Head of Sales
Build the commercial engine for a pioneering biosolutions company
Black Swans Exist is recruiting a Head of Sales on behalf of a highly specialized and ambitious company within biosolutions for the food industry.
The company develops and delivers enzyme-based solutions that help food producers create more value from raw materials, side streams, by-products, and production waste. Their solutions can improve yield, reduce waste, increase process efficiency, support sustainability goals, and create new commercial opportunities for customers.
This is a rare opportunity to join a technically strong, owner-led company at a pivotal stage of its commercial development. The business has strong expertise, existing customer relationships, international potential, and a clear ambition to scale – but the commercial engine now needs to be built, structured, and accelerated.
The role
As Head of Sales, you will be responsible for driving sales growth while building the commercial foundation for the company’s next phase.
This is not a classic “manage an existing sales machine” role. You will be expected to help build that machine.
Your mandate will include developing the sales strategy, defining priority customer segments, building a scalable sales process, strengthening pipeline discipline, driving new business, and ensuring that the broader organization is aligned around commercial growth.
The first 12 months will be critical. Success will depend on your ability to create structure, open new customer opportunities, generate revenue growth, and bring the organization with you in the process.
Key responsibilities
You will be responsible for developing and executing a clear commercial strategy, including ICP definition, target account mapping, customer prioritization, and outreach strategy.
A major part of the role will be hands-on new business development. The expectation is that approximately 70-80% of the commercial focus will be on new sales, while also developing selected existing customer relationships.
You will identify and engage relevant food industry customers across Denmark, the Nordics, and Europe, particularly companies where enzyme-based solutions can create measurable value through better utilization of raw materials, side streams, rest products, or process improvements.
You will also review the current sales setup and implement a more structured internal sales process. This includes pipeline management, CRM discipline, lead qualification, forecasting, meeting rhythm, follow-up structure, and clearer prioritization of commercial opportunities.
The role requires close collaboration with technical experts, leadership, and internal functions such as QA/RA. You must be able to translate complex technical capabilities into strong commercial cases and ensure that customer opportunities are properly qualified before resources are committed.
Just as importantly, you will need to create internal buy-in. The company is technically strong and quality-oriented, but not yet a fully developed sales organization. You must be able to professionalize sales in a way that creates momentum without overwhelming the organization.
Success in the first 12 months
Within the first year, you should have established a clear and actionable sales strategy, including priority customer segments, target accounts, and a structured outreach plan.
You should have improved the company’s sales process, strengthened CRM usage, created better pipeline visibility, and introduced a more disciplined way of managing commercial opportunities.
You should have generated new qualified customer dialogues and contributed directly to sales growth. The ambition is to support a growth trajectory of approximately 30% annual revenue growth.
You should also have helped the organization understand, support, and participate in the commercial agenda. A successful hire will not only create revenue but also become a trusted internal driver of commercial maturity.
Your profile
- You are an experienced B2B sales profile with a proven ability to sell complex, technical, or process-related solutions to industrial customers.
- You likely have experience from one or more of the following areas:
- Enzymes, food ingredients, functional ingredients, biosolutions, industrial biotechnology, food production, process technology, or technical B2B sales into manufacturing environments.
- Experience with both enzymes and the food industry is highly relevant.
- You understand that selling in this space is not about simple product pitching. It requires understanding the customer’s production setup, identifying where value can be created, building a credible business case, and managing long-term trust-based relationships.
- You are a hunter by nature. You can create your own leads, open doors, qualify opportunities, book meetings, follow up, and drive sales processes forward. At the same time, you are structured enough to build the process behind the sales effort.
- You are comfortable working in a smaller, agile, owner-led company where decisions are made close to the customer and where your impact will be highly visible.
You will be a strong fit if you:
- Have a strong track record in B2B sales to the food industry or related industrial markets.
- Understand production environments, process challenges, technical stakeholders, and value-based selling.
- Can generate new business independently and drive opportunities from first contact to commercial agreement.
- Are structured in your use of CRM, pipeline management, follow-up, and forecasting.
- Can work closely with technical specialists and translate technical possibilities into commercial value.
- Are motivated by building something rather than simply operating within an existing system.
- Have the maturity to create change with respect for the existing organization.
- Can combine strategic thinking with hands-on sales execution.
- Communicate clearly, credibly, and professionally in English. Danish is an advantage but not a strict requirement.
The commercial opportunity
The company’s customers are typically food producers or related industrial players with untapped value in raw materials, side streams, by-products, or production processes.
Relevant customer segments may include food manufacturers, ingredient companies, fisheries, salmon processing, slaughterhouses, and other production-driven businesses where enzyme-based solutions can improve yield, reduce waste, or create new revenue streams.
The company already has existing customers, strong technical know-how, relevant systems, and international activities. Your role is to bring these elements together into a more focused, scalable, and growth-oriented commercial setup.
Organization and reporting
You will report directly to the CEO and become a central commercial figure in a small, technically strong organization.
This is a role with significant influence. You will have a direct impact on the company’s growth, commercial direction, sales infrastructure, and future organizational development.
The company is based in the Greater Copenhagen area. Candidates located in Denmark or willing to relocate are relevant. Travel activity should be expected in connection with customer meetings, fairs, and business development.
Interested?
Black Swans Exist is recruiting this Head of Sales on behalf of a revolutionary company within biosolutions for the food industry.
For a confidential conversation, please contact Black Swans Exist.
