Director of Foodservice Sales

Position Overview

The Director of Foodservice Sales is the primary business unit leader for the Foodservice segment at Nolan Ryan Brands. This role owns the growth, discipline, team leadership, and financial stewardship of the Foodservice business across all geographies and distributors.

Responsible for people, performance, sample and promotional spend, distributor partnerships, operator development, and forecasting. The Director ensures the Foodservice team operates with accountability, structure, and excellence.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead the Foodservice Sales Organization

·       Manage and develop all Foodservice Area Sales Managers (ASMs).

·       Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, discipline, and operator-driven growth.

·       Conduct weekly 1:1s, monthly market reviews, and quarterly business planning sessions.

·       Provide coaching, field support, and structured skill development.

·       Build succession plans, recruiting pipelines, and market staffing strategies.

2. Own Foodservice Forecasting, Planning & Performance

·       Lead all forecasting for Foodservice volume across distributors, markets, and product groups.

·       Ensure accurate rolling forecasts through consistent input from ASMs and distributor partners.

·       Partner with Supply Chain on demand planning and cost management.

·       Work with Finance to align volume expectations, margin targets, and promotional assumptions.

·       Conduct monthly business reviews with leadership.

3. Manage Promotional & Trade Spend (Foodservice P&L Levers)

·       Own the Foodservice promotional calendar, spending guardrails, and return-on-investment criteria.

·       Approve or deny promotional requests and deviations submitted by ASMs.

·       Track, measure, and report on:

o   Deviations

o   Broker/distributor program costs

o   Foodshow commitments

o   Operator-specific deals

·       Partner with Finance to ensure programs are:

o   Documented

o   Within budget

o   Measured for impact

This role becomes the financial steward of Foodservice — ensuring NRB grows strategically, not wastefully.

4. Own Sample Management & Accountability

·       Manage the annual sample budget and monthly tracking.

·       Approve sample requests from ASMs; ensure appropriate documentation.

·       Build discipline around when samples are earned, justified, and followed up.

·       Monitor sample utilization by market, operator, and potential revenue impact.

·       Partner with Supply Chain to ensure efficient logistics, replenishment, and cost control.

5. Distributor Partnership Leadership

·       Collaborate with distributor GMs, sales leads, and operational teams to drive:

o   Menu adoption

o   Sales rep engagement

o   Foodshow execution

o   Training participation

o   Growth in new and existing markets

6. Strategic Account Development

·       Lead high-priority operator pursuits, multi-unit opportunities, and critical account retention efforts.

·       Support ASMs in complex or high-visibility situations.

·       Partner with Marketing & Customer Engagement on pitch materials, activations, and operator training.

7. Cross-Functional Leadership

Partner across the organization to ensure Foodservice needs are translated into operational action:

·       Customer Engagement: training, activations, foodshows

·       Marketing & Creative: sales tools, launch kits, materials

·       Supply Chain: demand planning, item setup, pricing alignment, product availability

·       Finance: promo/trade reporting, monthly forecasts, margin tracking, ASM performance

·       VP Sales & Marketing: strategic market development, quarterly reviews, long-term planning

8. Leadership, Culture & Succession

·       Create a strong cultural foundation within the Foodservice team.

·       Build scalable processes and systems that professionalize the function.

·       Demonstrate executive maturity and cross-functional influence.

Qualifications

·       10+ years in Foodservice sales, distribution management, or commercial leadership roles.

·       Experience managing multi-market sales teams and distributors.

·       Strong understanding of Foodservice economics (pricing, deviations, margin, promotions).

·       Proven ability to lead forecasting, pipeline management, and market planning.

·       Exceptional leadership, communication, and coaching skills.

·       Strong analytical mindset; comfortable working with Finance and Supply Chain.

·       Ability to command a room with distributors, operators, and internal stakeholders.

·       Willingness to travel 40–60%.

·       High integrity, high accountability, strong business judgment.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Nolan Ryan Brands complies with its reasonable accommodation obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and state law.
• Interactive and fast-paced team-orientated tasks.
• Required to wear appropriate clothing as outlined in company handbook.

To Apply
If interested, please send a cover letter and resumé to:
Chris Meighen
Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Nolan Ryan Brands
3500 East Palm Valley Blvd, Suite 1
Round Rock, TX 78665
cmeighen@nolanryanbrands.com