Program Sales Manager

About Van Eerden Foodservice

We’re a fourth generation, family-owned distributor based in Grand Rapids, MI, with over a century of delivering Fresh Ideas, Fresh Products, and Fresh Solutions to our customers. We believe in treating our team like family and our customers like partners- because when our people succeed we all do. At Van Eerden, you’re a part of a family-owned company that’s been committed to excellence in foodservice for more than 100 years. 

We are seeking a high-impact Program Sales Manager to lead the strategic growth, profitability, and retention of our multi-unit and program sales portfolio. This role is built for a commercially driven leader who thrives at the intersection of enterprise business development and portfolio optimization.

You will be responsible for securing new large-scale restaurant groups while unlocking incremental value from existing programs—designing commercial strategies, improving margins, and ensuring operational excellence that delivers for both the customer and the business.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Business Development & Market Expansion

• Win New Enterprise Business: Identify, pursue, and secure high-potential multi-unit restaurant groups and regional chains, building a robust and sustainable sales pipeline.
• Lead Complex RFPs: Own the full RFP lifecycle, crafting compelling value propositions, sophisticated pricing models, and program structures that attract and retain “anchor” accounts.
• Strengthen Market Positioning: Track industry trends and competitor activity to continuously refine and differentiate our enterprise service offerings.
• Ensure Seamless Onboarding: Guide new customers from contract execution through go-live, ensuring service levels, delivery milestones, and program expectations are met from day one.

Commercial Excellence & Profitability Optimization

• Protect and Grow Margins: Conduct financial reviews of existing programs to identify pricing gaps, margin erosion, and cost-recovery opportunities.
• Enhance Program Economics: Negotiate deviated costs, manufacturer rebates, and private brand conversions to improve profitability.
• Optimize Cost-to-Serve: Partner with Operations and Purchasing to improve order cadence, drop sizes, and inventory velocity—balancing efficiency with customer expectations.
• Ensure Contract Compliance: Monitor purchase adherence and volume commitments to maximize portfolio yield and program integrity.

Strategic Account Management & Consultative Leadership

• Executive-Level Partnerships: Serve as the trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders within key accounts, building long-term, value-driven relationships.
• Insight-Led QBRs: Deliver data-rich Quarterly Business Reviews that provide clear, actionable insights on spend, usage patterns, and supply chain performance.
• Senior Issue Resolution: Act as the escalation point for complex operational, service, or financial challenges, ensuring swift resolution and sustained customer confidence.
• Proactive Solutioning: Introduce innovative product solutions and supply chain improvements that support customer growth and operational goals.

What You Bring

• 5–7 years of progressive experience in multi-unit foodservice sales, enterprise distribution, or strategic program management.
• Proven success in complex contract negotiations, financial modeling, P&L management, and leading RFP processes.
• Ability to drive outcomes across Sales, Finance, Operations, and Purchasing—without direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency with ERP systems, pricing tools, and Excel to support data-driven decision-making.
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, compelling business insights.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage starting after 30 days.
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k) with 50% company match.
• Referral bonus