Senior Commercial & Business Development Executive

Gelmax Pte Ltd is an established Singapore food importer and distributor operating since 2002. We supply hotels, restaurants, caterers, retailers and e-commerce customers, while also developing private-label products for Singapore and selected Asian markets.

We are looking for a commercially minded, organised and technology-oriented person to work closely with the Director and support the continued development of the business.

About the Role

This is not a traditional full-time field sales position.

The role combines selected key-account management, customer and category development, commercial analysis, retail and e-commerce opportunities, export development, new-product and private-label development, and internal commercial coordination.

The successful candidate will manage a selected portfolio of key and high-potential customers, maintaining regular contact through calls, email, WhatsApp and meetings when appropriate.

Customer visits will be required for important opportunities and meetings, but the majority of the role will not be spent outside visiting customers.

A key part of the position is the ability to understand commercial information and turn it into practical actions and recommendations, rather than simply preparing reports.

Our approach is:

Identify → Check → Analyse → Recommend → Act → Measure

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a selected portfolio of key and high-potential customers.
• Maintain regular customer contact and follow important opportunities through to completion.
• Review customer sales trends, purchasing patterns, lost business and potential for additional products or categories.
• Identify declining customers or products and recommend actions to recover or increase business.
• Follow quotations, samples, product introductions and commercial opportunities through to completion.
• Review product and category performance and identify areas requiring commercial or marketing action.
• Use sales information and reports to identify opportunities, risks and priorities.
• Provide clear recommendations and proposed actions when management decisions are required.
• Proactively identify commercial opportunities and bring recommendations to management.
• Develop and support selected new-business opportunities.
• Help identify opportunities within supermarkets, gourmet retail, e-commerce and other suitable retail channels.
• Support product launches, listings, positioning and promotional activities.
• Research potential distributors, retailers and business partners in selected Asian markets.
• Help identify products with export potential and support follow-up with suitable overseas prospects.
• Contribute ideas for new products, categories and private-label development.
• Work closely with Sales Support, Back Office, Supply Chain, Marketing and management to ensure agreed commercial actions are completed.
• Attend selected meetings with chefs, purchasing managers, hotel/F&B groups, retail buyers and other business partners when required.
• Work closely with the Director on selected customers, projects and commercial opportunities.

Important pricing decisions, special commercial conditions and significant commitments will continue to be discussed and approved by management.

We do not expect the employee to make major decisions outside their authority.

We do expect someone who can notice an opportunity, check the information, think about the possible solution and bring a recommendation.

AI & Technology

Gelmax actively uses technology to make work simpler, faster and more accurate.

We are currently testing and developing AI-supported analysis, reporting and automation.

You do not need to be an AI expert or programmer. However, you should be genuinely interested in learning and using AI and modern digital tools for customer and market research, commercial analysis, reporting, communication and productivity.

As technology and automation increasingly handle repetitive work and basic analysis, we expect the employee to focus more on commercial judgement, ideas, customer understanding, prioritisation, communication and action.

Working with the Director

Approximately 10% of the role may involve supporting the Director with commercial or management-related activities such as research, preparation of information, customer or supplier follow-up, meeting preparation and selected business projects.

This is not a Personal Assistant role. The support is mainly commercial and business-related.

Requirements

• Preferably 3–5 years of relevant commercial experience in business development, key accounts, FMCG, foodservice, hospitality supply, retail or a related sector.
• Experience managing or supporting customer accounts and developing business opportunities.
• Able to understand sales and customer information and turn it into practical commercial actions.
• Strong commercial curiosity, initiative and willingness to learn.
• Organised, able to prioritise and capable of following activities through to completion.
• Comfortable communicating with customers by telephone, email, messaging and in person.
• Strong spoken and written English.
• Business-level Mandarin proficiency is required, as the role
• Comfortable using Excel, CRM/ERP systems and general digital tools.
• Genuine interest in AI, automation and new ways of improving productivity.
• Experience in food distribution, foodservice, FMCG, hospitality or retail is an advantage.
• Exposure to retail, e-commerce, export or private-label business is an advantage but not essential.
• Diploma or Degree in Business, Marketing, Hospitality or a related discipline is useful, although commercial ability, initiative, attitude and learning capability are more important than qualifications alone.

Who Will Fit This Role

This role will suit someone who enjoys a fast, practical SME environment, likes having exposure to different parts of the business and can combine customer contact with commercial thinking.

We are looking for someone who can look at a customer, product or category and ask:

“What is happening here, and what should we do next?”

The ideal person is someone who is practical, curious, organised and comfortable taking initiative, while also understanding when management approval is required.

For the right person, there is an opportunity to progressively take on greater commercial responsibility as the business develops.

Employment Eligibility

This position is open to Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents (PRs).