Sr. manager, business development, distributors

Ocean Spray is hiring for a(n) Sr. Manager, Business Development, Distributors! We’re a team of farmers, thinkers, creators, and doers. Whatever your title, whatever your role — it always comes back to this: we’re a farmer-owned co-op where everyone rolls up their sleeves to get the job done. Three maverick farmers started it all — and we’ve been making our own way ever since.

The Sr. Business Development Manager-Distributors drives sustained revenue growth and strengthens Ocean Spray’s global market footprint through end-to-end development and expansion of the distributor network. You will build and scale tiered strategic channel partnerships, expand national market coverage and city-level penetration, and deepen engagement with bakery and food manufacturing end customers to deliver sustainable long-term growth. You will cultivate high-quality relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, develop annual account and business development plans, and leverage market trend and customer insight analysis to design targeted sales and channel strategies that align with business objectives. This role owns indirect channel team management responsibilities, including aligning distributor execution standards, guiding channel operations, improving overall team efficiency, and leading distributor teams to achieve sales and market expansion targets. You will collaborate cross-functionally to design and execute business development initiatives, drive continuous channel optimization, and deliver profitable business growth.

A Day in the Life...

Distributor System Development & Full Lifecycle Management.

Develop national distributor strategies and build diversified go-to-market routes via brokers, agents and multi-level distributors. Manage full lifecycle tier-1 distributor operations including recruitment, contracting and regular business reviews. Establish standardized tier-2 sub-distributor rules for entry, KPIs, renewal and exit mechanisms. Set clear annual KBI targets, drive partner performance accountability, and build a high-quality, balanced nationwide distributor portfolio.

Channel Price Compliance & Contract Governance.

Design and execute channel-specific commercial strategies covering pricing, promotion guidelines and packaging standards. Deploy systematic channel pricing mechanisms to mitigate grey market and cross-region diversion risks. Manage end-to-end distributor contract initiative, negotiation, execution and renewal, and regularly update contract terms to fit market changes. Ensure all channel activities fully comply with corporate tax, duty and compliance policies. Conduct regular contract audits, rectify deviations, and submit optimization proposals to headquarters.

Market Expansion & Downstream Penetration.

Execute national expansion plans to achieve targeted city coverage across China. Compile monthly market intelligence on brand performance, industry evolution and competitors to identify new channel opportunities. Support distributors to deepen downstream penetration and cultivate bakery and snack manufacturing end customers. Maintain existing business, recover lost or at-risk accounts, and continuously expand new business opportunities for sustainable channel growth.

Trade Demand Creation & Marketing Activation.

Collaborate with internal marketing and distributor partners to launch trade demand creation activities. Monitor industry and competitive market insights, empower distributors to boost end-user pull-through, and accelerate market adoption of Ocean Spray cranberry ingredient solutions in B2B manufacturing channels.

End-to-End Channel Sales Administration.

Own distributor channel revenue and profit KPIs, drive monthly sales delivery and track real-time performance. Oversee distributor results, conduct regular sales reviews, and deliver accurate 12-month rolling forecasts. Monitor channel inventory and sell-out data to ensure stable and accountable channel business outcomes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Project Delivery.

Partner with R&D, supply chain, logistics, marketing and customer service teams to align customer needs and resolve channel operational issues. Lead new initiative rollouts and new product/SKU launches through the distributor network and provide market-based strategic recommendations to APAC headquarters to drive continuous business and technical improvement.

Team & People Management

Manage direct internal reports and indirectly supervise external distributor teams to ensure consistent execution and target delivery. Set performance goals, conduct regular reviews, and provide coaching and development guidance. Lead and motivate internal and channel teams to achieve distributor sales and market expansion objectives.

What We Are Looking For:

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Business Administration, Marketing or related fields;
• Minimum 10‑years of B2B food‑ingredient industry experience with demonstrated hands‑on track record in national tier‑1 / tier‑2 distributor development and manage the sell in – sell out. full‑lifecycle distributor management and contract negotiation & administration. Prior experience within bakery and snack‑food channels is strongly preferred, together with working knowledge of the CPG industry.
• Proven business and management experience; strong financial acumen, highly organized, and capable of managing complex cross‑functional projects. Articulate communicator with strong adaptability to fast‑changing business environments.
• Willing to undertake up to 50% domestic travel for distributor meetings, market assessments, plant visits and trade‑marketing events.

Education:

Bachelor's or University Degree (Required)

Work Experience:

At least 10 Years of Experience

Benefits:

• Comprehensive insurance package that includes many health & wellness programs, including medical coverage while traveling for work
• Short-term incentive/performance bonuses
• Flexible scheduling options
• Vacation pay
• Holiday pay
• Career development and growth opportunities
• Tuition/education assistance programs
• Access to LinkedIn Learning
• Scholarship programs for children of employees
• Adoption and Surrogacy reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Bereavement leave
• Fitness & wellness reimbursement
• Employee appreciation events
• Employee discounts
• Charitable giving

Who We Are:

You might have our iconic cranberry juice in your fridge or have gotten into heated holiday debate about what’s better - canned or fresh cranberry sauce. But did you know that the hardworking people growing the superfruit in our products are 700 family farmers that own our cooperative? They entrust us with what is most precious to them to create new and innovative products that will delight consumers and grow this beloved brand today and into the future.

Team members, farmers, consumers and communities alike--we value what makes us unique and strive to connect our farms to families for a better life by living our values:

• Grower Mindset – We embrace our grower-owners innovative spirit and heritage through confidence, learning and focus on the future.
• Sustainable Results – Guided by purpose, we are focused on delivering results for our grower-owners.
• Integrity Above All – We are ethical, doing the right thing for our grower-owners, customers, consumers and each other
• Inclusive Teamwork – We build diverse and inclusive teams that strengthen our cooperative.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.