.
The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a ground-breaking, multi-stakeholder certification scheme to improve the lives of farm workers while enhancing customer assurance about food safety and pest management on produce farms. EFI’s key innovation has been to demonstrate that motivated, trained, and incentivized farm workers can address concerns about working conditions, pesticide use, and food safety in the produce industry.
EFI is based in Washington, DC with strong ties found across the country. As the Business Development Manager you have the opportunity to work remotely from anywhere in the US.
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- At least five years’ experience in sales, with proven track record in customer engagement and cultivation, from initial contact through final agreement.
- Passion and commitment to the mission of EFI, as an opportunity to create value for workers, growers, retailers and consumers alike.
- Capacity to function in a fast-paced start-up environment, including a willingness to take on additional tasks and responsibilities as the organization evolves.
- Strong strategic planning skills: ability to articulate and implement tailored approaches that meet the needs of each grower.
- Proven ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people and institutions in a multi-stakeholder environment, and to bridge the business/non-profit divide.
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 35% of the time.
PREFERRED:
- Spanish language skills preferred.
MUST SEND IN RESUME AND COVER LETTER
There are opportunities for promotion and professional development for the successful candidate as EFI grows!
Grower Engagement
- Engage growers and manage all aspects of grower relationships, from initial contact through the Grower Mapping process, contracting, training, audit, certification, Trustmark licensing, and ongoing compliance verification.
- Work with Marketing Director to provide key information and collateral for growers.
- Coordinate closely with training, certification, and audit staff to meet program targets for certifying farms.
- Maintain ongoing, active relationships with growers, in support of the Training Director, who serves as EFI’s primary customer service representative for growers and farm managers throughout the engagement, training and certification cycle.
Buyer Engagement
- Support the Executive Director and Training Director in outreach to retail and foodservice buyers to recognize and reward EFI certification among their suppliers, and to support EFI program objectives.
- Work with trade associations and other appropriate channels to develop buyer interest in EFI.
- Support Executive Director’s relationships with retail and food service companies, ensuring excellent responsiveness and customer service.
Support to Organizational Development
- Work collaboratively with Directors of Training, Certification and Marketing to ensure a seamless, whole-system approach for EFI customers.
- Maintain active communication with all staff to facilitate full integration and participation in achieving program goals.
- Provide support to the Executive Director related to securing funding for EFI.
- Coordinate with the Marketing Director on external messaging about the EFI scheme or the mechanisms that support it.
- Work with the Administrative Coordinator to support all internal and logistical processes to keep the organization running efficiently.
- Maintain budget and expenditures in alignment with EFI’s overall financial forecast.
- Regularly post Grower and Buyer reports updating status of all active relationships as well as targets for development.
