Job description
Job Title: Group Sales Director
Hours: 40 hours, Monday-Friday (additional hours as required by the business)
Location: Nationwide with regular travel in East Anglia, London and the Midlands
Salary: Competitive package
Line Manager: Managing Director
The Organisation:
Lunchtime Company is a schools-only contract catering business based in Cambridge, working in schools across East Anglia and London. Our purpose is to make the lunchtime meal the highlight of the day for all pupils and our longer-term vision is to give all children a lifelong love of food and eating together. The company has an excellent reputation and an enviable record of customer retention. Currently working with 170 schools and with a turnover of £18 million, the company provides more than seven million freshly cooked meals each year. As part of our medium-term strategy, we aim to double our revenue over the next three years through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. The organisational culture at Lunchtime Company fosters employee engagement, respect and a shared sense of purpose and is built on strong leadership and collaboration.
Lunchtime Co Ltd. has recently acquired Educaterers Ltd, bringing together two successful organisations with long‑standing reputations in the school catering sector for quality, expertise and service excellence. United by a shared commitment to providing high‑quality, nutritious and healthy food alongside reliable catering services for schools and colleges, the group is now strongly positioned for its next phase of growth.
With a flexible, evolving service offering and a strong platform for growth, we are looking for an experienced sales leader who can drive momentum, open new doors, and significantly increase our services across the East of England, South of England and the Midlands.
This is far from a maintenance role, it’s a growth‑focused opportunity for someone who can shape their own success, think creatively, push boundaries and build strong commercial partnerships that elevate the group’s impact across the sector.
As Director of Sales, you'll set and deliver the commercial strategy, lead and develop the sales team and drive significant profitable year-on-year growth. You’ll manage the national sales pipeline, lead on bids, optimise pricing and ensure excellent customer retention You will also support and lead with your team on competitive retenders.
In this role, you will enjoy the unique opportunity to shape the culture and success of your team and contribute at a senior leadership level, to the strategy of the business. You will also have the opportunity to lead the sales strategy for two unique and successful brands both within the Education catering sector across three large regions of England.
Key Responsibilities include:
- Develop a Sales organisation that delivers for both businesses whilst maximising the benefits of an integrated approach.
- Spending time in the field generating and managing leads through consultants, frameworks, networking, outreach and referral opportunities.
- Build and maintain outstanding consultant relationships
- Building relationships with prospective partners, presenting opportunities, negotiating agreements and converting conversations into signed contracts.
- Financial modelling, ensuring bids and tenders remain competitive but realistic for each business to achieve using benchmarking of other recent new openings
- Monitoring market trends and competitor activity to identify growth opportunities
- Lead, coach and develop a nationwide sales team.
- Drive new business and maximise opportunities and retention within existing accounts.
- Lead on bids and relevant sales cycles.
- Ensure accurate forecasting and strong sales pipeline management.
- Collaborate with Marketing on product promotion.
- Oversee contract compliance and pricing strategy.
- Drive improvements in customer satisfaction (including NPS).
- Be responsible for the signing off all sales tenders including the written submission and financial submission
- Be responsible for ensuring the team oversee and manage all sale opportunities that come from portals
- Managing and leading the sales teams within both businesses
Skills & Experience:
- A minimum of 3 years sales experience at a strategic Director level, developing high performance sales teams preferably in the school catering industry
- A proven track record of successfully delivering profitable sales growth in excess of £10m per year
- Strong commercial, negotiation and pricing skills.
- Confident leading major bids and strategic opportunities with a strong background in producing compelling sales documentation and delivering executive-level presentations
- Excellent relationship-building skills at senior level.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Motivational, collaborative, and committed to delivering results.
- A minimum of 3-year experience in successfully managing a team of Business Development Managers (Sales Managers).
- Proven track record in holding and developing strong consultant relationships
- Proven track record in team management and leadership whilst remaining ‘hands on’
In return for your commitment and expertise, you will receive
- A competitive base salary plus attractive bonus and commission
- Company car or car allowance
- Phone, laptop and kit to work effectively from home and on the road
- Company Pension Scheme
- Life assurance and EAP scheme
- Enhance annual leave with 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
Please note: Due to high volumes of applications received, if you have not heard from us within two weeks of your application, unfortunately you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Work from home
Application question(s):
- Please attach a covering letter explaining why would like this role and why you are interested in joining Lunchtime Company.
Language:
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
