Business Development Manager – Institutional Catering

Role Overview

The Business Development Manager – Institutional Catering is responsible for acquiring new institutional catering and cafeteria management accounts while retaining, strengthening and expanding existing client partnerships. The role manages the full commercial lifecycle of institutional accounts, including lead generation, tender participation, proposal development, commercial negotiation, client engagement, account growth, contract renewal and operational handover. The successful candidate will work closely with Operations, Culinary, Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, Quality Assurance and Marketing to ensure that client requirements are met, contractual commitments are delivered and opportunities for long-term revenue growth are proactively developed. The role will focus on large-scale institutional clients across sectors such as manufacturing, corporate offices, education, healthcare, government agencies and other suitable institutional environments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development and Client Acquisition
● Identify and develop new business opportunities within the institutional catering and cafeteria management sector.
● Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified corporate and institutional prospects.
● Conduct market prospecting through direct outreach, referrals, networking, industry events and strategic partnerships.
● Arrange and lead client meetings, site visits, presentations, food tastings and capability showcases. ● Develop customised institutional catering and cafeteria management solutions aligned with the client’s requirements.
● Maintain consistent follow-up and progress opportunities through the business development pipeline.
● Develop relationships with key decision-makers, including Procurement, Human Resources, Facilities, Workplace Experience and Operations stakeholders.

2. Tender and Proposal Management
● Monitor public and private tender platforms for relevant institutional catering opportunities.

● Lead the preparation and submission of tenders, Requests for Proposal, Requests for Quotation and capability presentations.
● Review tender specifications, scope of work, contractual requirements, service standards and commercial terms.
● Coordinate with internal departments to obtain the required operational, culinary, financial and compliance information.
● Develop comprehensive proposals covering menus, manpower, operating models, digital ordering solutions, engagement programmes, transition plans and service-level commitments.
● Ensure all submissions are accurate, competitive, commercially viable and completed within the required timeline.
● Maintain an organised database of tender documents, pricing worksheets, proposals and supporting materials.
● Coordinate food tastings, technical presentations and clarification meetings during the tender process.

3. Commercial Planning and Negotiation
● Prepare preliminary costing, pricing models, management fee structures and commercial proposals in collaboration with Finance and Operations.
● Evaluate projected revenue, food costs, manpower requirements, operating expenses and capital expenditure.
● Ensure proposed solutions support the company’s revenue, margin and profitability objectives.
● Participate in commercial and contractual negotiations with prospective and existing clients.
● Review key contractual terms, including pricing, payment terms, service levels, penalties, mobilisation requirements and performance obligations.
● Identify and manage commercial risks before contract submission or acceptance.

● Develop alternative commercial models where required to remain competitive and commercially sustainable.

4. Strategic Account Retention and Client Engagement
● Maintain regular engagement with existing institutional clients to strengthen relationships and improve account retention.

● Develop strong working relationships with key client stakeholders across Procurement, Human Resources, Facilities, Workplace Experience and Operations.
● Conduct scheduled client engagement activities, including business reviews, food tastings, menu showcases, appreciation events and strategic planning discussions.
● Proactively gather client feedback and work with relevant internal departments to address concerns and improve service delivery.
● Monitor client satisfaction, service performance and potential account risks.
● Identify issues that may affect client confidence, contract continuity or renewal prospects and escalate them promptly.
● Ensure clients are regularly updated on new concepts, menu developments, digital solutions, engagement activities and service improvements.
● Prepare and present account performance updates, improvement plans and business review materials.
● Build long-term client partnerships beyond day-to-day operational transactions.

5. Account Growth and Revenue Development
● Identify opportunities to increase revenue within existing institutional accounts.
● Develop additional sales verticals, including corporate catering, employee events, orientation meals, festive programmes, grab-and-go concepts, coffee services and engagement activities.
● Work with clients to understand upcoming requirements, workforce changes and potential service expansion opportunities.
● Prepare proposals for additional services, service enhancements and account expansion.
● Track account revenue performance and identify opportunities to improve participation, sales and profitability.
● Collaborate with Marketing and Operations to develop campaigns and engagement initiatives that increase awareness and utilisation of services.
● Develop account-specific growth plans for major institutional clients.
● Identify opportunities to introduce services across other client locations, subsidiaries or business units.

6. Contract Renewal Management
● Maintain a contract renewal calendar covering contract expiry dates, notice periods, pricing reviews and retender timelines.
● Initiate renewal planning and client discussions sufficiently ahead of contract expiry.
● Coordinate with Operations, Finance and other supporting departments to review account performance, profitability and renewal readiness.
● Assess existing pricing, manpower, food costs, operational expenses and service requirements before preparing renewal proposals.

● Prepare renewal proposals, commercial presentations and supporting documentation.
● Identify and address service gaps, client concerns or commercial issues that may affect the renewal outcome.
● Maintain regular communication with clients throughout the renewal process.
● Lead or support retender submissions where an existing institutional contract is subject to a competitive procurement exercise.
● Ensure renewed contracts and revised commercial terms are properly documented and communicated to all relevant departments.

7. Contract Award and Operational Handover
● Coordinate the transition of awarded projects from business development to operational implementation.
● Prepare comprehensive handover documentation covering the agreed scope, pricing, service commitments, client requirements, timelines and key risks.
● Conduct formal handover meetings with Operations and relevant supporting departments.
● Participate in project kick-off meetings and implementation reviews.
● Remain commercially involved during the mobilisation phase to ensure that commitments made during the sales process are properly delivered.
● Support the resolution of commercial or contractual issues arising during implementation.
● Monitor the initial performance of newly activated accounts and support relationship stabilisation.

8. Market Intelligence and Business Strategy
● Monitor institutional catering trends, competitor activities, pricing benchmarks and emerging client expectations.
● Identify new market sectors, strategic partnerships and potential areas for business expansion.
● Provide regular updates on pipeline performance, tender status, account risks, renewal opportunities and sales forecasts.
● Recommend improvements to the company’s service solutions, pricing strategy and competitive positioning.
● Maintain accurate records of sales activities, client interactions, opportunities, account plans and forecasts.
● Contribute to the development of annual business development strategies, revenue targets and account retention plans.
● Support the development of sales and marketing materials for institutional catering solutions.

Requirements
● Minimum 3 to 5 years of experience in business development, corporate sales, institutional catering, contract catering, facilities management or a related service industry.
● Proven experience managing tenders, proposals, strategic accounts or complex business-to-business sales cycles.
● Strong commercial understanding, including pricing, costing, margins and contract negotiation.
● Experience in client retention, account development and contract renewal would be an advantage. ● Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
● Strong presentation, stakeholder management and relationship-building capabilities.
● Able to coordinate effectively across multiple departments and stakeholders.
● Highly organised, detail-oriented and capable of managing several opportunities and accounts concurrently.
● Proficient in Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel and Word.
● Knowledge of institutional food-service operations, cafeteria management or workplace dining would be an advantage.
● Familiarity with government and corporate procurement platforms would be beneficial.