Business Development Manager, Institutional Catering

The Business Development Manager will be responsible for driving revenue growth, expanding market share, and client retention within the company's Institutional Catering business. This role requires a commercially astute, strategic, and results-driven professional with strong experience in B2B sales, bid management, and contract negotiations within the food services and hospitality sectors. The incumbent will lead the full business development lifecycle – From pipeline generation and tender strategy, to contract award and client retention. Job Responsibilities: Business Development & Market Expansion Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities within the institutional catering sector (e.g. corporates, manufacturing plants, healthcare, and education) Develop and execute structured go-to-market strategies to penetrate target industry segments Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, service owners, process owners, and other relevant stakeholders to drive long-term business growth Lead end-to-end proposal development, including RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, tenders, pricing models, and client presentations Own the bid strategy – Including solution positioning, competitive differentiation, commercial assessment, and value proposition development Collaborate with culinary, operations, finance, and procurement teams to develop commercially viable and operationally executable solutions Track and manage the business development pipeline, ensuring accurate forecasting and reporting Account Management and Client Retention Develop and implement strategies to retain and grow existing accounts beyond their contractual scope Identify client retention opportunities such as new value-added services, special events, wellness programmes, and retail concepts Evaluate pricing models, cost structures, and contract profitability to ensure sustainable margins Monitor financial performance of secured contracts and drive corrective actions where necessary Support contract negotiations, renewals, and extension strategies to maximise lifetime customer value Ensure strong stakeholder engagement post-award to facilitate smooth onboarding and contract mobilisation Tender Governance & Commercial Excellence Ensure all tenders and proposals are aligned with company risk frameworks and profitability thresholds Conduct commercial risk assessments and scenario planning before submission Ensure proposal templates are convincing and relevant to each client, costing frameworks, and bid documentation processes to improve efficiency and win rates Maintain compliance with procurement policies and institutional tender requirements Drive continuous improvement in bid management processes, including post-mortem reviews on unsuccessful tenders Market Intelligence & Strategic Planning Analyse market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity within the institutional catering landscape Monitor public and private sector tender portals to proactively identify opportunities Benchmark industry best practices in pricing models, service delivery formats, technology integration, and sustainability initiatives Practise continuous improvement and provide strategic recommendations on: New service offerings (e.g., smart vending, dining concepts, digital ordering platforms) Pricing optimisation Market expansion into new segments or geographies Contribute to annual business planning and revenue forecasting exercises Cross-Functional Leadership & Internal Collaboration Work closely with operations teams to ensure seamless transition from sales to implementation Align marketing initiatives with business development priorities to strengthen brand positioning Support the development of sales tools, case studies, and marketing collaterals Mentor junior team members and interns supporting pipeline and bid activities Represent the Company at industry networking events, trade shows, and business forums Performance Metrics (KPIs) New contract wins and annual contract value (ACV) Tender win rate Pipeline value and conversion rate Client retention rate Contract profitability and margin performance Job Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Hospitality Management, or related discipline 5–8 years of experience in business development, preferably in institutional catering, food services, facilities management, or hospitality Proven track record of managing tenders and securing B2B contracts Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyse…