Event Catering Planner

Position Purpose:The Business Development Manager is responsible for driving new business growth and expanding market share for the catering company through proactive sales efforts. This includes identifying and pursuing new clients across sectors such as corporate, government, events, industrial catering, and private functions. The candidate is a self-starter with strong sales acumen, deep market knowledge, and the ability to build long-term client relationships in a highly competitive market.Main Responsibilities:1. Lead Generation & Prospecting:Proactively research and identify potential B2G, B2B and B2C clients across sectors (corporate offices, staff canteens/ staff meals, event organizers, embassies, hospitals, schools/universities & special events (Staff Feeding, Media, catering, Workforce catering & Government officials catering). This segment will not focus on 1-time events, social events or weddings and primary focus will be long term contracts. Conduct market research to identify new business opportunities, market trends, and customer needs. Develop and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified leads through cold calling, networking, digital channels, referrals, and industry events.2. Lead Conversion & Sales Closure:Providing support to Sales team to convert leads into confirmed business through effective communication, presentations, proposals, follow ups and negotiations. Conduct client meetings, site visits, and food tastings to close deals. Prepare and deliver customized catering proposals that align with client requirements and budget. Meet and exceed monthly and quarterly sales targets. Maintain accurate records of all sales activities, proposals, and client interactions using CRM tools. Assist reactive team to follow up on pending details, payments & client confirmations.3. Customer Relationship Management:Act as the primary point of contact for all client communications before, during, and after contract catering execution and maintain relationships with customers to ensure business retention for renewal of contracts. Have an active presence in the local market, visiting clients/accounts to ensure that awareness if created for new accounts, fostered relationships are maintained, new business leads are obtained & ensure that clients refer our services to other contacts. Monitor customer satisfaction, gather feedback, and implement improvements to ensure high levels of client retention.4. Strategic Contribution:Collaborate with marketing and operations teams to align sales strategies and capacity planning. Provide regular market insights, competitor analysis, and customer feedback to help shape product offerings and business strategy. Develop strategic partnerships with event planners, venues, and other stakeholders to enhance the companys reach.5. Sales Team Management and Support: Assist Management: In the absence of Director of Sales or Assistant Director of Sales, to work with other Sales Managers to ensure the business continues as per existing structures and policies. Coaching and Development: Assist the Assistant Director of Sales to develop the skills of junior sales staff through ongoing training, coaching, and performance reviews, helping them achieve professional growth and sales success. Collaboration with Operations: Work closely with the operations team (e.g., Events Operations, kitchen, logistics, and event coordination) to ensure seamless execution of sales agreements, agreed detailing and exceptional service delivery. Sales Targets and KPIs: Ensure lead generation and conversation to drive business. To helps Assistant Director of Sales to monitor performance to ensure targets are met or exceeded. Provide support and guidance to Junior teams to improve individual and team performance.Qualifications & Experience:Bachelors degree in business administration, Marketing, Hospitality Management, or a related field. Minimum 5 years of proven sales experience in the catering, hospitality, or F&B industry; experience in Riyadh or the GCC market is highly desirable. Demonstrated ability to generate leads, close deals, and manage high-value accounts. Strong network of potential corporate and private clients in Riyadh is a plus. Fluent in English; Arabic proficiency is a strong advantage.