Sales Manager Global Sweet Specialties - DACH

Sales Manager Global Sweet Specialties - DACH

Location: Köln, DE, 50670

At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!

We are seeking a Sales Manager to lead the growth of our Sweet Specialties portfolio across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (DACH). In this role, you will be responsible for driving profitable growth through existing customers while also acquiring new business across various market segments via direct and indirect routes to market.

This is a high-impact role where you will collaborate closely with chocolate and cocoa sales teams to deliver tailored, end-to-end value solutions to customers. You'll help scale up one of Barry Callebaut's key strategic pillars - doubling Sweet Specialties growth - while becoming a central player in our solution-selling approach.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Own and grow the Sweet Specialties portfolio across your territory by collaborating with colleagues across departments (Sales, R&D, Supply Chain, Pricing, Quality, etc.).
• Champion a ONE BC customer experience by integrating seamlessly with chocolate and cocoa sales managers.
• Identify relevant stakeholders at customer organizations, especially those beyond traditional cocoa or chocolate buyers.
• Lead end-to-end solution development and delivery to ensure differentiation in the market.
• Support operational customer needs including pricing, fulfillment, and issue resolution.
• Ensure continuous improvement in customer satisfaction (NPS) and retention.

Customer Acquisition (Hunter Role)

• Develop and execute a targeted growth strategy through comprehensive market mapping and competitor analysis.
• Acquire new customers through both direct and indirect sales channels.
• Expand penetration in key segments such as BAPA, Confectionery, Ice Cream, Horeca, Dairy, and Biscuits.

Customer Development (Farmer Role)

• Grow share of wallet with existing customers by proactively proposing new projects or value-enhancing innovations.
• Partner with the chocolate and cocoa teams to implement up- and cross-selling strategies.
• Lead business negotiations and contractual discussions for new and existing customers in line with strategic goals.
• Optimize and manage current Route-to-Market models for performance and relevance.

Operational & Strategic Excellence

• Maintain high-quality forecasts and reporting in Salesforce.com.
• Manage key governance metrics, including working capital, accounts receivable, and inventory.
• Contribute to strategic planning through accurate pipeline and opportunity management.

Candidate Profile

Education & Languages

• Master's degree in Economics, Business, Food Engineering, or related field.
• Fluent German (native or business-proficient level) and proficient English required.
• Additional languages (e.g. French, Swiss German) are a plus.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 6–8 years of commercial experience in a B2B environment, ideally with a value-in-use or technical product portfolio.
• Proven success in growing business with various customer types: artisans, distributors, key accounts, and FMCG multinationals.
• Experience working across segments such as BAPA, Ice Cream, Horeca, Dairy, or Biscuits is highly advantageous.
• Strong background in Key Account Management, negotiation, and solution selling.
• Familiarity with the Sweet Specialties product portfolio or high willingness and ability to learn quickly.

Leadership Competencies & Personal Attributes

• A strong team player with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and motivate others.
• Agile and resilient; thrives in complex, ambiguous environments.
• Strategically minded with a hands-on mentality.
• Influences and communicates effectively across all organizational levels and customer stakeholders.
• Driven, reliable, and committed to excellence in execution.
• Positive mindset with a proactive, entrepreneurial spirit.

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we've experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.

If you want to learn more about Barry Callebaut, please find further information here.