April 2018

Exciting UK Sales Director role at Quorn

Exciting UK Sales Director role at Quorn, a high growth and iconic branded food business. Leading all UK Sales activity, heading a team of 30 across both Sales and Category Management.

Key Facts:

  • A hugely motivating commercial, operational and leadership challenge in a company with a positive and engaging culture.
  • An ‘on-trend’, healthier product proposition with a wide array of growth opportunities.
  • Strong and exciting investment plans for the brand, underpinned by the backing of an ambitious parent, Monde Nissin.
  • Attractive to an experienced FMCG Sales Director who will thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial business.
  • Based in North Yorkshire, accessible from a range of locations across the North of England.

The Company:

  • Quorn is a global leader in meat-alternative, healthy protein products and is a major success story within the UK FMCG sector.
  • The business is one of the fastest growing UK FMCG brands alongside delivering hugely impressive global growth, which it has the potential to continue. In 2016 turnover exceeded £170m, with significant revenue increases both in the UK and a range of global markets.
  • The company was recently acquired by Monde Nissin Corporation, who have announced an investment of £150m to expand Quorn’s operations and ramp up infrastructure as part of plans to become a $1bn brand in the next decade.
  • One key to the success of Quorn has been the ability to attract new consumers into the meat alternative category, with significant growth coming from non-vegetarians who see Quorn as a healthier option in their diets.
  • Quorn HQ is in Stokesley, North Yorkshire and the company employs c700 people across 3 x UK manufacturing sites and within their International markets.

The Role:

The Sales Director sits on the Executive team and will report to CEO. The individual will lead all UK Sales activity.

Key responsibilities will include:

  • Determining the Sales vision and building the strategic Sales plan to achieve sustainable, profitable growth for the Quorn business in the UK.
  • Leading the Quorn Sales team to consistently deliver sales and profit targets, through building and maintaining sustainable strategic partnerships with customers.
  • Creating a resilient and high performing Sales team with a clear and focused values agenda. Driving a wide breadth and depth of profitable brand distribution, across all UK Sales channels.
  • Growing sales volume, product mix and selling price by keeping current with supply and demand, changing trends, economic indicators and competitors.
  • Being a highly visible figurehead for the Quorn business, both internally but equally across the wider UK retail landscape.
  • Providing the energy, support and challenge to ensure the Quorn brand meets the high expectations of retailers, consumers and internal stakeholders.
  • Creating a structure and culture that constantly identifies and actions continuous improvement opportunities.
  • Ensure that there is a strong collaboration between the Sales, Marketing, NPD, Innovation and Operations functions.
  • Taking a key strategic role in Quorn’s ambitious plans to become a $1bn brand.

The Person:

  • Proven FMCG industry leader with outstanding commercial experience and a great understanding of the UK retail landscape.
  • The individual will have built a strong career in sales/commercial roles before progressing to senior management. In essence, at least 10 years’ credible leadership experience from well-known, complex and entrepreneurial FMCG environments.
  • 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.
  • Food & Drink industry experience is strongly preferable but an individual who offers a proven track record in FMCG would also be considered.
  • A leader with strong ambition and the intellectual capability to lead on a wide range of commercial activities.
  • Proven experience in building and enabling the delivery of a Sales strategy for a business, with a strong emphasis on a rapid and sustainable growth agenda. With a proven ability to prioritise opportunities effectively, construct initiatives to deliver the vision and obtain buy-in from all stakeholders and colleagues.
  • An open and progressive leadership style, being highly visible throughout the business, and immediately identified as a figurehead at Quorn.
  • A high level of pragmatism and realism with strong interpersonal skills. Outstanding communicator with a proven ability to listen, influence, unite and motivate behind collectively agreed objectives.
  • Ability to build, develop and lead an outstanding team.

Remuneration:

Excellent six figure base salary plus an attractive benefits package

Location:

Quorn head office is in Stokesley, North Yorkshire and candidates must be able to spend a significant amount of their time on site.

Quorn have retained Drayton Partners to manage all recruitment activity in relation to this project, any 3rd party applications will be forwarded directly to Drayton Partners.