Project Manager - Business Development / Graduate and Early Career Starter

About Franke

We, the Franke company with its three divisions, are a world's leading supplier of products and services for domestic kitchens, the professional foodservice systems and the convenience store sector as well as for professional coffee making. With around 60 companies, we are at home on five continents. Over 8,000 employees constantly take on new perspectives to identify opportunities and turn them into inspiring, innovative solutions for tomorrow’s demands.

The Franke Home Solutions division is the world’s leading provider of smart systems for domestic kitchens. Drawing on a long history of reliability and expertise, we help our partners enhance their businesses and provide outstanding kitchen and cooking experiences to our consumers by offering complete solutions for food preparation and cooking.

About the job

The Business Development Project Manager role is an 18-month assignment within Franke’s Graduate and Early Career Program, designed for an early-career professional interested in sales, business development, and commercial leadership. The role supports business development initiatives for Home Solutions North America, including sales growth, market analysis, customer engagement, and strategic project execution. The successful candidate will be based in either the Chicagoland area or the Southeast region and will collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Finance, Customer Service, and Operations, while gaining exposure to senior leadership. . This assignment provides the opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects, build practical commercial experience, and strengthen overall business acumen. Upon successful completion of the program, the individual may take on more responsibility, either in their current team, or in a different function/division/location based on the individual's performance and available opportunities. 

Your tasks

• Analyze sales data and market trends to identify growth opportunities and inform strategic decision-making for key accounts.
• Develop and execute strategic business plans aligned with sales, product, and brand objectives.
• Collaborate with Leadership and distributors to refine marketing strategies, including brand positioning, trade shows, and industry engagement.
• Partner with Product Development and Marketing teams to support new product and service initiatives that respond to market needs.
• Conduct trainings and presentations for customers and internal stakeholders based on business insights and project outcomes.
• Monitor and report on sales performance, profitability, and growth metrics to track success and support decision-making.
• Standardize measurement processes to evaluate impact on sales, profitability, and market share.
• Support ad hoc projects and initiatives that drive business development and organizational objectives.

Education, Qualifications & Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or another related field preferred.
• Strong academic performance and demonstrated achievement through coursework, projects, internships, leadership activities, or extracurricular involvement.
• Interest in building a career in sales, business development, commercial strategy, or general business leadership.
• Ability and willingness to travel significantly within the United States.
• Preferred location: Chicagoland area or East/Middle Tennessee region, or willingness to relocate to one of these areas.
• Designed for candidates with 0–1 year of full-time professional experience after completion of degree.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret information, identify trends, ask thoughtful questions, and translate data into practical recommendations.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to share ideas clearly and engage professionally with internal teams, customers, and business partners.
• Commercial mindset, with an interest in customers, markets, products, sales growth, and overall business performance.
• Initiative, curiosity, and accountability, with a willingness to learn, take ownership, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing priorities

What we offer you

• A set of challenging projects to lead with continuous exposure to senior leaders
• Access to the FRANKE ACADEMY with a broad range of trainings to improve technical as well a soft skills and general knowledge of the company and products
• Individual coaching from our coaching partner
• Individual mentoring from a senior leader
• Shadowing a senior leader
• Support from a growing international GEC community