Business Development Manager, Retail & Food Service Partnerships

The Organization

At Fair Trade USA, we’re leading the charge toward sustainable development and conscious capitalism by forming fair and honest partnerships across the globe. We believe in community, we’re excited about change, and we hire driven, talented change makers who share our vision.

Founded in 1998, Fair Trade USA is an internationally renowned social enterprise organization and the leading certifier of fair trade products in North America. We’re a four-time winner of Fast Company’s "Social Capitalist of the Year" award and the prestigious Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and have been recognized as a leading social venture by the Clinton Global Initiative, Ashoka, the Klaus Schwab Foundation, and the World Economic Forum.

For today’s conscious consumer, Fair Trade USA provides a way to align values with purchasing decisions. Our widely recognized and trusted Fair Trade Certified™ seal on a product signifies that it was made according to rigorous fair trade standards that promote sustainable livelihoods and safe working conditions, protection of the environment and strong, transparent supply chains. 

Since inception, FTUSA has channeled over $846 million in additional income to hardworking families and communities around the world. We currently partners with over 1400 brands in over 30 different product categories in the U.S. and beyond. And we’re just getting started.

We are continuing to grow and deepen our global impact, and to do so, we are hiring for our expanding team. We are based in Oakland, California, with a global presence and team members around the world. Positions may be based at our Oakland, California (Bay Area) location, or remotely.

Position Summary  

Fair Trade USA is seeking a Business Development Specialist, Retail & Food Service Partnerships to support achievement of our strategic growth and impact goals by growing the presence of Fair Trade Certified products and expanding our relationships within the Retail & Food Service Industry.

The Business Development Specialist, Retail & Food Service Partnerships will be responsible for supporting the development, cultivation, and management of relationships with key partners and identifying opportunities for new Fair Trade products and commitments within Retail & Food Service channels to drive impact from consumer to producer.

Day-to-day, you will be managing current account relationships and proactively pursuing new relationships within these Retail & Food Service channels. You will work collaboratively with various teams within Fair Trade USA to implement a Retail & Food Service strategy to expand Fair Trade’s presence and impact within these channels.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Implementation

• Implement a strategy across the Retail & Food Service Channel with clear growth objectives

Partner Acquisition and Product Expansion 

• Qualify and prioritize new leads for Business Development Managers

• Create new sales opportunities from prospecting to close, and work cross-functionally with product category teams across food and beverage to identify new or existing supply/producers

• Support the development of partnership proposals including discovering objectives, defining partnership requirements, and developing value propositions

• Prepare and deliver compelling sales presentations that articulate the business, social and environmental value of Fair Trade Certified to prospective partners
• Work with product category teams (coffee, packaged goods, produce, floral, seafood, apparel, home goods and more) to increase the penetration of Fair Trade products in Food Service Channels offerings

Account Management

• Execute strategies to achieve growth and retention targets with key customers based on a comprehensive understanding of retailers’ systems and inventory priorities
• Support category, product and brand managers with product development, sourcing and marketing strategies that align within their overall business plans
• Boost partners’ CSR/Sustainability commitments by identifying key product/ingredients categories that align with growth and expansion goals
• Support the development of market activation plans with partners to support new product launches, including initiatives to drive consumer engagement and sales growth

• Maintain a strong understanding of market and customer-specific trends including customer market share, focus markets, Sustainability programs and end-products
• Manage prioritizing, escalating, and driving customer issues to resolution within the organization
• Own revenue growth target

Brand Building

• Participate in industry conferences, tradeshows and meetings as a representative of Fair Trade USA
• Work with the Fair Trade USA marketing team and our partners on promotions and tools to maximize customer purchase and awareness

Key Qualifications/Experience

Required Skills, Experience & Knowledge

• 2+ years of experience at or calling on the Retail or Food Service Industry

• 1+ years of experience working with Sustainability managers, brand managers, sourcing/procurement, buyers, and/or product development

• 2+ years of demonstrated consultative selling experience with complex programs and long selling cycles, including upselling experience
• 2+ years of experience building partnerships, market/Business Development, account management, and negotiations

• Experience with private brand/private label product strategies

• Ability to operate with flexibility in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Highly collaborative team player who can work cross-functionally with all levels of an organization, both internally and externally

• Self-starter who has the energy and people skills to build and service strategic partnerships
• Ability to manage multiple projects at one time and collaborate with peers to achieve sales targets
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Passion for the Fair Trade mission
• Entrepreneurial spirit. Takes initiative to problem-solve and provide innovative ideas and program improvements. Excellent at following up on leads
• Willing to travel 25% of the time to meet with partners, attend trade shows and/ or industry events               
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint, and Salesforce CRM

Our Workplace

At Fair Trade USA, we are a mission-driven organization and are deeply committed to fostering an environment that is built on the principles of JEDI; a justice, equitable, diverse, and inclusive community for all. We are committed to upholding an inclusive workplace where all people feel equally respected and valued, and where we can all thrive. We are a proud equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from every educational background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, national origin and ancestry, veteran status, marital or family status, and disability.

We believe in empowering our teams to choose to do their best work and grow at Fair Trade USA. We offer a comprehensive compensation approach including salary, performance-based bonuses, and employee recognition awards, and a generous and thoughtful approach to employee benefits which include:

• Fully Remote & Flexible Workplace with monthly Final Friday half days
• Incentive compensation and Bonus awards
• Generous Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Up to 5% Employer 401k Match
• Excellent PTO including 12+ Holidays / 15+ Vacations / 9 Sick Leave days annually
• Annual Winter Break Week with Office Closure from 25th December through New Year
• Six Weeks Sabbatical Leave after 7 years’ service
• Parental Leave and Caregiver Programs
• Mental Health and Wellbeing programs
• Employee Recognition Awards
• Employee Perks and Discount programs with Fair Trade Certified partners