K-12 Business Development-Southeast

Position purpose Taher is seeking four accomplished, entrepreneurial sales leaders to drive new-business growth within our K-12 and education dining portfolio. The right candidate will be primarily responsible for developing business within an assigned priority market. The leader will build relationships, create opportunities and translate Taher's culinary, nutrition and operating capabilities into compelling solutions for prospective education partners. Candidates may be hired at the Director or Vice President level based on experience, industry relationships, demonstrated sales results and the scope of the assigned market. These roles require executive-level relationship building, disciplined pipeline development and the ability to navigate complex public-sector procurement and RFP processes. Each sales leader will work closely with Operations, Culinary, Nutrition, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Procurement and other internal partners so the business Taher pursues and wins is financially sound, operationally executable and aligned with the company's long-term strategy. New business growth

• Build and execute a strategic sales plan focused on new K-12, independent school and education partnerships across assigned and emerging markets.
• Develop a disciplined pipeline with clear account priorities, decision makers, contract timing, next steps, probability and potential value.
• Create opportunities through direct outreach, referrals, networking, conferences, professional associations and market intelligence rather than relying primarily on inbound leads.
• Build relationships with superintendents, business officials, school administrators, boards, procurement leaders and other key stakeholders well before a formal solicitation is released.
• Develop a market-specific growth strategy for the assigned priority market while identifying additional approved opportunities that align with Taher's growth strategy. Sales process and pursuit leadership
• Own qualified opportunities from initial discovery through solution development, proposal, presentation, negotiation and transition to Operations.
• Lead responses to RFPs, RFQs and other formal procurement opportunities, ensuring proposals are differentiated, accurate and responsive to client needs.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to develop pricing, budgets, pro formas, staffing assumptions and commercial terms that support profitable, sustainable growth.
• Coordinate discovery meetings, site visits, tastings, finalist presentations and executive-level conversations.
• Ensure commitments made during the sales process are clearly documented, understood internally and operationally achievable. Executive relationships and market visibility
• Develop trusted, long-term relationships with prospective clients and influential education leaders across target markets.
• Maintain an active presence within school nutrition, education, procurement and administrative professional networks and associations.
• Represent Taher at conferences, trade shows, district meetings and relevant community or industry events.
• Understand each prospect's goals, financial considerations, operational challenges, culture and community expectations, and tailor Taher's approach accordingly.
• Maintain high standards of responsiveness, follow-through and professional credibility throughout long sales cycles. Cross-functional partnership
• Engage Operations early in qualified pursuits so operating leaders help shape solutions and understand commitments before award.
• Collaborate with Culinary, Nutrition, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Procurement and other functions to build integrated client solutions.
• Create a disciplined handoff from Sales to Operations following contract award and remain engaged through implementation where needed.
• Partner with leadership to evaluate opportunity quality, strategic fit, risk, financial return and organizational capacity before advancing major pursuits. Team leadership and accountability
• Lead, develop and align a high-performing sales team around clear market priorities, pipeline discipline and measurable growth expectations.
• Establish consistent sales practices, account planning, forecasting, opportunity reviews and follow-through across the team.
• Create accountability for both activity and outcomes while reinforcing collaborative selling with Operations and other internal partners.
• Provide leadership with regular pipeline forecasts, market intelligence, competitive insights and recommendations for growth investment. Market intelligence and strategy
• Monitor competitor activity, contract expirations, enrollment and demographic shifts, procurement cycles and emerging client needs.
• Maintain strategic target-account lists by geography and prioritize prospects based on fit, timing, relationship access and commercial potential.
• Identify underserved markets, partnership opportunities and service concepts that can strengthen Taher's competitive position.
• Use win/loss insights and client feedback to continuously improve positioning, pursuit strategy and sales execution. Why Taher Taher is a family-owned organization with decades of experience providing foodservice management across K-12 education, business and industry, senior living, healthcare, restaurants and food manufacturing. Our growth has been built through relationships, strong operations, culinary expertise and a commitment to finding solutions for the people and communities we serve.

Experience and qualifications

• Significant progressive experience in business development, sales, strategic growth or client acquisition, with demonstrated success winning complex new business.
• Experience in K-12 foodservice, education services, contract dining, hospitality, facilities services or another complex outsourced-services environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new relationships and new-logo revenue rather than primarily managing existing accounts.
• Experience navigating formal RFP, public procurement and multi-stakeholder decision processes.
• Strong financial acumen, including the ability to understand pricing, budgets, margins, labor models, pro formas and business cases.
• Exceptional executive communication, presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to influence across functions and lead through collaboration in an entrepreneurial, family-owned environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout the assigned market and nationally as business needs require. Leadership expectations The successful candidate is a true growth leader: entrepreneurial, persistent, relational and commercially disciplined. They create opportunities rather than waiting for them, build genuine relationships rather than transactional contacts, and understand that the best sales are profitable, executable and sustainable. This leader should be equally comfortable with a superintendent, CFO, school board, operations executive, chef or frontline leader. They must combine urgency with sound judgment, collaborate effectively across the organization and represent Taher's culture, capabilities and values with credibility. EOE/AA