Sr Manager, Customer Development
Atlanta, GA, US, 30301
Hungry for a career that’s as rewarding as it is delicious?
At Aspire Bakeries, we don’t just bake breads, cookies, and cakes - we create foods that bring people together. From La Brea Bakery artisan breads to Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, our products are enjoyed by millions of people every day. And behind every bite are talented manufacturing and support teams who take pride in their work and our food.
We’re looking for hard-working people who will bring integrity, creativity, and a passion for excellence to everything they do—whether that’s on the bakery floor, in the office, or supporting customers. In return, we offer a workplace culture built on care, ownership, and growth—where your contributions matter and your career can rise as high as our bread loaves!
With 13 commercial bakeries across North America and a reputation as an industry leader, Aspire Bakeries is rising together with our people and our customers to be the best all-around bakery solution. If you’re ready to grow with us, we’d love to hear from you.
Why You’ll Love Working At Aspire Bakeries
-
Health & Wellness – Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus company-paid life insurance and additional voluntary options to fit your needs.
-
Work-Life Balance – Paid parental leave, generous paid time off, and holidays so you can recharge and spend time on what matters most.
-
Financial Security – A competitive 401(k) with immediate company match, plus short- and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind.
-
Growth & Development – Tuition reimbursement, learning opportunities, and career paths in a variety of expert areas.
-
Flexibility & Support – HSA and FSA plans to help you manage everyday expenses.
-
Recognition & Rewards – Performance incentive plans that celebrate achievements across sales, bakery performance, and individual contributions.
About the Role
We are seeking a Sr. Manager, Customer Development to join our team. As a Sr. Manager, Customer Development, you will be accountable for targeted Aspire Bakeries K-12 accounts and targets with a team across the United States. This position will be reporting directly to the Sr. Director of Customer Development. This individual will work closely with the K-12 team as well as shared functional resources (Analytics, Replenishment, Customer Marketing, Category Management, R&D, Marketing, Operations, and Finance) to manage and develop the Aspire Bakeries business. This position will manage an existing customer base, our K-12 broker network as well as develop new customer opportunities.
Core Accountabilities (What You’ll be Doing)
- Overall Account responsibility for targeted accounts. Works to obtain and exceed current budget and profit goals.
- Managing existing business through pricing negotiations, contract extensions, bids, etc. Monitors customers supply chain activity.
- Prospecting new customers and business. Manages product development process and commercialization with internal cross functional teams.
- Planning – identify menu gaps, promotional opportunities and key development initiatives to gain incremental sales.
- Budget – work to develop and manage budgets pertaining to sales, margin, program funds, and allowances.
- Forecasting – direct responsibility for managing product forecasting and roll outs of new foods.
- Team – work with partner functions such as Marketing to identify and pursue ideas, projects, opportunities that have the biggest sales and margin potential.
- Communication – raise awareness of account issues, opportunities and results through weekly C4C status report, and constant discussion horizontally and vertically throughout the organization.
- Represent Aspire Bakeries at tradeshows and customer conferences as needed.
- Maintain customer correspondence and price quote files and ensure that we have the correct financial documentation and back-up.
- Develop knowledge of our bakeries, capabilities, categories, and food handling.
- Interact with other departments in the organization to ensure the proper management of customer requirements.
Minimum Qualifications (What You Bring to the Table) (Required to be considered)
- Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, Communication, Culinary or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 6-10 years of K-12 experience, account management, sales experience with a proven track record of success and team building. You must have customer intimacy and experience with assigned accounts and new growth within the US K-12 foot print.
- Proficient in MS Office, specifically PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
- Must have excellent communication skills and be able to collaborate well with others.
Preferred Qualifications (Extra Ingredients for Success) (Nice-to-haves that could set candidates apart)
- The successful candidate will have a heavy focus on new business generation but must be able to also manage and grow existing customer base.
- Previous, demonstrated success in achieving incremental product placement with major accounts resulting from specific initiatives.
- Broker management experience is a plus.
- Prior Bakery experience and or a culinary background preferred. Excellent interpersonal and written and spoken communication skills needed.
- Ability to survive, thrive in opportunistic but fairly unstructured environment.
- 25% to 50% travel is required.
- Candidate must be based near a major airport within the US. No relocation is available for this position.
Compensation
Salary Range: $108,000 - $145,000
Our Culture & Values
At Aspire Bakeries, great people make great food—and even greater workplaces. Our culture thrives on collaboration, diversity, and a shared passion for excellence. We support team members, empower growth, and encourage everyone to bring their authentic selves to work.
Call to Action
Ready to grow your career with a company that values your work and your future?
Apply today and become part of our team at Aspire Bakeries!
Aspire Bakeries LLC values the contribution each Team Member brings to our organization. The final determination of a successful candidate’s starting pay will vary based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to location, shift, education, skill, and experience within the job or the industry. The pay scale listed for this position is generally for candidates that meet the specified qualifications and requirements listed in this specific job description. Additional pay may be determined for those candidates that exceed these specified qualifications and requirements. We provide a competitive compensation package that recognizes your experience, credentials, and education alongside a robust benefits program to meet your needs. For union-represented postings, wage rates and ranges are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Aspire Bakeries is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.
