National Food Service Sales Manager

Job summary

Own and develop Kicking Horse Coffee’s national Food Service sales strategy, pipeline, customer and distributor relationships, and the systems needed to scale the channel. Coordinate cross-functional customer programs from planning and commercial agreements through equipment, service, marketing, training, launch, and ongoing growth.

Job details

What We Value Do What’s Right. It’s not always neat and tidy. It means taking care of people, the planet and the business. No posturing, no greenwashing, just grown-up conversations and real accountability. Think it through, talk it out, and keep it real. You listen like you mean it, speak with intention and make decisions that balance heart, smarts and long-term impact. No knee-jerk reactions here. Never Half-Ass It. We’re on a mission to annihilate mediocrity. It’s not about burning out - it’s about showing up, caring deeply, working smart, and taking our craft seriously (but not ourselves). Prep like a pro. You know that thoughtful planning beats last-minute scrambling. Panic is not a strategy. Cut the Bullshit. It’s about systems that work without waste, kindness without drama and root-cause thinking over quick fixes. No fluff, no fuss – just clarity, honesty and getting to the heart of things. Build trust, not gossip chains. You talk to people, not about them. You show up and create a space where everyone can thrive. Be Remarkable. We’re not here to play it safe or follow the crowd. We’re here to break patterns, defy expectations and drop a few jaws along the way. If it’s forgettable, it’s not for us. Take initiative like it’s second nature. You spot opportunities to make things better and make it happen. Do It All With Love. Love? Buck yeah, Love! It’s our not-so-secret ingredient. We care deeply about the work we do, the people we work with, and the impact we have. That love shows up in every cup. Make space for joy. You believe laughter belongs at work. You bring good vibes, light moments and know that joy fuels great work. SOUND LIKE YOUR CUPPA? APPLY. About Sound like your cuppa? You should probably apply. Since you’re more than just a resume, please be prepared to answer a few questions about yourself in your online application, including: What’s something you could talk about enthusiastically for 10 minutes with absolutely no preparation? Briefly, tell us about a product, experience, or company you genuinely love. What makes you want to recommend it to other people? Why do you want to work with us? SPIRIT OF LOVE Love means welcoming everyone to ensure an inclusive place for all. We seek team members from all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures. YOUR DAILY MISSION Build the playbook and drive national Food Service growth, quarterbacking customers, partners and teams from big ideas to flawless execution. Who Are We We’ve been making kick-ass coffee for over 30 years. We’re Canada’s #1 selling whole bean coffee. All our coffee is Fairtrade and organic, roasted right in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Don’t just take our word for it - we’ve been named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada by Great Place to Work since 2015. Not to brag ... okay, maybe just a little. Who Are You You are a builder, a connector and a closer. You know Food Service sales, but you are just as comfortable creating the systems, rhythms and processes that make growth repeatable. You bring a leadership mentality without needing a big team or a fancy org chart: you align stakeholders, challenge the status quo, turn ambiguity into a plan and keep people moving together. You are relentlessly customer-focused, commercially sharp and organized enough to keep the details, decisions and deadlines from falling through the cracks. WHAT WILL YOU DO? Build it. Align it. Make it happen. As National Food Service Sales Manager, you will own and build Kicking Horse Coffee's Food Service sales approach across Canada. Unlike a traditional Food Service role supported by a large dedicated team, you will be the quarterback for this channel within the KHC Sales team: creating the systems, processes and operating rhythms needed to grow the business, then pulling the right people together to execute. You will develop customer and distributor strategies, build and advance a national pipeline, and coordinate pricing, contracts, equipment, service, marketing, training and launch plans. You will report to the KHC Vice President of Sales and work in close partnership with the Lavazza North America Food Service team, along with internal partners across Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain. Project management is central to the role: you will lead stakeholder alignment, run productive meetings, create clear timelines, establish ownership, surface risks and decisions early, and drive work through to completion. Responsibilities Own the national Food Service sales strategy for Kicking Horse Coffee, translating company priorities into a clear channel plan, customer strategy and executable roadmap. Build the systems, processes, tools and operating rhythms required to scale the Food Service channel, including pipeline management, account planning, forecasting, launch workflows, meeting cadences and performance tracking. Quarterback cross-functional execution. Bring together the right internal and external partners, clarify ownership and decisions, remove roadblocks and keep work moving toward shared outcomes. Lead project management for customer and channel initiatives, including stakeholder mapping and alignment, effective meeting management, action and decision tracking, development of realistic timelines, risk management, and disciplined follow-through against commitments. Build and manage an active national pipeline of strategic Food Service prospects and key accounts, from opportunity identification and qualification through proposal, negotiation, launch and ongoing growth. Develop strong relationships with customers, distributors and external partners to retain business, grow profitable sales, strengthen brand presence and deliver a kick-ass customer experience. Partner with customers and internal teams to develop programs that fit customer needs, including pricing, contracts, branding and marketing materials, equipment recommendations, service requirements, training and launch support. Coordinate customer programs end-to-end, ensuring pricing, contracts, equipment, service, supply, marketing, training and operational requirements are aligned and executed. Develop and coordinate new pricing, commercial agreements and contract renewals, partnering with Finance and Sales leadership to support profitable, sustainable growth. Work in strong collaboration with the Lavazza North America Food Service team, leveraging shared expertise, capabilities, relationships and resources while representing KHC priorities and brand needs. Influence effectively across Canadian and US teams, including Sales, Trade/Customer Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and Equipment & Service, to deliver business results and a strong working culture. Use customer insights, market knowledge and performance data to identify opportunities, challenge assumptions and recommend better ways of working. Create and communicate competitive strategies and plans, maintain a strong sense of urgency and consistently drive toward ambitious results. Travel as required to support customers, distributors, partner meetings, launches, trade events and business needs, including occasional weekend travel or events. Qualifications 5-7+ years of Food Service sales experience, including experience working with distributors and strategic or key accounts. A combination of relevant education, training and equivalent professional experience that demonstrates the commercial, project leadership and relationship-management capability required for the role. A degree is not required. Demonstrated ability to build a sales channel, process or program, not just operate within an established one. Strong project management skills, with hands-on experience aligning internal and external stakeholders, leading effective meetings, building timelines and workback plans, tracking actions and decisions, and driving execution to deadline. Ability to travel regularly across Canada and, when required, to the United States. Travel may be up to approximately 50% depending on business needs. Other Information Must be legally entitled to work in Canada. This is a fully remote role, with preference for Calgary, AB or Toronto, ON based employees. This is a full-time, permanent position in our Sales department. The base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $120,000. PERKS TO PIQUE YOUR INTEREST When individuals thrive, communities thrive. And we are here to help that happen. The following perks and programs have been designed with intention, to ensure our people prosper. Mug Fillers: Damn good discounts on coffee beans and all the caffeine you will need to keep you fuelled. Benefits: Designed to support employee wellness and mental health, our benefits program is as full as our mugs! We offer our full-time team members with: Extended medical, dental and vision coverage Annual $2,000 flexible paramedical services coverage Access to our emergency or crisis support through our Employee & Family Assistance Program Annual $700 Wellness Allowance A whole heck of a lot of time off, including 4 weeks of paid vacation after one year of work Celebrate your birthday with a paid day off and a $100 gift certificate to your local business of choice Our Dream Fund provides Kicking Horse Coffee dreamers with financial funding to put towards community projects. Coffee Education: Deep dive into the soul of what we do, explore everything from processing methods to brewing techniques through our Coffee Education programming. Training and Development: We believe in supporting personal and professional growth. Learning is key to doing great work, but more than that, it helps us stay curious, adapt to change, and become masters of our fields. Exceptional Human Beans: Working with a kick-ass team? We think that is the best perk of all. Our crew of coffee lovers love what they do and are great at it too! The Pay Range For This Role Is 110,000 - 120,000 CAD per year(Canada)

