Business Development Manager (North)

About Us

Since launching in 2014 with the creation of the first shelf-stable cold brew, Minor Figures has focused on creating innovative, plant-based products for a more delicious future.

Our signature Barista Oat range can be found on the bar at over 10,000 independent coffee shops around the world, and our full lineup of products can be found in thousands of stores across 4 continents. Minor Figures has been B Corp Certified since 2022.

We have big plans for the future of MF. As we continue to grow at a rapid pace, we want to welcome curious, free-spirited, bold thinkers to help us continue to create and evolve. We value individuality and a team made up of people who bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives to the table. If you share our love for the unexpected and you want every day you spend at work to be a chance to flex your creativity and test-drive your maddest ideas, we’d love to hear from you.

About The Role

As our Business Development Manager for the North, you will be the face of Minor Figures in this region. You’ll be responsible for maintaining and growing existing coffee/on-trade accounts, as well as closing new accounts within your assigned territory.

On-trade sales with cafes and foodservice operators are the primary focus, with a secondary focus on market development and account management. This is a field-based position, with expectations to be actively selling in the market. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in sales within the coffee industry or FMCG sector. We’re looking for a coffee lover who is commercially minded, solutions-oriented, a self-starter, loves to work at a fast pace, and has excellent relationship development skills.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

You’ll be the go-to human for all coffee-related accounts in your territory. The one who brings the joy of Minor Figures to people and brings a coffee experience like no other.

Responsibilities

We know no two days will ever be the same, but to give the role some structure, here's some of the key responsibilities:

1. Serve as THE face of the Minor Figures brand in your territory.
2. Prospect and engage potential new partners while developing strong relationships with existing partners to retain and grow business.
3. Identify key industry events to attend for exposure and take the lead in creating and organising support events tailored to your customers' needs.
4. Identify prospective customers and track opportunities within our CRM for your respective pipeline.
5. Educate, sample and support distributor representatives and teams, cafe partners, and operators alike.
6. Multi-task between several priorities, mapping out smart weekly routes and travel to maximise daily field efforts.
7. Participate in regular internal team calls, sharing best practices, feedback on competitors, and market intel.
8. Identify and prioritise key cities for expansion based on market potential and strategic importance. Implementing city-specific plans to grow Minor Figures products in each key city.
9. Monitor market trends and competitor activity to identify new growth opportunities.
10. Maintain a high level of expertise in the broader coffee industry.

About Your Team

You’ll be reporting to our On Trade Sales Manager. Our sales team is broken up into 3 channels: on-trade, foodservice and retail/grocery. We are all coffee people and are very immersed in the coffee community nationwide, but we are equally as passionate about all of our customers and segments of business!

Although the entire team is remote, we are a very close-knit bunch. We might be a small team, but we truly believe in our product and know how to speak the language of coffee. We like to build lasting relationships within our team, as well as with our customers.

About You

We’re looking for a North-based BDM, you will own your patch (From Birmingham up to Scotland), you’ll be a real business developer and work with some of the best independent coffee shops.

Winning, maintaining and retaining relationships will be key, and you will plan out your days in the field to see existing and new customers.

We’re ideally looking for someone with experience in field sales looking to take the next step to a more autonomous role in a fast-growing, exciting category OR a coffee industry professional (with a little sales experience) looking for a new change and challenge.

You must be based in the North of England and have a UK driving license.

We hire humans, not machines, so let’s look at the key skills that we love to see. People that:

1. Live and breathe their authenticity and individuality in everything that they do.
2. Take pride in what they do and inspire others to do the same.
3. Have a sense of fun and adventure, along with a hands-on & can-do approach.
4. Not be phased by constant change and challenges, and be willing to adapt and implement solutions.
5. Collaborate like crazy & have a willingness to help in all areas of the business when needed.
6. Approach every day like it’s day one. Committed, open-minded and ready to enjoy every exhilarating second.

Other Key Skills We Are Looking For Include

1. Results-driven, self-starting, and eager to grow within the FMCG industry.
2. Proven experience in business development, (field) sales, or a related field, preferably within the food and beverage or coffee industry.
3. Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
4. Eager to visit coffee shops and roasters in your territory and travel extensively for sales activities and events across your region and beyond.
5. Has strong organisational and planning skills.
6. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
7. Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

What’s In It For You

We realise that a job is more than just the take home salary each month. So what are you really getting?

And, as part of the Minor Figures team, you’ll have the opportunity to invest in the business, with the option to buy shares in the company at an agreed price. Having skin in the game and really contributing to our success. Because it’s you and us all that do make this all happen.

But of course, we look after you in the other ways that you’d expect:

1. 25 days of annual leave + bank holidays. Up to 5 days annual leave rollover to the following year.
2. 1 additional day off to protest, volunteer, attend a demonstration.
3. EquipsMe Health Insurance.
4. Free membership for you and your family on the ‘Calm’ app.
5. Parental Leave Policy.
6. Pension scheme NEST.
7. Everyone has options for shares in the company.
8. Plenty of coffee and oat m*lk! YAY!
9. Vegan lunch & snacks when you are in the office.
10. Staff discount 30% off on all orders.
11. Cycle to work scheme.
12. Parking permit available with HR.

YOUR COMMITMENT

Your main place of work will be out in the field and there will be travel to our office in London at Blackhorse Road.

Hours of work will generally be 9.00 am – 5:30 pm but may vary with workload or by agreement. Flexibility is required due to travel requirements. We expect that you will attend trade shows and networking events outside of these hours from time to time. Travel will be required to follow up leads and generate sales in accordance with the Minor Figures Travel Policy.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At Minor Figures everyone is welcome. We are committed to cultivating and maintaining a culture that is inclusive and diverse. We celebrate differences and continually support all members of our company to be proud of who they are. In recruiting for our team, we pride ourselves on equal employment opportunities regardless of gender, sex, age, disability, race, religion, sexuality or social class. We hire the best people based on an evaluation of their abilities and effectiveness, nothing else.

What’s Next

You’re sold? The coffee is brewing, you’re ready to hit send and sit back and wait for a response?

To Make That Happen

1. Submit a CV and any supporting documents to us.
2. Tell us why you want to work with us at Minor Figures.

Read more about us here.