The Meatless Farm
Business Development Manager The Meatless Farm

We are keen to meet with qualified candidates for the challenging position of

Business Development Manager Benelux

This is a great opportunity to join the Meatless Farm mission and grow the brand. Do you want to be part of this fast paced and interesting movement? This vacancy could be for you!

The Meatless Farm

The Meatless Farm Co. is a vegetable protein company that is known for its meat-free hamburgers, minced meat, sausage products and other convenience products. MF are constantly developing new products to add to their range.

Meatless Farm’s products are almost indistinguishable from meat in terms of taste and texture. They are 100% vegetable, gluten-free and made with the highest quality, non-GMO ingredients available.

The company was founded by Morten Toft-Bech after he and his wife discovered the difficulty of preparing quick and easy protein-rich meals for their families following a predominantly vegetable-based diet.

After a family meal which saw the kid’s leave half of their food, Morten and his wife, began to talk about how difficult it was becoming to cook meals that they all enjoyed whilst also trying to reduce the amount of meat they ate. Morten began to research what was on offer and the wider issues around meat reduction. One of the biggest things that struck him was discovering more about how what we eat not only impacts our health but also the environment.

The Meatless Farm was launched in 2016 with a mission to reduce global meat consumption by making swapping to plant-based food easy alongside naturally complimenting the world’s increasing appetite for alternative and plant-based protein. The Meatless Farm aims to help households, schools, restaurants and businesses to switch to or serve one or more plant-based meal per week.

After two years of extensive product development, The Meatless Farm products were successfully launched in the UK in 2018 and are currently available at Sainsbury’s, Morrisson’s and Coop.

In 2019 The Meatless Farm started a collaboration with Whole Foods in the USA, making products now available at more than 450 locations in 43 states.

Products are also available in Ireland, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada and the UAE.

According to research firm MarketsandMarkets, the value of the worldwide meatless ‘meat market’ will amount to $ 27.9 billion by 2025. The exponential growth of flexitarians replacing meat with a vegetable diet for health, environmental and animal welfare reasons and the response to meatless products in the UK, Europe and elsewhere is phenomenal.

The Meatless Farm intends to play a pivotal role in this development and, based on the huge acceptance and success of its product in the UK and the US, the company now aims to launch forcefully in continental Europe.

Business Development Manager Benelux

As Business Development Manager at the Meatless Farm you will work with the primary clients within retail and foodservice industries in the Benelux region. You will grow the business using your strong interpersonal skills and the key product range that MF has to offer. You will also explain and educate the meatless mission. You will have the full support from your colleagues at MF, each with their own speciality to support growth in Europe.

The Business Development Manager must stay up to date on company and industry developments by staying in touch with clients, product development, collaborating with leading food brands and attending training programs and conferences.

Primary responsibilities and mandate

• Develop a portfolio of clients in the Benelux
• Build relationships with food retailers, QSR and foodservice
• Make a sales budget for Benelux with potential targets and get sales done
• Actively approach companies for partnerships and co-branded products
• Provide weekly sales updates
• Build and maintain good working relationships both inside as well as outside the company, with counterparties in the plant-based market
• Research existing competitor markets and remain abreast of breakthrough innovations
• Provide marketing opportunities and promotion of the Meatless Farm brand

The Business Development Manager Benelux will report to the Head of European Business Development.

As The Meatless Farm will be launching in continental Europe, starting in the Benelux, we are seeking candidates with experience in the region and with the proper qualifications and with the ambition to take the initiative, lead from the front, engage with an entrepreneurial attitude. Over time you will hire and lead a team of support staff, including a. o. (Junior) Account Managers.

Do you recognize yourself? We are looking for you!

Ideal Candidate

You are currently operating as an experienced and well-connected international salesperson who has built strong relationships within the Food Retail or Foodservice industry. Alternatively you bring valuable experience having worked for innovator/fast growing tech companies.

You are convincing, ambitious, you have impact, you are a natural and accepted sparring partner for senior management based on content, intellect and personality.

You are commercially driven and result-oriented, seeing and seizing opportunities. You are focused on growth, innovation and professionalization.

You have a proactive attitude with regard to approaching customers. Self-starting and full of initiative.

Moreover, you are an excellent influencer and are able to develop well-founded plans and get these accepted. Flexible, convivial, engaging. You have a positive attitude, see opportunities rather than obstacles, with a creative mind.

An excellent organizer, overseeing and managing projects of different nature and complexity, working in a structured way.

Functional capabilities

• Direct and current experience in a customer focussed sales role within FMCG-food(service) or fast growing tech companies
• A proven track record of excellent commercial, strategic and international sales skills
• Affinity for products within the plant-based market
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Business or other relevant degree
• 4 – 8 years working experience
• Fluent in Dutch, English and preferably French
• You will need to be able to work independently as well as be effective at communicating with colleagues remotely

If you are excited about this role, please let us know. We can’t wait to meet you!