About the Role: Responsibilities, Skills, and Requirements
Introduction
Ever wondered what it takes to feed a city that never stops moving? The UAE's dining scene is one of the most competitive and fast-evolving in the world, and right now, we’re looking for a Business Development Executive (or Manager, depending on your experience) to help us carve out a bigger slice of it. This isn’t just about pushing contracts across a table — it’s about identifying opportunities, building genuine connections, and growing a brand that people genuinely love to eat at. If you’ve got a hunger for growth (pun very much intended), this could be your next big move.
About the Company
We’re a well-established restaurant and F&B group operating across the UAE, with a portfolio that ranges from high-energy casual dining to more refined concepts. We’re not a faceless corporation — we’re a tight-knit team that takes pride in what we serve and how we serve it. Our kitchens are busy, our standards are high, and our growth plans are ambitious. We’re at that exciting stage where the foundation is solid, but there’s still plenty of room for someone with drive and vision to make their mark. If you like the idea of being part of a team where your ideas actually get heard — and where Friday demo days mean tasting new dishes rather than just reviewing slides — you’ll fit right in.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Hunting new business opportunities — identifying potential corporate clients, delivery partners, and strategic alliances that align with our brand identity and growth goals.
- Building and nurturing partnerships — from hotel groups to corporate canteens, you’ll be the person they call when they need a reliable, high-quality F&B partner.
- Growing existing accounts — it’s not just about bringing in new names; you’ll also be deepening relationships with current partners, spotting upsell opportunities, and ensuring they feel valued.
- Negotiating contracts and pricing structures that work for both sides — because a deal only works if it’s sustainable for everyone involved.
- Working closely with our operations and marketing teams to make sure what we promise to partners is something we can actually deliver — and that our brand story is consistent across every touchpoint.
- Tracking market trends and competitor activity — because knowing what’s happening in the UAE F&B scene gives you the edge when you walk into a meeting.
- Representing the company at industry events, tastings, and networking functions — yes, that does mean you’ll get to eat well, but you’ll also be working the room with purpose.
What You’ll Bring
Must-Haves:
- Proven experience in business development, specifically within the restaurant or F&B industry — we’re not looking for someone who needs to learn the basics of margins and food costs.
- A track record of driving revenue growth, whether that’s through new client acquisition, expanding existing partnerships, or launching new revenue streams.
- Strong negotiation skills and the confidence to hold your ground when it matters.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal — you’ll be dealing with everyone from procurement managers to executive chefs.
- A relationship-driven approach that prioritises long-term trust over short-term wins.
Nice-to-Haves:
- Existing connections within the UAE hospitality and corporate sector.
- Experience with catering, cloud kitchens, or delivery aggregator partnerships.
- A degree in business, marketing, or a related field — though we care more about what you’ve done than what you studied.
Not sure you tick every box? We’d still love to hear from you. Sometimes the right person brings skills we didn’t even know we needed.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
- Competitive salary with performance-based incentives — because we believe in rewarding results, not just showing up.
- The chance to genuinely shape our growth story — this isn’t a role where you’re just executing someone else’s plan; your input will matter.
- A collaborative, non-corporate culture — we work hard, but we also know when to step away from the laptop and share a meal together.
- Exposure across multiple brands and concepts — you’ll never get bored, and you’ll build a portfolio of experience that’s hard to match.
- Flexibility where it makes sense — we care about outcomes, not just hours spent in the office.
- The opportunity to work with some seriously talented chefs and operators — you’ll learn something new every week, whether you expect to or not.
At the end of the day, we’re looking for someone who wants to grow with us — not just for us. If you’re ready to bring your energy, your contacts, and your appetite for success, we’d love to meet you.
Common Interview Questions and Tips
To help you prepare and feel confident, here are some questions you might encounter during the interview process for this role.
Walk me through a deal you closed in the F&B space that you're particularly proud of. What made it challenging, and how did you get it over the line?
How do you approach the first meeting with a potential corporate client who's never worked with your restaurant group before? What's your opening move?
We work with everything from hotel groups to corporate canteens. How would you tailor your pitch when you're selling a high-end dining concept versus a casual delivery partnership?
Tell me about a time you had to negotiate a pricing structure that felt uncomfortable — maybe it was lower than you wanted or required creative structuring. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?
If you walked into a meeting with a procurement manager who says "we already have a catering partner we're happy with," how do you keep that conversation alive?
Describe a situation where you promised a client something that operations couldn't actually deliver. How did you manage that gap, and what did you learn from it?
What's your approach to spotting upsell opportunities in an existing account? Give me a specific example of how you've grown a partnership beyond its original scope.
We're a tight-knit team where ideas get heard. Can you share a time you brought a new idea to your team or leadership that wasn't part of your job description — and how did it go?
How do you stay on top of what's happening in the UAE F&B scene? What trends are you watching right now that you think will matter in the next year?
Tell me about a relationship you built that took months to pay off. How did you keep it warm without being pushy, and what eventually made it convert?
We talk about being relationship-driven over short-term wins. Can you give me an example of a deal you walked away from because it wasn't the right fit — and why that was the right call?
How comfortable are you working with chefs and operations people