Business Development Manager - Highlands & Islands

Salary: £38,000 to £42,000 annually, dependent on experience
Annual Leave entitlement: 25 days (plus 10 bank holidays) 
Working hours: Full-Time
Contract: Permanent
Location: Highlands (Flexible) / Hybrid-working

Closing date for applications: 24/06/2025

In person interviews for this role will take place w/c 30/06/2025

Prior to any employment commencing with Scotland Food & Drink you will be asked to provide documents to demonstrate your right to work in the UK.

JOB SUMMARY

The Business Development Manager (H&I) is an Ambassador for Scotland Food & Drink and is often the first and main point of contact for businesses involved in the sector that produce or manufacture food and drink. While this is a relationship management and business development role with revenue targets attached, the role is varied, and tasks will often be determined by requests for support from our membership base.

An experienced, entrepreneurial, and commercially minded account and projects manager with deep knowledge and passion for the food and drink sector, whose role is to:

• Operate as the lead point of contact for all matters specific to assigned accounts in the Highlands & Islands geography, responsible for the flow of communications from and to the business base and SF&D.
• Work at both strategic and operational levels, collaboratively and flexibly with internal colleagues and external partners. 

This role has become available as a result of career progression within the team, and we’re excited to welcome a new person into this role to continue building our work in the Highlands & Islands.

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Your day-to-day responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Manage relationships with all Highlands & Islands members, ensuring consistent, high-quality account support.
• Develop a deep understanding of each member’s business to identify and communicate relevant opportunities across the organisation.
• Maintain regular contact with members via email, phone, and in-person meetings to build strong, lasting relationships.
• Serve as the key link between members and Scotland Food & Drink (SF&D), gathering feedback and sharing insights to enhance membership value.
• Work closely with internal teams and external partners to coordinate support and deliver value to members.
• Encourage active participation in SF&D programmes and facilitate connections between members and SF&D teams.
• Promote collaboration among local producers and generate new member referrals.
• Participate in regular meetings with partners to share knowledge and stay up to date on industry developments.
• Represent SF&D at industry events, including speaking opportunities and networking activities.
• Support members in attending or exhibiting at SF&D events, such as conferences, awards, and the AGM.
• Create and share member stories, testimonials, and case studies to highlight impact and success.
• Identify and recruit potential new Highlands & Islands members, clearly communicating the benefits of membership.
• Meet and exceed set targets for membership growth and revenue generation.
• Track and follow up on referrals, engaging new prospects and turning leads into members.
• Maintain accurate records and reporting through the CRM system and internal reporting tools.
• Participate in organisation-wide meetings and collaborate with colleagues on cross-functional projects.
• Share insights, contacts, and expertise to support broader SF&D goals and team success. 

 

ABOUT YOU

• Commercially minded, with extensive knowledge and a deep understanding of the Scottish food and drink sector and supply chain environment.
• Proven account management skills, including account profiling, with a strong track record of programme and target delivery.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills – a clear and confident communicator (verbal and written), able to build and maintain relationships at all levels.
• Effective team player with the ability to collaborate across internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational, time management, and multi-tasking skills; able to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• High attention to detail with strong analytical, monitoring, and reporting abilities to support programme delivery.
• Demonstrates strong project and people management skills, including mentorship capabilities.
• Proactive problem-solver with the ability to develop solutions aligned with account and team plans.
• Willingness to travel and attend events outside normal working hours.
• Full driving licence required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft packages and ability to learn in-house systems – desirable.

 

ABOUT SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK

Scotland Food & Drink is the industry leadership organisation tasked with delivering the industry strategy and driving responsible growth for the sector. We are also a membership organisation with over 350+ companies at our heart.

Working with us gives you an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting and innovative industries in Scotland.

Our culture and our people are core to delivering our diverse and collaborative work. We have work/life balance as one of our core values and a comprehensive benefits package including, a group pension plan, 35 days annual leave (in addition to your birthday off), enhanced maternity & paternity benefits, a health care cash plan, a flexible working policy, an electric vehicle scheme, a cycle to work scheme, a life assurance scheme, professional study & training assistance, an employee assistance programme and wellness events.

There is also opportunities to socialise and attend industry events and dinners. 

We believe working with us should be a hugely positive experience, our core values are:

• Ambition – We pursue excellence with unwavering ambition.
• Collaboration - We believe in the power of working together.
• Innovation – We embrace a culture of continuous improvement and creativity.
• Celebration - We believe in recognising and celebrating achievements.
• Authenticity - We are committed to honesty, transparency, and integrity.
• Balance - We believe in finding balance between work and the rest of our lives.

We are also an equal opportunity employer, and we recognise that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. We support candidates with reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please let us know when applying if you will require any additional support.  

APPLY NOW

Please send CV and covering letter, or any questions you have regarding the role to: careers@foodanddrink.scot with the title of the job you are applying for in the subject line.