National Account Manager - Foodservice (Dining)

About the Group

From a small store in Turin to a large, internationally recognized group: we are present in 90 countries around the world, with over 5,000 employees and 30 companies, managed directly and indirectly by the Luigi Lavazza Spa parent company, which distribute and market our products and coffee machines. In addition to Lavazza, the following brands are also part of our Group: Carte Noire, Merrild, Kicking Horse, Eraclea and Whittington tea.

Joining Lavazza means doing business with passion, knowing that the impact of our work goes beyond the quality of the production chain. We are a big family and are constantly looking for new talents who share our values and can enrich our team. We combine competitiveness with social and environmental responsibility as we create superior quality products available for consumption both at home and out of home, and distributed through all channels: Retail, Foodservice, Office Coffee Service (OCS), and Vending. Our strong, diversified presence enables us to offer consumers and clients perfectly suited solutions, for any occasion and time of day.

Job Overview

The Foodservice Sales team at Lavazza North America is focused on expanding the company’s presence across the Away from Home (AFH) channel by building strong distributor partnerships and delivering premium coffee solutions. The Foodservice channel plays a critical role in driving brand visibility and trial through restaurants, travel, and hospitality environments. The team is responsible for accelerating distribution, strengthening existing customer relationships, and ensuring best-in-class execution in market.

The National Account Manager protects and grows strategic national Foodservice accounts across hospitality, travel, cruise line, and other multi-unit channels. This role develops profitable, brand-building customer programs that integrate coffee, equipment, service, training, marketing, pricing, distribution, and implementation requirements. The National Account Manager leads the customer lifecycle from opportunity development and commercial negotiation through launch, expansion, renewal, and performance management, while aligning regional sales teams and cross-functional partners on consistent execution.

Work location: New York City, NY; Northern NJ; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego; CA

Work model: Remote

Travel: Up to 50%, including overnight travel and occasional evening or weekend commitments

Pay: $110,000-120,000 base salary with 20% annual incentive bonus

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a portfolio of strategic national accounts, protecting existing business, strengthening customer relationships, increasing brand visibility, and delivering profitable sales growth.
• Build and maintain an active pipeline of national account prospects across hospitality, travel, cruise line, and other multi-unit Foodservice operators.
• Develop customer-specific programs that integrate product assortment, branding, equipment, service, training, marketing support, pricing, distribution, and implementation requirements.
• Lead commercial negotiations for customer agreements, pricing changes, equipment investments, service commitments, renewals, and required internal approvals.
• Prepare financially sound business cases and proposals that evaluate volume, margin, implementation costs, equipment and service investment, and expected return on investment.
• Coordinate launches, expansions, and issue resolution with Regional Sales Directors and cross-functional teams to ensure consistent execution across markets.
• Partner with Technical Services, equipment providers, trainers, Supply Chain, Customer Service, and distributors on equipment programs, maintenance, training, inventory, ordering, and delivery requirements.
• Monitor account performance, customer commitments, risks, opportunities, and forecasts, and maintain accurate customer and opportunity information in the customer relationship management (CRM) system.
• Represent Lavazza at customer meetings, business reviews, site visits, trade events, program launches, and other industry activities.

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Hospitality, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• 6+ years of progressive sales or national account management experience within the beverage, Foodservice, hospitality, or consumer packaged goods industry; coffee experience preferred.
• Experience managing strategic national or multi-unit accounts and using consultative selling methods to translate customer requirements into profitable, executable solutions.
• Experience developing and negotiating customer agreements, pricing programs, renewals, and commercial proposals, including presenting recommendations to customer and internal decision-makers.
• Experience evaluating profit-and-loss statements, margins, return on investment, sales forecasts, and customer economics to support commercial decisions.
• Experience leading complex customer launches, expansions, or cross-functional implementation projects while managing concurrent priorities, deadlines, documentation, and follow-through.
• Experience building stakeholder alignment and coordinating decisions across customers, internal cross-functional teams, distributors, service providers, and other external partners.
• Experience resolving customer or business issues by assessing requirements, recommending solutions, and coordinating timely corrective actions.
• Knowledge of Foodservice distribution models, distributor relationship management, coffee products, brewing or espresso equipment, equipment service models, or preventive maintenance programs preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and experience using CRM and collaboration systems to manage a geographically dispersed account portfolio in a remote work environment.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive Medical, Vision, Dental Benefits
• 401K Package
• Employee Assistance Program
• Hybrid Work Schedule
• Ability to be barista certified
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Performance Development Plans
• Employee Discounts
• Summer Friday’s (Memorial Day Weekend – Labor Day Weekend)
• Flexible business casual dress code - jean friendly!
• Free coffee, anytime!

Lavazza is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Lavazza prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.