International Commercial Director - Distributor Markets in Newcastle upon Tyne

International Commercial Director - Distributor Markets

Location: Based in UK with frequent international travel and to Newcastle (HQ)

Permanent Opportunity

Here at Mayborn Group we have an exciting opportunity for anInternational Commercial Director - Distributor Markets to join our team!

The International Commercial Director is accountable for defining and delivering the strategy, commercial performance, and financial outcomes across distribution-owned markets.

This role drives market growth, profitability, and long-term brand presence by building sustainable distributor partnerships, delivering robust P&L outcomes, and ensuring disciplined inventory and brand management. The role requires balancing short-term performance with long-term strategic growth in alignment with Mayborn’s global objectives.

What you will be doing:

Strategy, Commercial & Financial Delivery

• Define and execute the distribution market strategy across the world, within the framework of the 2026–2028 strategic plan.
• Build and implement market share gain plans (via Distributors) through consumer recruitment, category development, and tailored multi-channel strategies (mass, specialist, e-commerce).
• Ensure full P&L ownership and delivery for distributor markets, with accountability for net revenue, gross margin, EBITDA and improved cost efficiency year-on-year.
• Evaluate performance ensuring each distributor is measured against KPIs: numeric distribution, weighted distribution, on-time/in-full delivery, order-to-cash cycle, sales fundamentals.
• Proactively develop joint business on a regular basis to ensure alignment of priorities. These typically include sales growth, share targets, route-to-market improvements, and capability building commitments.
• Drive best-in-class new product launches, activations, and promotions, ensuring alignment with global guidelines and maximising ROI.
• Lead pricing strategies, terms of trade, and distribution agreements that safeguard brand equity, optimise profitability, and build long-term distributor commitment.
• Protect the brand by ensuring all distributor activities are executed in line with corporate standards, commercial policies, and legal/regulatory frameworks.

Distributor Selection and Segmentation

• Define the role of the distributor in each market (full-service distributor, logistics-only, sales + merchandising, etc.).
• Segment distributors by strategic importance (e.g. key strategic markets v small/emerging markets).
• Develop standardised distributor capability assessment tool across regions, often covering:
• Financial strength (capital adequacy, cash flow, ability to invest in inventory & working capital).
• Sales capability (coverage, ability to build relationships with retailers, negotiation power).
• Execution capability (distribution reach, merchandising, ability to implement “Perfect Store” standards).
• Operational infrastructure (warehousing, logistics, IT systems, ability to handle data integration).
• People & talent (quality of distributor management team, sales force productivity, training discipline).
• Compliance & governance (ethics, adherence to control standards).

Sales & Operations Planning

• Implement a robust review process and lead the monthly Sales and Operational Planning Meeting, ensuring alignment between forecast, demand planning and AOP targets.
• Maintain strict oversight of inventory levels, sell-in, and sell-out performance, preventing overstocking, write-offs, or missed sales due to poor availability.
• Optimise service levels and order processes to maximise sales at minimum inventory cost.

People Leadership & Collaboration

• Build and develop a high-performing international team capable of managing distributors effectively across diverse cultural and regulatory contexts.
• Foster a performance-driven, externally focused culture that builds strong commercial partnerships and enhances Mayborn’s reputation in-market.
• Continually assess team skills and organisational structure, driving capabilities upgrade in partnership with HR.
• Lead performance management, talent development, and succession planning in line with Group policies.

What skills and experiences you’ll need to ace this job:

• Proven success as a Commercial Director (or equivalent) with extensive experience managing distributor markets across the globe, with particular focus in South Africa, Middle East, and EU.
• Strong track record of P&L ownership, with demonstrable delivery of revenue growth, margin improvement, and sustainable profitability.
• Experience in inventory management and distributor governance, with the ability to balance sell-in, sell-out, and working capital discipline.
• Strong category, brand, and sales expertise, ideally gained within the consumer durables or FMCG sectors.
• Multi-channel commercial experience (mass, specialist retail, and e-commerce).
• Exceptional commercial acumen, combining strategic vision with pragmatic execution.
• Strong leadership presence, able to inspire and retain top talent in a multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills to build strong, mutually profitable distributor relationships.

If this job sounds interesting, then we'd love to hear from you. Please apply online or any questions can be directed to Luke at largent@mayborngroup.com or James at jdavison@mayborngroup.com