Business Development Manager

About Us

Food waste costs the world over $1 trillion a year. At Winnow, we're on a mission to change that — bringing AI-powered technology into hospitality kitchens to help eliminate waste at scale, with an ambition to save our clients $1 billion annually.

We started in London in 2013 with a simple belief: technology could make kitchens smarter and food systems more sustainable. Today that belief has grown into a global team spanning the UK, Romania, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia, North America, and Mexico, working across 90+ countries and 3,500+ sites.

We're proud of the results we help our clients achieve. Names like IKEA, Hilton, Accor, Marriott, IHG, Compass Group, Iberostar, and Mandarin Oriental trust us to cut their food waste by over 50% on average — and when our technology is fully adopted, it reduces pre-consumer waste by 50–70% and delivers food cost savings of 2–8%.

We're building something that matters, and the people who thrive here feel that every day. We're proud to have been named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work and ranked #4 in the FoodTech 500 (2025) — recognition of both our innovation and our commitment to building a purpose-led company where people can make a real difference.

Our values

Our values aren't just words on a page. They sit at the centre of all that we do and shape our behaviours and the way we show up. If they resonate with you, we'd love to hear from you and for you to help us on our mission.

• People of action — done beats perfect. We move fast, learn faster
• Equal parts head and heart — we balance urgency with long-term thinking
• Hungry and humble — we're ambitious about our mission, not our egos
• Bravely honest — we say what we think, respectfully, with colleagues and customers alike
• Bound by food — it's what unites us, and it's what we're fighting for
• People and planet positive — we're leaving both better than we found them

About the team

Winnow's Business Development team drives our growth across the hospitality sector, identifying new opportunities and building the strategies that expand our footprint in markets around the world. The team sits within Winnow's global sales organisation of 15 people, with colleagues based in Chicago, London, Dubai, and Singapore, working together on the company's growth strategy across regions. BD works hand-in-hand with product, marketing, and Operations to keep deal flow moving, while staying focused on what matters most: building pipeline and developing accounts. It's a team that spends real time in the field — regular travel to client sites, including internationally, is part of how they build Winnow's presence and relationships in every market they serve.

About the role

We’re looking for a motivated Business Development Manager to grow Winnow’s presence across the MENA region, with a particular focus on the GCC markets. You’ll own your pipeline and manage the full sales cycle independently, from first conversation to signed deal, adapting your plans as markets and priorities shift. Based in our Dubai office, you’ll spend regular time on the road visiting client sites across the region, with peer support from Winnow’s global sales team.

Key responsibilities

Pipeline & Sales Delivery

• Manage the end-to-end sales process with customers across the MENA region, particularly the GCC, planning and reprioritising your own pipeline to meet agreed sales targets
• Build and manage a strong pipeline of potential clients to grow market penetration, spotting obstacles early and raising them before they affect delivery
• Nurture new accounts by highlighting early successes and supporting the rollout of our technology across their operations
• Grow existing accounts by building on past successes and encouraging wider adoption across their portfolio
• Handle common objections with confidence, and bring in senior colleagues for more complex deals and negotiations

Stakeholder Communication & Influence

• Build strong relationships with key influencers and decision makers in the hospitality industry to help build demand for our product
• Identify routes into target organisations and build relationships with senior decision-makers, adapting your communication style to each person
• Represent Winnow at regional industry conferences, events and networking opportunities to strengthen our presence and grow our network
• Keep internal stakeholders updated on deal progress, risks and changes, so everyone stays aligned

Collaboration & Regional Partnership

• Work with the wider team to develop plans for winning and growing business with clients, making sure key stakeholders are on board
• Collaborate with colleagues in sales, marketing, technology and Operations across our global locations, sharing market knowledge and learnings

Market Insight & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute ideas to the Business Development strategy for the MENA region
• Keep track of competitor activity and market developments, flagging possible collaboration or partnership opportunities to the team
• Use AI tools to support prospecting, account research and sales productivity, in line with Winnow's wider AI adoption initiative
• Reflect on deals won and lost, and seek feedback to keep improving your sales approach

Requirements

Education and experience

• Solid experience in business development, B2B or SaaS sales, managing the sales cycle from prospecting and qualification through to negotiation and close
• A consistent track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets
• Experience selling technology solutions to corporate clients
• University degree or equivalent professional experience preferred

Essential skills

• Confident running discovery conversations and tailored presentations with several stakeholders
• Able to manage your own pipeline independently and reprioritise as needed
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English

Nice to have

• Experience selling into hospitality, particularly hotels, contract catering or F&B groups
• An existing network across GCC hospitality
• Arabic language skills

Personal attributes

• You manage your own work independently, planning ahead and reprioritising when things change
• You spot obstacles early, flag them promptly and come with a proposed solution when you escalate
• You stay composed under pressure and adapt your approach when deals stall instead of letting setbacks knock you off course
• You're approachable and clear with people at all levels, and you adjust your style to each person
• You build strong relationships across teams and proactively share what you learn
• You're analytical and comfortable using data to find opportunities and get to the root of problems
• You look for feedback, reflect on what's worked and what hasn't, and use it to keep improving
• You're curious about AI-powered tools and comfortable using them to sell and work more effectively

Benefits

• Company stock options package

• Eligible for sales commission scheme
• Company private health insurance and eye care allowance
• Life insurance (3 times base salary)
• Annual economy ticket to home country
• 2 Wellness hours per month plus AED 204 monthly wellness allowance
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24/7 helpline for your wellbeing
• 22 days of paid vacation time in addition to national holidays, plus the option to buy a further 5 days annual leave
• Learning and development allowance of AED 1,370 annually
• Hybrid way of working – we're all in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Early Finish Fridays – log off at 3pm on a Friday if you've completed your tasks by then
• Our own office space with a great working environment
• You will love what you do – waking up every day solving one of the biggest social problems of our generation: food waste
• Committed team members with broad experience who share a common passion to build a world class business