Head of Food Retail (CPG and Strategy)

Head of Food Retail (CPG and Strategy)

We’re on a mission to make delicious, exciting food available in more places. At Lean Kitchen Network (LKN), we push boundaries on flavour, disrupt old-school models, and help our partners achieve more. We spread the love for great food by combining innovative brands with a proven ability to drive profits for our partners.

Does this fit with what you want?

We’re looking for passionate foodies, high-energy dreamers, and game-changers. Someone who will go the extra mile to make it really f cking* good. Someone who genuinely cares about our partners, the team, our products, and most importantly, our mission.

Expect hard work, unexpected turns, exciting projects, fast pace, tough days—but also incredible food, a sense of purpose, and being part of a company transforming an industry that desperately needs it.

The Role

We’re looking for a dynamic and entrepreneurial Head of Retail (CPG and Strategy) to launch and scale LKN’s retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) operations. This is a startup within a startup—you’ll be the first hire for retail, building the foundations and creating a roadmap to launch, grow, and ultimately scale a retail team.

You’ll have an exciting pipeline of products in meals and food-to-go categories ready to launch; working with some of the largest brand partners and celebrities in the UK, and the autonomy to shape a strategy that makes the most of these opportunities. From owning retailer relationships to driving sales, your work will help us commercialise our innovative brands .

What You’ll Do

• Build the Strategy: Review LKN’s brand portfolio to identify retail potential. Develop a winning CPG strategy to maximise our reach and profitability.
• Define Success: Set KPIs, build forecasts, and own the P&L to guide business growth and performance.
• Launch Products: Oversee the rollout of new CPG projects, working with chefs, marketing, and operations to ensure they’re retail-ready and irresistible to customers.
• Drive Sales: Own relationships with retailers, manufacturers, and distributors, driving the success of new launches. Explore new ways to commercialise LKN brands and open new channels.
• Build the Team: Develop a hiring roadmap, scaling the retail team as revenue grows. Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing team.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience in retail or CPG roles, ideally in startups or scale-ups. Bonus if in meals, food to go, frozen and/or sauces
• Experience and contacts with buyers across various retailers including travel, grocery, wholesale and convenience
• Experience working with BRC food manufacturers
• Deep experience working with brands and retailers
• Expertise in launching products, building strategies, and scaling operations.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing forecasts, KPIs, and P&Ls.
• Exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills with partners and stakeholders.
• An understanding of marketing and activation (in store, digital, influencer)
• An entrepreneurial mindset: you’re excited to build from scratch and thrive in fast-paced, high-energy environments.
• Passion for food trends and a deep connection to LKN’s mission.

Why LKN?

• You’ll work with award-winning brands and game-changing partners to push the boundaries of what’s possible in food.
• You’ll be part of a company that’s driving real change and making a difference for partners, customers, and the industry.
• You’ll enjoy incredible food, exciting challenges, and the chance to lead a transformative journey from the ground up.

Are you ready to build something extraordinary? Apply now and join the team that’s redefining food retail.