What you’ll do

Own and develop Kicking Horse Coffee’s national Food Service sales strategy, pipeline, customer and distributor relationships, and the systems needed to scale the channel. Coordinate cross-functional customer programs from planning and commercial agreements through equipment, service, marketing, training, launch, and ongoing growth.

Requirements

Requires 5–7+ years of Food Service sales experience, including work with distributors and strategic or key accounts, plus demonstrated ability to build a sales channel, process, or program. Candidates should have strong project management and stakeholder coordination skills and be able to travel regularly across Canada and, when needed, the United States; a degree is not required.

Benefits

• Coffee Discounts
• Extended Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Annual Param medical Services Coverage
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Annual Wellness Allowance
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Birthday Leave
• Birthday Gift Certificate
• Community Project Funding
• Coffee Education
• Training and Development

Listed skills

• Project management · Preferred
• Forecasting · Preferred
• Contract Negotiation · Preferred
• Cross-Functional Collaboration · Preferred
• Risk Management · Preferred
• Team Leadership · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Food Service Sales
• Sales Strategy
• Channel Development
• Project Management
• Pipeline Management
• Account Planning
• Forecasting
• Stakeholder Alignment
• Customer Relationship Management
• Distributor Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Pricing Strategy
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Risk Management
• Market Analysis
• Team Leadership

Job areas

• Sales
• Management & Leadership
• Food & Beverage
• Marketing
• Logistics