Seafood Sales & Business Development Representative
Universal Seafood Inc. — Los Angeles / Southern California
Starting Base Compensation: $40,000 + Uncapped Commission
Build Your Own Book of Business
Universal Seafood is looking for a salesperson who knows how to open doors, build relationships, and turn those relationships into long-term business.
This isn't a position centered around sitting at a desk and managing an established list of accounts. We're looking for someone who enjoys being out in the market — meeting chefs, visiting restaurants, discovering new concepts, introducing products, and developing customers.
You'll have access to a broad seafood portfolio and the ability to sell across a diverse Southern California market, from independent restaurants and chef-driven concepts to markets, hospitality groups, and other foodservice businesses.
Most importantly, your commission is uncapped.
The opportunity is designed for someone who wants their income to grow alongside the business they generate.
What You'll Be Doing
Your primary focus will be new business development and account growth.
You'll spend your time identifying prospective customers, getting in front of decision-makers, understanding what they're currently buying, and finding opportunities where Universal Seafood can provide better products, service, selection, or value.
You'll also:
- Develop new restaurant, market, hospitality, and foodservice accounts throughout Southern California.
- Build relationships with chefs, owners, buyers, purchasing teams, and other decision-makers.
- Introduce customers to fresh, frozen, imported, seasonal, and specialty seafood.
- Identify opportunities based on a customer's menu, volume, price point, and product requirements.
- Provide samples, product recommendations, pricing, and follow-up.
- Help customers explore alternatives when availability, pricing, yield, or quality becomes an issue.
- Grow existing accounts by identifying additional products and opportunities.
- Keep up with seafood markets, seasonal availability, and new products.
- Communicate customer needs and opportunities to our purchasing and operations teams.
- Maintain consistent follow-up with prospects and customers.
- Develop a territory and customer base that can grow substantially over time.
Who We're Looking For
We're less interested in a specific job title on your résumé and more interested in whether you understand food, customers, and sales.
You may be a great fit if you have experience in:
- Seafood or food distribution
- Restaurant or hospitality sales
- Outside sales or business development
- Restaurant ownership or management
- Purchasing or foodservice operations
- Culinary or professional kitchen environments
Seafood experience is valuable, but it isn't the only way to qualify. Someone with strong food knowledge, sales ability, and the drive to learn the seafood business can also succeed in this role.
You should be comfortable approaching new businesses, developing your own leads, managing relationships independently, and spending significant time visiting customers throughout your territory.
A valid driver's license and reliable transportation are required for regular customer visits.
Additional languages are a plus, particularly Spanish, Armenian, French, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, or other languages spoken throughout Southern California's restaurant community.
Compensation
Starting base compensation: $40,000 annually
Plus uncapped commission
There is no commission ceiling.
This is intentionally a performance-driven compensation structure. The salesperson who builds a larger and more profitable book of business has the opportunity to earn substantially more.
Exceptional performers with a significant book of business may have the potential to earn $350,000–$500,000+ in total annual compensation.
These figures represent earning potential only and are not guaranteed. Actual commission compensation depends on individual sales performance and the terms of the applicable commission plan.
Why Universal Seafood?
Universal Seafood has been serving Southern California's foodservice community since 1984.
We're a family-owned seafood business, which means we're able to operate differently from a large corporate distributor. Our salespeople can work directly with the people purchasing, sourcing, and handling the products they sell.
Our selection includes fresh, frozen, imported, and specialty seafood for a diverse range of restaurants, markets, chefs, and foodservice customers.
We're looking for someone who sees the opportunity in that:
Find the customer. Build the relationship. Grow the account. Build a book of business that rewards you for what you create.
Pay: From $40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
