The Business Development Manager will be responsible for driving revenue growth, expanding market share, and client retention within the company's Institutional Catering business. This role requires a commercially astute, strategic, and results-driven professional with strong experience in B2B sales, bid management, and contract negotiations within the food services and hospitality sectors.
The incumbent will lead the full business development lifecycle - From pipeline generation and tender strategy, to contract award and client retention.
Job Responsibilities:
Business Development & Market Expansion
- Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities within the institutional catering sector (e.g. corporates, manufacturing plants, healthcare, and education)
- Develop and execute structured go-to-market strategies to penetrate target industry segments
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, service owners, process owners, and other relevant stakeholders to drive long-term business growth
- Lead end-to-end proposal development, including RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, tenders, pricing models, and client presentations
- Own the bid strategy - Including solution positioning, competitive differentiation, commercial assessment, and value proposition development
- Collaborate with culinary, operations, finance, and procurement teams to develop commercially viable and operationally executable solutions
- Track and manage the business development pipeline, ensuring accurate forecasting and reporting
Account Management and Client Retention
- Develop and implement strategies to retain and grow existing accounts beyond their contractual scope
- Identify client retention opportunities such as new value-added services, special events, wellness programmes, and retail concepts
- Evaluate pricing models, cost structures, and contract profitability to ensure sustainable margins
- Monitor financial performance of secured contracts and drive corrective actions where necessary
- Support contract negotiations, renewals, and extension strategies to maximise lifetime customer value
- Ensure strong stakeholder engagement post-award to facilitate smooth onboarding and contract mobilisation
Tender Governance & Commercial Excellence
- Ensure all tenders and proposals are aligned with company risk frameworks and profitability thresholds
- Conduct commercial risk assessments and scenario planning before submission
- Ensure proposal templates are convincing and relevant to each client, costing frameworks, and bid documentation processes to improve efficiency and win rates
- Maintain compliance with procurement policies and institutional tender requirements
- Drive continuous improvement in bid management processes, including post-mortem reviews on unsuccessful tenders
Market Intelligence & Strategic Planning
- Analyse market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity within the institutional catering landscape
- Monitor public and private sector tender portals to proactively identify opportunities
- Benchmark industry best practices in pricing models, service delivery formats, technology integration, and sustainability initiatives
- Practise continuous improvement and provide strategic recommendations on:
- New service offerings (e.g., smart vending, dining concepts, digital ordering platforms)
- Pricing optimisation
- Market expansion into new segments or geographies
- Contribute to annual business planning and revenue forecasting exercises
Cross-Functional Leadership & Internal Collaboration
- Work closely with operations teams to ensure seamless transition from sales to implementation
- Align marketing initiatives with business development priorities to strengthen brand positioning
- Support the development of sales tools, case studies, and marketing collaterals
- Mentor junior team members and interns supporting pipeline and bid activities
- Represent the Company at industry networking events, trade shows, and business forums
Performance Metrics (KPIs)
- New contract wins and annual contract value (ACV)
- Tender win rate
- Pipeline value and conversion rate
- Client retention rate
- Contract profitability and margin performance
Job Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Hospitality Management, or related discipline
- 5-8 years of experience in business development, preferably in institutional catering, food services, facilities management, or hospitality
- Proven track record of managing tenders and securing B2B contracts
- Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyse P&L, pricing models, and cost structures
- Excellent presentation and negotiation skills
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building capabilities
- Strategic thinker with strong execution capabilities
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Canva
Preferred Attributes:
- Experience managing government or large corporate tenders
- Familiarity with clients in institutional food services
- Strong network within Singapore's corporate or institutional ecosystem
- Resilient, driven, and commercially results-oriented
- Creative problem-solver with an eye for design and presentation aesthetics
- Eager to contribute ideas and take ownership of projects
- Comfortable engaging with external stakeholders and internal cross-functional teams
Others:
- Location: West, but required to travel to meet clients
- Working Hours: 5 day work week, 8.30 am to 6.00 pm (Monday to Thursday) and 8.30 am to 5.30 pm (Friday)
- Annual Leave: 14 days
- Salary: $5,000 to $6,000
Interested candidates who wish to apply for the advertised position, please click on Apply. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Vault Personnel Pte. Ltd.
UEN202026390C | EA License No. 20C0275 | R23115268 Tan Li Yen
