National Sales Manager - HoReCa & Institutional Sales

Location: Mumbai

Function: Sales

Industry: Foods / FMCG

Channel: HoReCa & Institutional

Role Overview:

We are looking to hire a National Sales Manager - HoReCa & Institutional Sales for a leading player in the Foods / FMCG industry.

The role will be responsible for driving the national HoReCa and Institutional business, developing channel strategy, expanding the customer base, strengthening distributor and institutional networks, and delivering revenue and profitability targets.

The incumbent will own relationships with key HoReCa and institutional customers and work closely with internal teams across Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Production and Product Development to drive sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

1. National Sales Strategy:

- Develop and execute the national sales strategy for the HoReCa and Institutional channel in line with overall business objectives.

- Drive revenue, volume, distribution and profitability targets across key markets.

- Identify high-potential markets, customer segments and growth opportunities.

- Develop channel-specific plans covering pricing, product mix, customer acquisition and market expansion.

- Build a scalable and sustainable HoReCa & Institutional business model.

2. HoReCa Business Development:

- Develop relationships with key customers across hotels, restaurants, cafes, QSRs, cloud kitchens, caterers, foodservice operators and institutional kitchens.

- Identify and onboard new national, regional and local accounts.

- Develop strategic partnerships with large foodservice groups and chains.

- Drive penetration and share of wallet within existing accounts.

- Understand customer requirements and identify opportunities for customised products, pack sizes and solutions.

3. Institutional Sales:

- Build and grow business with large institutional customers including corporate, education, healthcare, government and other institutional accounts, as relevant to the portfolio.

- Develop institutional account plans and manage the complete sales cycle from prospecting to commercial closure.

- Lead negotiations on pricing, contracts, volumes, payment terms and service levels.

- Develop long-term relationships with procurement heads, commercial teams, chefs and other key decision-makers.

4. Key Account Management:

- Own strategic national and regional accounts and ensure strong customer relationships.

- Develop annual business plans and Joint Business Plans with key accounts.

- Monitor account-wise revenue, margins, volumes and growth.

- Identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities.

- Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.

5. Distributor & Channel Development:

- Develop and strengthen the HoReCa distributor and institutional partner network across key geographies.

- Identify, appoint and manage distributors based on market potential, infrastructure, financial strength and service capability.

- Establish appropriate distributor margins, targets and performance metrics.

- Improve channel productivity, coverage and market penetration.

- Monitor distributor performance and ensure effective inventory management.

6. Revenue & Profitability Management:

- Deliver topline, volume and profitability targets for the channel.

- Manage pricing, trade margins, discounts and commercial terms.

- Monitor contribution margins and identify opportunities for improving channel profitability.

- Ensure disciplined credit and collections management.

- Track business performance through regular MIS and sales analytics.

7. Market Intelligence:

- Track market trends, customer needs, competitor activity and pricing.

- Identify emerging opportunities within the foodservice and institutional market.

- Monitor competitor products, pack sizes, pricing and go-to-market strategies.

- Translate market insights into actionable sales and business development initiatives.

8. Cross-Functional Collaboration:

- Work closely with Marketing on channel-specific campaigns, launches and customer activation.

- Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure product availability and service levels.

- Coordinate with Finance on pricing, credit and collections.

- Work with Product Development / R&D to identify customer-led product opportunities.

- Ensure alignment between demand generation, sales commitments and supply planning.

9. Team Leadership:

- Lead, mentor and develop the national HoReCa and Institutional sales team.

- Define regional / team-wise targets, KPIs and accountabilities.

- Build capabilities across key account management, distributor management, negotiation and consultative selling.

- Drive a performance-oriented sales culture.

- Ensure effective sales coverage across priority markets.

Key Performance Indicators:

- National HoReCa & Institutional revenue growth

- Volume and market expansion

- New customer acquisition

- Key account growth and retention

- Distributor network expansion and productivity

- Gross margin / contribution margin

- Customer profitability

- Collection efficiency / DSO

- Market penetration and geographic expansion

- Sales team productivity

Candidate Profile:

- 15+ years of experience in Sales / Business Development, preferably within Foods, FMCG, Foodservice or related industries.

- Strong experience in HoReCa, Institutional, Foodservice or B2B sales is essential.

- Proven experience managing national / regional key accounts and distributor networks.

- Experience working with hotels, restaurants, QSRs, cafes, caterers, cloud kitchens or large institutional customers would be advantageous.

- Strong understanding of the Indian foodservice market and channel dynamics.

- Demonstrated track record of delivering revenue and profitability growth.

- Strong commercial and negotiation skills.

- Experience in leading and developing geographically distributed sales teams.

- Strong analytical, relationship management and business development capabilities.

Preferred Industry Background:

- Candidates from Foods / FMCG, Dairy, Frozen Foods, Processed Foods, Ingredients, Foodservice, QSR or allied categories would be preferred.