Regional Sales Leader: Wholesale & Retail Growth in Newtownabbey

The purpose of the Regional Sales Manager is to drive the Wholesale and Retail Sales through the leadership of a team of Business Development Managers and to ensure that our new and existing retailers are achieving expected margins through the highest delivery of retail operating standards.

Working as Regional Sales Manager you will:

• Drive sales at both Wholesale and Retail levels to ensure maximum performance versus budgets.
• Provide strategic direction to your Business Development Manager team through effective communication and performance management processes.
• Influence and persuade competitors to join our brands SPAR/EUROSPAR/Vivo.
• Manage customer loyalty and purchasing targets across all commodities, ensuring retailers purchase all products either through the warehouse or via central billing agreements, using reports to manage imagery loans and loyalty rebates.
• Monitor all planning and development activity in the territory to identify retail development opportunities.
• Develop and implement effective business development plans for the SPAR neighbourhood stores.
• Analyse retailers P&L accounts giving guidance on performance to allow the stores to achieve their net profit targets.
• Build relationships with other departments within the Henderson Group and establish external relationships always promoting the Company.
• Develop and coach retailers to support continual improvement, introducing effective plans to increase customers margins and reduce costs.
• Develop a substantial knowledge of our competitor marketplace.
• Facilitate weekly and monthly meetings with the Business Development Managers and support the Sales Leadership Team at quarterly and biannual meetings.

Skills for Success:

• GCSE English & Maths (or equivalent) at Grade C or above.
• 3 years of experience of managing multi-site stores within the food, multiple or convenience sectors.
• Experience of managing teams across various departments.
• Experience of driving retail sales and purchases against set budgets.
• Ability to analyse P & L accounts.
• Experience of NI food retail market.
• Proficient in MS Office packages.
• Current UK/EU driving licence.

The Attributes you’ll need include:

• Ability to present to large groups of individuals.
• Coaching and influencing skills.
• Future business planning and strategic thinking.

It is desirable if you have:

• 3rd level qualification in a business-related subject.
• Experience of dealing with independent retailers within the food convenience sector.

As part of this role, it will be important that you feel aligned with the values that we live and work by:

• Ambition – We always strive to be better. We seek new challenges and look for ways to do things better.
• Customer First – We provide exceptional service. We put customers at the heart of everything and support our communities.
• Teamwork – We succeed together. We help colleagues to succeed, and we share our knowledge and skills.
• Integrity – We are fair, honest and ethical. We treat everyone with dignity and respect. We are inclusive and champion diversity.

The impact you can make with Henderson Group goes far beyond your day to day. You will be part of a business supporting defibrillator installations and school sports days. In the last year Henderson Group staff and retail stores raised over £1 million for charity partners. Our business has been recognised externally for delivering excellence in employment. We value employee development and heavily invest in our people. Benefits include market competitive salary, company car or allowance, bonus, contributory pension scheme, private medical insurance, life assurance, employee assistance programme, social club, perks offers/discount scheme throughout UK/Ireland, staff discount (grocery/fuel) at SPAR/EUROSPAR Henderson Group company-owned stores and many more.

This is a full-time position working 36.5 hours per week. Working hours will be 8:45am‑4:45pm Monday to Thursday and 8:45am‑3:45pm Friday.