HoReCa Sales Manager – Foodservice

Role Summary

This is a hunter-farmer role that combines new business development with deep account ownership. The HoReCa Sales Manager is the primary commercial face of our client in Kenya’s premium foodservice market — driving revenue growth while protecting margin, credit discipline, and service standards that Kenya’s top hotels and restaurants demand.
Our client is Kenya’s leading meat processing company, supplying hotels, restaurants, caterers, and institutional foodservice operators with premium beef, lamb, chicken, goat, and seafood products. The HoReCa Sales Manager will own end-to-end commercial responsibility for the foodservice channel in the Nairobi region, building trusted relationships with executive chefs, F&B managers, and procurement teams across Kenya’s most demanding accounts.

Key Responsibilities

Account Development & New Business

Build and maintain a structured pipeline of HoReCa prospects across Nairobi and surrounding regions
Open new accounts across hotels, standalone restaurants, restaurant chains, QSR operators, catering companies, and institutional foodservice
Conduct kitchen visits, product trials, sampling events, and chef demos to convert prospects into active accounts
Prepare and submit competitive proposals and tender responses for hotel groups and institutional contracts

Account Management & Service Delivery

Own day-to-day relationships with executive chefs, F&B managers, and procurement contacts across assigned accounts
Take, validate, and follow through on orders end-to-end — from order capture to delivery confirmation
Resolve service issues (short deliveries, quality complaints, temperature breaches, missed delivery slots) quickly and professionally
Conduct regular structured review meetings with key accounts; track share of wallet and identify upsell opportunities

Commercial Performance

Achieve monthly volume, revenue, and gross margin targets
Negotiate pricing within approved bands; escalate margin-dilutive requests appropriately rather than concede unilaterally
Enforce agreed credit terms; coordinate with finance to keep DSO and AR aging within company limits
Place new accounts on appropriate credit terms only after due diligence and approval

Reporting & Market Intelligence

Maintain accurate and up-to-date CRM records — visits, pipeline stage, forecast, account plans
Submit weekly sales reports, monthly forecasts, and quarterly account reviews
Provide actionable market intelligence on competitor activity, pricing moves, new product opportunities, and emerging accounts

Requirements

Mandatory Requirements

Candidates must meet ALL of the following criteria to be considered:

Direct HoReCa Sales Experience

Minimum 5 years in HoReCa / foodservice sales in Kenya
Verifiable account references with named decision-maker contacts
Demonstrated track record of owning and growing a portfolio of foodservice accounts

Meat Industry & Cold Chain Expertise

Background in meat, poultry, seafood, or chilled/frozen perishables
Hands-on knowledge of cold chain handling, temperature integrity during delivery, FIFO discipline, and shelf-life management
Understanding of food safety practices relevant to perishable protein distribution

Product & Cuts Knowledge

Working knowledge of primal and secondary cuts across chicken, beef, lamb, goat, fish, and other proteins
Ability to discuss cuts, yields, portion weights, and applications confidently with executive chefs and butchery teams
Understanding of custom specifications, packing formats, and portion-controlled products

Chef Order Management

Demonstrated ability to take, interpret, and execute complex chef orders accurately (mixed cuts, custom specifications, portion weights, packing formats)
Experience managing recurring standing orders alongside ad-hoc special requests

Margin & Credit Discipline

Track record of protecting gross margin against constant chef and procurement pressure for special pricing
Proven discipline managing accounts receivable in a channel notorious for slow payment
Ability to balance commercial growth against credit risk and DSO targets

Preferred Qualifications

Existing relationships with 4-star and 5-star hotel groups in Nairobi: Serena, Fairmont, Sarova, Kempinski, Hemingways, Tribe, Radisson, Movenpick, and similar
Experience with airline catering, institutional catering, or hospital and corporate foodservice tenders
Established rolodex of executive chefs, sous chefs, F&B managers, and procurement heads at premium Nairobi accounts
Familiarity with Halal-certified supply chain requirements and documentation
Prior exposure to HACCP, food safety standards, and traceability requirements expected by international hotel brands

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality, Food Science, or a related discipline
Equivalent industry experience will be given priority over academic qualifications alone
Additional certification in food safety, HACCP, or culinary fundamentals is a distinct advantage

Skills & Competencies

Strong negotiation skills — able to confidently defend pricing under sustained chef and procurement pressure
Commercial literacy — thinks in gross margin percentage, not just topline revenue
Confident kitchen presence — can hold substantive conversations with executive chefs about cuts, yields, menu costing, and product applications
Service mindset — understands that one missed delivery to a 5-star account can cost the entire relationship
Self-driven — able to plan own route, manage own time, and operate with minimal daily supervision
CRM and pipeline discipline; comfortable with structured weekly reporting cadence
Valid Kenyan driving licence and willingness to travel within Nairobi and to upcountry accounts when required

Benefits:

Vehicle or transport allowance
Airtime Allowance
Performance Pay: Variable pay tied to volume, gross margin, and accounts receivable discipline

Apply Through:

cdl.zohorecruit.com