80Twenty is a boutique sales recruitment agency that connects high-growth companies with exceptional candidates.
Our client, a fast-growing and mission-driven social enterprise, is searching for an experienced Head of Sales to lead its sales team. With a proven and scalable business model that delivers healthy, affordable meals through both retail locations and institutional partnerships, the company also operates a nonprofit arm that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to own and operate community-based food stores. A pioneer in its space, the organization blends the efficiency and scalability of a for-profit business with the heart and mission of a nonprofit, expanding access to nutritious, scratch-made food in underserved communities.
This is a unique opportunity for a driven sales leader to join a high-growth organization at a pivotal stage, working directly with the CEO to scale the food service business, which makes up roughly half of revenue and is the company’s fastest-growing segment. As a player-coach, you will lead and mentor a four-person sales team while carrying your own number, sourcing and closing new business across K-12 school districts, senior nutrition programs, homeless shelters and mental health facilities, and corporate accounts. The organization is flat with no dedicated sales support staff, so you will own deals end to end, from first conversation through RFP response and signed contract.
The role is open to candidates across the U.S., with a strong preference for California, where the current team is based.
Responsibilities:
- Lead, coach, and develop a four-person sales team selling across K-12, community feeding, senior nutrition, and corporate accounts
- Personally source, pursue, and close new business as an individual contributor
- Run both a full sales cycle from prospecting through to close, with deal sizes ranging from roughly $20,000 to $3 million
- Own and deliver against an annual new business target both individually and as a team.
- Set sales strategy across multiple verticals and decide where the team focuses its time
- Open new verticals where the company is underpenetrated, including medically tailored meals, healthcare, and senior care facilities
- Help shape a future expansion into wholesale, including CPG and grocery.
- Represent the company’s mission with nonprofit, school, public agency, and social service partners
Requirements:
- 10+ years of sales experience, including 5+ years managing and developing sales teams
- Strong background in food sales, with direct experience selling to one or more of the following buyers: K-12 school districts, Community feeding (shelters, supportive housing), Corporate, College and university
- Proven track record of scaling sales teams and exceeding multimillion-dollar new business targets
- Comfortable with both transactional deals and long, multi-stakeholder contract and RFP sales
- Hunter with a history of building pipeline and closing new business personally
- Strong network among school district, social service, or corporate food buyers is a significant advantage
- Experience in medically tailored meals, healthcare, senior care, or CPG/grocery is a plus
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills
- Data-driven, results-oriented, and highly strategic, with the ability to set direction across several verticals at once
- Self-sufficient operator who thrives in a flat organization without support staff
- Proficiency with CRM tools (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce), forecasting models, and performance metrics
- Alignment with a mission-driven culture and comfort working with nonprofit, school, and social service organizations