Commercial Manager – Grocery Growth

Attractive basic salary + car allowance + substantial bonus / OTE potential

Location: Home-based, with expensed customer and Head Office visits – UK-wide applications welcomed

Permanent | Full-time

An opportunity to help build a major new grocery business for an established, successful international food company.

Our client is a well-funded, market-leading supplier of innovative, value-added frozen seafood products to many of the UK’s best-known restaurant and hospitality groups.

Building on its success, the business has developed a new branded range for retail consumers and is now investing in expanding into the UK’s leading supermarkets and discounters.

We are looking for an accomplished grocery Commercial Manager with the experience and credibility to establish relationships with major retailers, secure new listings and play a leading role in developing the retail channel.

The opportunity

You will work closely with senior leadership and have significant influence over customer development, commercial propositions and the company’s approach to grocery retail.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing relationships and opening new business opportunities with major grocery retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.
• Securing distribution and listings for an innovative branded frozen-food proposition.
• Creating retailer-specific commercial proposals, supported by category insight and market understanding.
• Leading customer negotiations and helping shape the development of the retail range.
• Working across the business to ensure successful launches and long-term commercial growth.
• Exploring further retail opportunities, potentially including own-label products as the channel develops.

The position offers the chance to establish a new customer base rather than simply manage an inherited portfolio of established accounts.

Your experience

We are particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated an ability to win new business with the UK’s major grocery multiples.

You will bring:

• Strong grocery sales and commercial experience, ideally across more than one major retailer.
• Personal success in developing customer relationships, winning listings or delivering new distribution.
• Excellent commercial judgement, negotiation skills and understanding of retail category requirements.
• The confidence to open conversations with buyers and develop opportunities from an early stage.
• Relevant experience within food manufacturing or FMCG.

Experience in value-added frozen seafood would be ideal, although we will also consider commercially accomplished candidates from other frozen, chilled and fresh-food categories.

You may currently be a Commercial Manager, Senior National Account Manager, Account Controller or an experienced grocery NAM seeking a broader remit.

The precise appointment title will be determined by the successful candidate’s background and experience.

What’s on offer?

The opportunity to play a key role in an important strategic growth initiative, backed by successful products, an established business and the resources to develop the grocery market.

You will have close access to senior decision-makers, meaningful input into commercial strategy and the satisfaction of helping establish a substantial new revenue stream.

The package includes an attractive basic salary, car allowance and a market-leading substantial performance-related bonus potential, providing the opportunity for significant total earnings.

The company offers flexibility around home location, with regular visits to grocery customers and its UK Head Office. Reasonable business travel and overnight accommodation expenses will be covered as required.

If you have a proven background in developing major grocery customers and would enjoy the opportunity to influence the growth of an established business, we’d welcome your application.

Application:

Please provide your CV ASAP.

Ideally, we would also appreciate a short summary of your relevant experience, a guide to your remuneration expectations, as well as your notice period or availability to commence the role if successful.

Note:

NJR advises the organisation on the basis of a retained exclusive consulting assignment.

Any Third-Party applications and correspondence will be forwarded by our client for us, as their retained advisor, to review and no commercial consideration will be available for such unsolicited introductions.