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Strategic Business Sales ManagerFoodservice & Institutional PartnershipsLos Angeles, CaliforniaAbout Next Robot
Next Robot is building the next generation of kitchen automation infrastructure.
Our flagship product, Robby One, is one of the most commercially deployed wok-cooking automation systems in North America. With proven product-market fit and strong commercial traction, Next Robot is rapidly expanding across the U.S. institutional and enterprise foodservice market, achieving 800%+ year-over-year growth.
As an LA-based FoodTech automation company, we operate across the full stack — from R&D and manufacturing to deployment and customer success — enabling scalable multi-location rollouts nationwide.
Location
● Los Angeles, California
● Local candidates strongly preferred
● Ability to travel within Southern California and periodically across the U.S.
Position Overview
We are seeking a highly driven Strategic Business Development Manager focused on Foodservice & Institutional Partnerships across Los Angeles and the broader U.S. market.
This role combines both enterprise business development and strategic sales execution. We are looking for someone who can proactively develop new relationships within the institutional foodservice ecosystem while also managing complex enterprise sales cycles and closing large-scale opportunities.
The ideal candidate understands how major foodservice organizations operate and is comfortable engaging both executive leadership and operational stakeholders throughout long-cycle enterprise sales processes.
Primary focus areas include:
● Contract foodservice organizations
● Institutional dining systems
● K-12 school districts
● Universities & higher education
● Healthcare & hospital foodservice
● Corporate dining programs
Key Responsibilities
● Develop and manage strategic enterprise opportunities within the foodservice and institutional dining ecosystem
● Build relationships with executive and operational decision-makers, including:
○ C-level leadership
○ Procurement & supply chain teams
○ Operations leadership
○ Facilities & foodservice management
● Own and manage enterprise sales cycles ranging from 6–18 months
● Generate new pipeline opportunities through outbound business development, strategic networking, and industry partnerships
● Lead customers from initial discussions and pilot programs through commercial closing and multi-location rollouts
● Present ROI-driven automation solutions focused on:
○ Labor optimization
○ Cost reduction
○ Operational efficiency
○ Production consistency
● Lead RFP responses, commercial negotiations, and contract discussions
● Collaborate closely with product, deployment, and customer success teams to ensure successful implementation and long-term customer success
Qualifications
● 3–7+ years of experience in enterprise B2B sales, strategic business development, or institutional partnerships
● Strong preference for candidates with experience working with or selling into major foodservice organizations, including:
○ Aramark
○ Compass Group
○ Sodexo
○ Contract foodservice operators
○ Institutional dining organizations
● Proven ability to develop enterprise relationships and close complex sales opportunities
● Experience navigating procurement processes and multi-stakeholder enterprise environments
● Strong understanding of institutional foodservice operations is highly preferred
● Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
● Ability to manage long-cycle enterprise sales processes independently
● Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment
● Strong English communication skills required
Mandarin Chinese is a plus
Preferred Qualifications
● Existing relationships within:
○ K-12 school districts
○ Healthcare systems
○ Universities
○ Contract foodservice organizations
● Experience with:
○ RFP processes
○ Government/public-sector procurement
○ Institutional foodservice operations
● Prior experience in:
○ FoodTech
○ Robotics
○ Automation
○ Commercial kitchen equipment
○ Enterprise SaaS or operational technology
● Experience supporting multi-site or national-scale enterprise projects
Compensation & Benefits
● Base Salary: $5,000 – $7,000/month (depending on experience)
● Highly competitive uncapped commission structure with strong earning potential
● Equity / stock option opportunities
● Opportunity to grow with a rapidly scaling FoodTech and robotics company
● Direct exposure to national enterprise deployments and strategic partnerships
