Catering Sales Manager

Job Description: Sales Manager – Catering \& Contract Food Services1\. Position Details * **Job title:** Sales Manager – Catering \& Contract Food Services * **Department:** Sales and Business Development * **Reports to:** General Manager or Commercial Director * **Direct reports:** Sales Supervisors, Account Managers, Sales Representatives, as defined by the organizational structure * **Work location:** Head office and client sites as required * **Business scope:** Catering, contract feeding, institutional meals, event catering, and related food services 2\. Role Purpose Lead and deliver the sales and business development strategy for the company’s catering and contract food services. Achieve revenue, profitability, and growth targets by winning new business, retaining and expanding existing accounts, managing tenders and contracts, and ensuring that commercial commitments align with operational capacity, service quality, and food safety requirements. 3\. Scope of Responsibility Manage the full sales cycle: identify and qualify opportunities, develop pricing and proposals, negotiate and secure contracts, hand over new business to Operations, and monitor the commercial performance, renewal, and growth of accounts. Services may include daily contract catering, site and workforce feeding, school or institutional meals, hospitality, and event catering, according to the company’s portfolio. 4\. Key ResponsibilitiesA. Sales Strategy and Planning * Prepare an annual sales plan and allocate approved targets by quarter, month, sector, and account. * Identify target sectors and customers, such as corporations, factories, hospitals, schools, universities, construction sites, government entities, and event organizers. * Prepare sales forecasts and opportunity pipeline projections, updating them monthly using the company’s customer relationship management system. * Analyze competitors, pricing, and market trends, and submit actionable recommendations on growth opportunities and commercial risks. * Develop plans to acquire new customers, grow existing accounts, and improve the contract portfolio in terms of revenue, profitability, and risk. B. Opportunity and Account Management * Build and maintain a qualified sales pipeline sufficient to support achievement of the approved sales target. * Qualify opportunities before committing significant pricing or operational resources by confirming the customer’s needs, budget, timeline, decision\-makers, and site requirements. * Lead customer meetings, presentations, and site visits, and document outcomes, next steps, owners, and due dates. * Build relationships with customer decision\-makers, end users, procurement, finance, and operations stakeholders. * Develop account plans for key customers, covering renewal and growth opportunities, customer satisfaction indicators, and retention risks. * Track customer complaints with commercial impact, coordinate resolution with the relevant departments, and document actions and outcomes. C. Tenders and Commercial Proposals * Review requests for proposals and tenders, and recommend whether to participate based on profitability, operational capability, and risk. * Coordinate technical and commercial submissions with Operations, Finance, Procurement, Quality and Food Safety, and Legal. * Ensure each proposal clearly states the service scope, meal volumes, menus, service locations and hours, assumptions and exclusions, service levels, performance measures, payment terms, and change\-control process. * Verify that tender documents are complete and compliant with requirements before submission. * Submit pricing, margin assumptions, and unusual contractual commitments for approval before issuing an offer. * Lead commercial negotiations within delegated authority and do not commit to unapproved prices, terms, or service levels. D. Pricing, Profitability, and Contract Management * Prepare or review pricing models with Finance and Operations, accounting for food costs, labor, transport, equipment, packaging, waste, and operating expenses. * Confirm that each proposal meets the approved minimum profitability threshold or obtain a documented exception from the authorized approver. * Monitor the profitability of active contracts, compare actual results with approved estimates, and raise corrective action plans when performance deviates. * Review commercial contract terms related to pricing, volumes, minimum orders, price escalation, renewal, termination, penalties, and payment. * Coordinate with Finance to monitor invoicing and collections, and resolve the causes of payment delays or invoice disputes. * Track contract expiry and renewal or termination notice dates, and begin renewal activity early enough to meet contractual and operational timelines. E. Coordination with Operations and Service Quality * Transfer new contracts to Operations through a documented handover covering scope, pricing, expected volumes, service locations, contractual obligations, risks, and assumptions. * Confirm, before proposal submission or contract signature, that Operations can provide the required labor, equipment, supplies, transport, and production capacity. * Participate in service\-launch meetings and commercial performance reviews, while maintaining clear ownership between Sales and Operations. * Escalate changes in scope, volumes, or locations that may affect cost or profitability before implementation; obtain the required customer and internal approvals. * Support the resolution of customer dissatisfaction with Operations and Quality, without making operational or compensation commitments outside delegated authority. F. Sales Team Leadership * Set individual targets and performance measures for team members in line with the approved commercial plan. * Allocate accounts, sectors, and opportunities clearly, and review progress with the team regularly. * Coach team members in consultative selling, tender management, negotiation, pricing, and use of the customer relationship management system. * Review performance regularly and implement development or performance\-improvement plans where gaps are identified. * Ensure customer, opportunity, activity, and forecast data are recorded accurately in approved systems. * Promote professional conduct, confidentiality, conflict\-of\-interest controls, and compliance with anti\-bribery policies. G. Reporting and Governance * Submit a monthly sales report covering revenue versus target, achievement rate, open opportunities, forecasts, new and renewed contracts, and lost business. * Provide quarterly analysis of profitability, discounts, win and loss reasons, sector performance, and key accounts. * Document approvals, exceptions, and commercial changes in accordance with the company’s delegation of authority. * Protect confidential pricing, proposals, contracts, and customer information; share them only with authorized parties. * Comply with company policies and applicable requirements relating to contracts, procurement, competition, data protection, and food safety. 5\. Key Performance Indicators Annual targets should be set according to company size and service mix. Management should approve the baseline, target, calculation method, and data source for each measure. KPIMeasurementReview frequencyRevenue target achievementRevenue recognized from contracts ÷ approved revenue target × 100Monthly and quarterlyGross margin on new contracts(New contract revenue − approved direct costs) ÷ new contract revenue × 100Per proposal, with monthly reviewValue of new contractsTotal contracted value of contracts signed during the period, using the company’s approved definitionMonthly and quarterlyProposal win rateNumber of won proposals ÷ number of proposals with a confirmed outcome × 100QuarterlyQualified pipeline coverageValue of qualified, probability\-weighted opportunities ÷ sales target for the upcoming periodMonthlyForecast accuracy1 − (absolute variance between forecast and actual ÷ actual), using the company’s approved methodMonthlyCustomer retention rateCustomers retained at period end ÷ eligible customers at period start × 100Quarterly and annuallyContract renewal rateContracts renewed ÷ contracts eligible for renewal × 100Quarterly and annuallyExisting\-account growthRevenue from existing customers compared with the approved comparison periodQuarterlyDiscount complianceOffers approved within delegated authority ÷ total offers submitted × 100MonthlyOpportunity data completenessActive opportunities with complete required fields, stages, and next steps ÷ total active opportunities × 100MonthlyCommercial collection performanceValue of due invoices collected within agreed payment terms for managed accounts, in coordination with FinanceMonthlyKey customer satisfactionResult of an approved survey or performance review, with documented actions for identified issuesQuarterly **Measurement controls:** The company should define each KPI consistently, including its data source, reporting cut\-off, and validation owner. An opportunity should count as qualified only when the customer need, decision\-maker, budget or funding route, expected decision date, and next step have been documented. 6\. Authority The Sales Manager exercises authority in accordance with the company’s delegation of authority, which may include: * Approving sales visits and activities within the approved budget. * Assigning customers and opportunities to sales team members. * Negotiating prices and terms within approved limits. * Recommending whether to participate in or withdraw from tenders. * Recommending discounts and commercial exceptions, subject to required approval. * Requesting cost, operational\-capacity, or legal reviews before commitments are made. * Escalating risks relating to profitability, collections, or service\-delivery capability. 7\. Qualifications and Experience * Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Hospitality, or a related field. A relevant professional qualification or postgraduate degree is preferred. * At least **7 years of relevant sales or business development experience**, including at least **3 years in a leadership role or key account management**. * Demonstrated experience in catering, contract food services, institutional feeding, or related operational contracts. * Experience preparing proposals and tenders, negotiating commercial terms, managing contracts, and developing sales forecasts. * A documented record of achieving revenue and profitability targets and retaining customers. * Practical understanding of food\-service cost components and the factors that affect meal and contract pricing. * Proficiency with customer relationship management systems, reporting tools, and spreadsheets. * Fluency in Arabic and English proficiency appropriate to customer and contract requirements. 8\. Required Competencies * Commercial planning and pipeline management. * Consultative selling and customer needs analysis. * Negotiation, persuasion, and proposal development. * Financial analysis and understanding of cost and profitability. * Key account and contract management. * Team leadership, coaching, and performance accountability. * Cross\-functional communication and coordination. * Decision\-making and risk management. * Accurate documentation and reporting. * Integrity, confidentiality, and customer focus. 9\. Working Relationships * **Internal:** Senior Management, Operations, Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, Quality and Food Safety, Legal, and Marketing. * **External:** Customers, tendering authorities, business partners, service providers, and other relevant parties within the company’s authority. 10\. Accountability Boundaries The Sales Manager is accountable for commercial results within approved targets and authority, and for the accuracy of information presented in proposals and forecasts. Day\-to\-day service delivery, meal production, staffing, and operational quality and food safety controls remain the responsibility of the relevant Operations functions. The Sales Manager must coordinate with those functions and escalate risks, and must not sell or contract for services that cannot be delivered to the agreed requirements. 11\. Approval * **Prepared by:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ * **Reviewed by Human Resources:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ * **Approved by Line Manager:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ * **Approved by Authorized Executive:** \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ * **Approval date:** \_\_\_\_ / \_\_\_\_ / \_\_\_\_\_\_ * **Next review date:** \_\_\_\_ / \_\_\_\_ / \_\_\_\_\_\_ **Implementation note:** Before approval, complete the KPI targets, discount and margin limits, sectors covered by the company, and approval levels to match the company’s scale, service portfolio, and organizational structure. Pay: RO250\.000 \- RO500\.000 per month Work Location: In person