Overview

Job Title: Head of Business Development and Customer Experience

Responsible to: Business Director: NHS Supply Chain: Food

We're excited to share we have a great opportunity for a Head of Business Development and Customer Experience to join the NHS Supply Chain Food team, reporting directly to the Business Director. This leadership role will take full accountability for guiding and inspiring our team of 18 Customer and Senior Account Managers. It's an excellent opportunity for ambitious candidates looking to advance their careers in Sales Management and Leadership within a dynamic and impactful organisation.

Foodbuy were awarded the contract to procure food for the NHS in 2018 and we now have a dedicated team in place to focus on public sector procurement and delivering the requirements and ultimately savings for the NHS via our Account Management, Procurement and Operations teams.

Foodbuy are a premier procurement company for food and beverage who provide innovative and unique procurement solutions to operations across the UK and Europe. Developing your career within Foodbuy means that you aren’t just taking another job; it's an opening to an exciting and rewarding career. It's your chance to join an organisation that places its people, their development and their success at the forefront of what we do, at an exciting time when we are commencing our journey to become the number one third party procurement company in the UK.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and manage the overall sales function, including setting strategies, targets, and KPIs, and ensuring effective execution across the NHS team.
• Drive team performance through motivation, coaching, and structured performance management, including oversight of the Account Management Training Academy.
• Collaborate with the NHS Leadership Team on strategic planning, budgeting, and forecasting, providing market insights and business development ideas.
• Build and maintain strong strategic and customer relationships, supporting account managers in client meetings and retention activities.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop sales team members to ensure capability and capacity meet business needs.
• Represent the business at industry events and conferences, actively networking with stakeholders and identifying growth opportunities

Personal Profile

You will be a highly organised and efficient professional with a strong eye for detail and a natural ability to build and maintain positive relationships. A collaborative team player, you'll take real pride in your work and bring energy, accountability, and a solutions-focused mindset to everything you do.

You will have a strong track record of developing and sustaining meaningful stakeholder relationships, along with the ability to influence, negotiate, and communicate effectively across all levels of an organisation.

We are a complex and fast-paced business, so you will also have energy, enthusiasm and resilience in abundance.

In return, you will receive a competitive salary and package and you will be given the opportunity to develop and make the most out of your career. We believe that our people are our business, so along with the tools and support you need to get to where you want to go, we'll make sure you have fun along the way. We are dedicated to creating a positive place where the best people want to work.

Essential

• Experience in working with senior management to align sales strategies and solutions
• Experience of working in a corporate/business focused environment
• Experienced leader with an ability to inspire performance with sales teams.
• Strong commercial outlook and an entrepreneurial approach to business development
• Excellent negotiation skills, proven track record of successfully pitching for new business
• Proven track record of achieving sales growth and delivery of results to business plans.
• People management experience, able to support and motivate team to deliver

Desirable

• Public Sector account management experience
• Experience in the food industry
• Formal sales training would be an advantage but not essential.

Key Contacts & Working relationships

• Procurement Team
• Finance & Data Team
• Operations Team
• Regional Sales Managers, Business Development Manager
• Client Account Managers
• Client Stakeholders
• Trust Stakeholders

Learning & Development Requirements

• Negotiation skills
• Presentation skills
• Leading and coaching teams
• Strategy and Business Planning

Location & Equipment Requirements

• Full time (5 day per week) home based role, some travel to our other offices and NHS sites will be required
• Laptop, Mobile Phone