Catering Business Development Manager

Overview

Thelma’s Kitchen - Kansas City’s first pay-what-you-can café and catering social enterprise - is seeking an outgoing, motivated, and community-minded Catering Business Development Representative to grow our catering program and corporate partnerships.

This is a commission-based position ideal for someone who loves connecting with people, thrives on relationship-building, and wants to sell with purpose. Every catering contract you help secure supports our mission: Eat Well. Do Good. - nourishing Kansas City while providing meals and workforce opportunities for our neighbors.

Responsibilities

• Identify, engage, and secure new catering and event space rentals clients through corporate, nonprofit, event, and community partnerships.
• Cultivate relationships with local businesses, event planners, and institutions.
• Conduct outreach via calls, emails, networking events, and community engagement.
• Collaborate with Thelma’s Kitchen leadership to tailor catering proposals and packages.
• Track leads, follow-ups, and closed deals in a shared CRM or tracking system.
• Represent Thelma’s Kitchen Catering with professionalism and warmth at tastings, expos, and community events.
• Coordinate with the kitchen and operations team to ensure client needs are clearly communicated and fulfilled.

Skills

• Proven sales, marketing, or fundraising experience (hospitality, catering, or nonprofit preferred).
• Excellent communication and networking skills.
• Self-motivated, organized, and goal-driven.
• Passion for food, community engagement, and social impact.
• Comfortable working independently and representing a mission-driven brand.
• Salesforce knowledge is a plus.

Compensation

• Commission-Based Pay: Competitive percentage of each confirmed catering contract (to be determined based on experience and sales volume).
• $2,000/mo base pay with 15% commission on sales structure
• Bonuses: Additional incentives for reaching quarterly sales milestones.
• Flexible schedule - work remotely or in the field; results-driven environment.