Our Culinary Partnership Acquisition Specialist play an essential role in ensuring we provide the highest quality food for our clients from the most successful Catering Partners. In this role, you will be responsible for all phases of the sourcing process to enroll new Culinary Partners with Zerocater. From the initial selection & prospecting to the build out of menus, you will ensure that we have the supply ready to meet the demand coming. You’re the kind of person that is always up to date on the latest food trends, and love the idea of immersing yourself in the details of food descriptions & menu item pairings.
You thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and adapt seamlessly to shifting priorities. The ideal candidate is proactive and collaborative—ready to contribute both within their core department and across teams when needed. Whether it’s helping achieve departmental goals or stepping in to support the performance of our Culinary Partners, you’re someone who rolls up their sleeves and gets the job done. As a growing startup, we often step outside of traditional roles to meet evolving business needs. Flexibility and a team-first mindset are essential. To succeed in this role, you’ll bring a strong background in business development or negotiation, exceptional attention to detail, and top-tier organizational skills.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR SUCCESS:

• 4+ years of sales, partnership, or business development experience.
• 4+ years experience in the food and beverage industry partnered with deep knowledge about food and food production.
• Ability to critically identify key market trends and demand, and work collaboratively across geographies and departments.
• Strong interpersonal skills needed for effective relationship management, establishing rapport, negotiating deals, and creating business partnerships.
• Experience with a CRM, Google Suite, and other tools.
• This role does require you to be based locally so that you can do regular visits to our culinary partners.

• Identify, vet, and recruit high-performing Culinary Partners with diverse and scalable menu offerings that align with the company’s strategic priorities and growth objectives.
• Lead negotiations to secure competitive margins, pricing structures, and portioning across both new and existing menu items, ensuring long-term profitability and value.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to prospective Culinary Partners throughout the onboarding process, providing coaching and support to set them up for operational success.
• Establish, communicate, and track performance standards for newly onboarded partners to drive consistent quality, efficiency, and alignment with Zerocater standards.
• Make data-informed decisions regarding future Culinary Partners and their offerings by conducting cuisine gap analyses, anticipating client demand, and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams.