Head of Partnerships

About the Company

Our client is a privately owned, family-run flexible packaging company that makes premade pouches, particularly for retort and shelf-stable products, along with printed rollstock, lidstock and shelf-stable cups, bowls and trays. It supplies CPG brands and co-packers across North America, pairing competitive unit costs with strong quality control and hands-on support from a dedicated team on every account. After years of growing mostly through referrals, the company is now building out outbound and business development.

Role Overview

This is a remote Head of Partnerships role, with U.S. business-hours overlap and travel for events, customer meetings and partner visits. This hire creates dedicated ownership of partnerships and business development across North America. Working directly alongside leadership, this person will build the growth strategy, execute it, close new business and grow long-term relationships with co-packers, growing and established CPG brands, and relevant industry partners.

One strong customer or co-packer relationship can develop into multiple products, formats and recurring orders, and this person will help the company pursue those opportunities consistently, alongside targeted brand relationships. A Client Success Coordinator will report to this role, with support from the outbound, proposals, supply chain, client success and account teams. As the company grows, this person will take ownership of building, hiring and developing the partnerships and business development team, and will also become a key face of the company, representing it at events, with customers and online.

Responsibilities

- Growth strategy: Work backward from the company's growth goals to build a clear strategy for winning new business, making calculated decisions about which opportunities to pursue and where to invest time and resources.

- Pipeline and outreach: Own pipeline priorities, forecasts and progress, working alongside the Client Success Coordinator to identify the right companies, reach decision-makers and keep outreach, conversations and next steps moving.

- Discovery and closing: Understand the customer's business, challenges and desired outcome, then lead opportunities from the first conversation through proposals, negotiation and close.

- Partnership building: Develop lasting relationships with brands, co-packers and relevant industry partners, earning repeat business and creating opportunities for referrals, collaboration and growth.

- Commercial decisions: Make informed decisions on customer fit, pricing and commitments, working closely with the technical, supply chain and account teams to win business the company can deliver on and grow profitably.

- Visibility and credibility: Represent the company at industry events, visit customers and build a personal presence on LinkedIn and other relevant channels with the organic content team.

- Leadership and team: Set the tone through effort and follow-through, and work alongside leadership to identify hiring needs, recruit great people and develop the team as the company scales.

Who They're Looking For

- A proven sales closer with a track record of developing, winning and growing new business.

- A strong understanding of CPG brands and co-packers, ideally within food, beverage, nutrition or pet.

- Excellent with people: listens closely, asks questions that uncover what matters and earns trust in their recommendations.

- Able to build a strategy, outline the people, tools and support needed, and lead implementation through to results.

- Takes initiative, stays organized and follows through, with comfort in CRM systems and keeping clear opportunity records.

- Uses AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini regularly and thoughtfully, checks the output and can explain how it improves their work.

- Comfortable working remotely with U.S. business-hours overlap and traveling for events, customer meetings and partner visits.

- Spanish is a plus.

This role is ideal for a hunter who wants to be trusted with responsibility, take on a key role in the company's leadership and build something they're proud of over the long term.