[Hiring] Regional Sales Director @Shinkei

Role Description

Seremoni is seeking a results-driven Regional Sales Director to lead growth across distribution and foodservice channels -- the channels that get Seremoni Grade seafood into the hands of the country's top chefs, hospitality groups, and specialty distributors. This role is responsible for building scalable commercial strategy, developing high-value distributor and foodservice partnerships, and driving revenue and margin growth across the portfolio. The Director will lead the distribution and foodservice sales function with a specified Region, guide go-to-market strategy, and serve as a key commercial partner to company leadership.

Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Develop and execute long-term distribution and foodservice sales strategy aligned with company growth objectives, from annual channel plans to multi-year account roadmaps.
  • Define channel, pricing, and customer acquisition strategy to maximize margin and market share across specialty distribution, broadline foodservice, and hospitality segments.
  • Identify white-space opportunities - new distributor partners, geographies, and foodservice verticals (healthcare, education, corporate dining) - and build the business case to pursue them.
  • Set the annual channel plan and own the forecast that ties it to Seremoni's supply.
• Market Expansion & Enterprise Accounts
  • Lead enterprise business development with foodservice operators, hospitality groups, and restaurant groups within a specified Region.
  • Own executive-level customer relationships and contract negotiations with distributor and foodservice accounts, from initial pitch through pricing, terms, and renewal.
  • Build a pipeline of new specialty and broadline distributor partners, prioritizing markets where Seremoni Grade's quality and traceability story commands a premium.
  • Represent Seremoni at industry trade shows, chef showcases, and distributor sales meetings to build the brand's presence in the field.
• Team Leadership & Performance
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Sales Managers, providing regular coaching on account strategy, negotiation, and pipeline management.
  • Establish managerial KPIs, performance standards, and accountability systems, including recurring business reviews and course-correction plans.
  • Recruit and onboard new Sales Managers as the channel scales, building a bench ready for future promotion.
  • Foster a culture of accountability and product pride, ensuring the team can speak fluently to Seremoni's quality and traceability advantage.
• Go-to-Market & Product Strategy
  • Direct go-to-market execution for new product introductions with Marketing, QA, and Operations, from distributor onboarding through first shipment.
  • Partner with QA and Operations on cold-chain handling and freshness standards specific to distributor and foodservice logistics.
  • Translate customer and chef feedback into product, packaging, and spec recommendations for the innovation pipeline.
• Channel Partnerships
  • Build and manage Seremoni's broker and distributor network, setting clear performance expectations and scorecards.
  • Optimize route-to-market strategy across all distribution and foodservice channels, balancing direct relationships with broker-managed accounts.
  • Negotiate distribution agreements, volume minimums, and exclusivity terms where appropriate.
  • Resolve escalated service, quality, or fulfillment issues with distributor partners before they threaten the relationship.
• Financial & Sales Operations
  • Own forecasting, pipeline strategy, CRM systems, and revenue reporting for your channel.
  • Track gross margin, customer profitability, and growth metrics, flagging risk early given Seremoni's perishable, allocation-driven supply.
  • Manage trade spend, sampling budgets, and account-level P&L for your channel.
  • Travel up to 50% to visit distributor partners, foodservice accounts, and industry events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or a related field (MBA preferred).
• 8-12+ years of progressive foodservice, protein, or seafood distribution sales leadership experience, including direct P&L or channel ownership.
• Demonstrated experience managing and growing a team of sales managers or senior reps.

Requirements

• Executive-level strategic selling and negotiation capabilities.
• Strong understanding of national foodservice distribution and distributor go-to-market models (broadline vs. specialty, broker-managed vs. direct).
• Proven experience launching products and scaling sales teams.
• Advanced CRM and analytics proficiency, including comfort with margin/profitability data.
• Comfort operating with real supply constraints (allocation, seasonality, perishability) and communicating trade-offs to customers.
• Familiarity with foodservice/hospitality buying cycles - contract terms, RFPs, and seasonal menu planning.

Benefits

• The chance to build the commercial engine for a category-defining seafood brand, with real ownership over how our distribution and foodservice channels take shape.