We are delighted to be recruiting a Commercial Director on behalf of one of our key clients within the food & drinks industry. Following a recent investment to drive further growth, the business is embracing a significant, progressive period of change. The key focus is evolving the organisation, so it can fully capitalise on the broad range of exciting commercial opportunities available to it.
Location: Yorkshire
The Role
- The Commercial Director will lead the design and delivery of the commercial strategy, determining the sales vision and building the strategic ‘3 year’ and ‘annual’ plan to achieve sustainable, profitable growth for the business.
- Playing a key figurehead in the business’ ambitious plans, we are looking for the ability think strategically and work through all levels of the organisation to turn ideas into action.
- The successful candidate will lead a team of channel and account managers to deliver the budgeted sales and profit targets, through building and maintaining strategic partnerships with customers.
- It is essential to continue to build a structure and culture that constantly identifies and actions improvement opportunities for both the business and customers.
The Person
- We are seeking an outstanding Commercial Director, someone who is already an established sales leader. It is essential that they have the capability and experience to operate as a key player at Board level, bringing challenge, rigour and pace to the senior team.
- They will need to be able to flex their approach, shifting from providing a hands-on approach through to developing strategic plans in the boardroom.
- Individuals are very likely to be currently working in an added-value, drink or food business. Individuals with exclusively branded backgrounds must be able to demonstrate that they are able to adapt to what is a more customer-centric approach in the private label and contract manufacturing space.
- The right character for this role will be able to quickly win the respect of the commercial team and the wider business with their desire to take accountability, energy, knowledge, and resilience.
Skills and Experience requirements
- An open and progressive leadership style, being highly visible throughout the business, and immediately identified as a figurehead. A willingness to build relationships with team members at all levels, from factory floor to boardroom.
- Proven sales leader with excellent industry expertise and a deep understanding of the UK retail landscape. The individual must have broad experience in ‘UK grocery’ but, importantly, also the discounters, cash & carry, food service and contract manufacturing.
- Strong commercial acumen, able to build close relationships with key customers and understand their business whilst identifying longer term opportunities in new products and channels.
- Demonstrable, deep experience in category development, even if the specific design and implementation had not directly been their responsibility.
- Highly resilient, with the ability to remain objective and focussed when customers seek to leverage ambiguity or adopt the occasional subjective or emotional position.
- A leader with strong ambition and the intellectual capability to lead on a wide range of commercial activities.
If you have the skills and experience and are looking for a new challenge, we would be delighted to discuss this opportunity further.