Director of Business Development – Food & Beverage

Hawkins, Inc.

Director of Business Development responsible for driving growth in the Food & Beverage sector at Hawkins/WaterSurplus. Focused on market expansion and strategic relationships in water treatment.

Posted 7/9/2026full-timeRemote • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $150,000 - $180,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop and execute strategic business development plans focused on the Food & Beverage manufacturing market
Identify, qualify, and pursue new capital equipment opportunities involving process water, wastewater treatment, water reuse, filtration, disinfection, and utility optimization systems
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with plant managers, engineering directors, operations leaders, corporate sustainability teams, and procurement professionals
Develop partnerships with engineering consultants, design-build firms, OEMs, and system integrators to increase project opportunities
Lead consultative sales efforts by understanding customer production processes, water quality challenges, environmental compliance requirements, and operational goals
Manage the complete sales cycle including prospecting, solution development, proposal preparation, contract negotiations, and project closeout
Collaborate with engineering, applications, operations, and project management teams to deliver customized technical solutions
Monitor industry trends, capital investment plans, sustainability initiatives, and regulatory developments affecting water management within Food & Beverage manufacturing
Represent the company at industry conferences, trade shows, customer events, and professional organizations
Maintain accurate sales forecasts, opportunity pipelines, and CRM reporting
Mentor regional sales managers and business development professionals while promoting a high-performance sales culture

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Environmental Science, or related field
10+ years of successful business development, technical sales, or account management experience in water treatment, process equipment, or related industrial markets
Proven success selling capital equipment, engineered systems, or process technologies to industrial manufacturing and/or municipal customers
Strong understanding of water and wastewater treatment processes, including filtration, membrane systems, chemical treatment, utility operations, and water reuse applications
Experience developing and managing complex sales opportunities involving multiple stakeholders and long sales cycles
Demonstrated ability to build relationships with executive, technical, and operational decision-makers
Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and strategic account planning skills
Highly organized, self-motivated, and results oriented
Proficient with Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, Word)

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical
dental
vision
life insurance
LTD/STD
401(k) match
Employee Stock Purchase program (ESPP)
paid time off
paid holidays

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Sales Cycle ManagementProcess Equipment SalesFiltration SystemsChemical TreatmentUtility OperationsWater Reuse ApplicationsEnvironmental ComplianceTechnical Solution DevelopmentProposal PreparationContract Negotiation

Soft Skills

Strong CommunicationPresentation SkillsNegotiation SkillsOrganizational SkillsSelf-Motivated