Sales & Business Development Manager (m/w/d) Food-Packaging

• You analyse the German market, identify attractive segments and customers, and develop a robust sales and market entry strategy
• You independently build a pipeline, acquire new customers and guide them from initial idea through solution development to contract closure
• You advise customers with deep expertise on packaging materials, barrier properties, recyclability and process reliability – with a consultative, solution-oriented sales approach
• You win suppliers, converters, manufacturers and co-packers as partners and build a strong, reliable network
• You work closely with our sister company NJB in Ireland, leveraging their 40+ years of food packaging expertise and translating it into concrete business opportunities in the German market
• You actively feed market and customer requirements into the development of the group-wide product offering
• You progressively expand the business beyond Germany into the wider DACH region and further European markets

Your key growth areas:

• Material transition and sustainability consulting in the context of PPWR (mono-PE, mono-PP, recyclable structures)
• High-barrier and functional packaging for sensitive food products (cheese, meat & charcuterie, ready meals, MAP applications)
• Resealable, easy-peel and portion solutions with technical consulting needs
• Nutritional supplements / nutraceuticals and premium pet food

Pouches, doypacks and smaller batch sizes remain possible solution formats but are not the sole focus.

You bring several years of commercial experience in food packaging or a closely related area of flexible packaging.

What you bring:

• You have a proven track record of independently building new customers, markets or sales structures – not just managing existing territories
• You understand the decision-making processes, requirements and quality standards in the food industry
• You advise customers credibly on packaging materials, technologies and applications and listen carefully to what the customer truly needs
• You have a solid technical understanding at the intersection of materials, packaging processes, filling and customer-specific applications
• Ideally, you have a strong network of suppliers, converters, manufacturers and packaging end-users
• You communicate confidently in German and are comfortable working in English in an international environment
• You are willing to travel, visit customers regularly in person and are comfortable working with CRM (e.g. Zoho) and ERP systems

A clear advantage, not a must:

• Experience with high-barrier films, functional packaging or material transitions (mono-PE/PP, PPWR)
• Knowledge in the area of nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals or premium pet food
• Experience in a machinery-adjacent environment (filling/packaging technology)

What matters more than your previous title is what you have personally built and achieved in the market.

You are an Entrepreneurial Hunter: self-motivated, persistent, hands-on and with a sharp eye for business opportunities. You open doors, listen, understand what the customer needs and turn that into concrete solutions. You work independently yet closely with the team – not a lone wolf, but a smart salesperson with situational awareness who strikes the right tone, whether speaking with the CEO or the procurement department.

• You have several years of commercial experience in food packaging or in a closely related area of flexible packaging.
• You have already built up new customers, markets, product fields, or sales structures.
• You know the decision-making processes and requirements within the food industry.
• You can credibly advise customers on packaging materials, technologies, and applications.
• You have a solid technical understanding at the interface of material, packaging process, filling, and customer-specific application.
• You have practical knowledge of high-barrier films, functional packaging, or material conversions.
• Experience with mono-PE, mono-PP, recyclability, and PPWR is a clear advantage.
• You ideally have a strong network of suppliers, converters, manufacturers, co-packers, and packaging users.
• You are willing to visit customers regularly in person and actively develop the market.
• You communicate confidently in German and can hold your own in English in an international environment.
• You are an entrepreneurial hunter: self-motivated, persistent, hands-on, and with a strong instinct for business opportunities. You open doors, turn market observations into concrete approaches, and stay consistently on track even through longer sales and development cycles.

• Attractive compensation package: Fixed salary plus variable compensation based on realistic yet ambitious targets (capped at 125%)
• Company car for private use
• Maximum flexibility: Remote working model with on-site presence approximately once a month. Location is secondary; travel expenses and accommodation are covered
• 30 days of annual leave
• Company health insurance
• “Stay Fit Bonus”: EUR 50 per month via company credit card
• Modern equipment: Smartphone, laptop and other equipment, also for private use
• Structured onboarding: Initial training on site, followed by independent market development
• Freedom to shape the role: Independently build up a new Food Packaging business unit, reporting directly to the CEO
• A family-owned company with a strong heritage: Owner-managed across several generations, with short decision-making processes, an informal “you” culture and a loyal team where people enjoy working
• Strong professional support: Access to more than 40 years of food-packaging expertise from the sister company NJB in Ireland