AVP Institutional Sales

About the Role

We are seeking a seasoned sales leader to head Institutional Sales and drive sustainable growth with FMCG manufacturers, QSRs, HoReCa aggregators, and institutional food companies. The AVP will be responsible for scaling our portfolio of ingredients, flavours, seasonings, sauces, and marinades through strategic partnerships, solution selling, and category development. This is a senior leadership role for someone who combines deep B2B sales expertise with commercial acumen, people leadership, and a passion for food innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Leadership & Performance

• Deliver on revenue, margin, and profitability targets for Institutional Sales.
• Own sales forecasting, pipeline health, and CRM discipline at the team level.
• Drive pricing discipline, credit management, and commercial governance in line with organizational policies.

Strategic Business Development & Key Account Management

• Develop and execute the institutional sales strategy aligned to organizational growth goals.
• Build, nurture, and expand CXO-level relationships with FMCG and institutional food companies.
• Lead contract negotiations and partnerships to ensure long-term profitable growth.
• Drive new business opportunities across existing and emerging categories.

Customer-Centric Solutioning & Innovation

• Act as the bridge between client needs and internal capabilities.
• Champion co-creation of product concepts, prototypes, and solutions that strengthen customer stickiness.
• Lead high-impact presentations, product immersions, and customer innovation workshops.

Market Insights & Strategic Foresight

• Monitor market dynamics, category trends, regulatory changes, and competitive moves.
• Identify whitespace opportunities and contribute to portfolio expansion and go-to-market strategy.
• Partner with Marketing and R&D to align innovations with customer and industry needs.

People & Capability Development

• Build and mentor, a high-performing institutional sales team.
• Strengthen commercial capabilities across negotiation, solution selling, and category management.
• Foster a culture of accountability, customer centricity, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Graduate / Postgraduate in Food Technology, Food Science, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience: 10–15 years of B2B sales experience with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role, preferably in ingredients, flavors, seasonings, or food solutions for FMCG / institutional buyers.

Skills & Competencies

• Proven track record of P&L ownership and delivering profitable growth.
• Strong commercial acumen, contract negotiation, and category management expertise.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and build long-term partnerships.
• Deep understanding of food applications, consumer trends, and innovation pipelines.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Mindset

A growth-driven leader who is strategic, customer-obsessed, commercially sharp, and passionate about food innovation.