Commercial Business Advisor – Food & Beverage and Consumer Goods

London, United Kingdom

International – Europe Middle East & Africa / Permanent, Full Time / Hybrid

Flexible hybrid working environment, 3 days office based.

Progressive wellbeing culture, where diversity & learning is valued to support you to be your best self.

Partner with innovative Kiwi entrepreneurs who are making their mark in the Food & Beverage and Consumer Goods sectors.

Are you looking for exciting and varied work? Use your know-how and know-who to help New Zealand businesses grow bigger, better, faster in the United Kingdom. The role is based in central London.

Who we are:

NZTE is New Zealand's international business development agency, but we are not like your traditional trade agency. Our people are highly commercially savvy, connected people who know their sector intimately. We get to work with some of New Zealand's most exciting companies, aiming to grow them by getting alongside them throughout their export journey.

What you will be doing:

Based in our central London office, we're looking for a stakeholder-savvy commercial adviser to provide business planning and strategic insight to a diverse portfolio of exciting exporters across the Food & Beverage and Consumer Goods sectors, with a primary focus on Food & Beverage. In this role, you will proactively partner with New Zealand companies to develop and execute their go-to-market plans across UK retail, wholesale, food service and on-premise channels. This will include coaching leadership teams to identify the right product niche and market approach, uncovering opportunities to establish the best route-to-market strategy, and providing expert advice to maximise their market impact.

Well versed in the UK Food & Beverage and Consumer Goods landscape (and ideally Ireland) you will use your commercial know-how to evaluate exporters' strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, and support them with market entry and growth strategies. Your role is all about working with leadership teams to strategise and execute exciting new channels to market, and to grow a range of verticals that are landing and expanding in market. You'll also play a meaningful part in delivering a strategic Food & Beverage priority linked to the NZ–UK Free Trade Agreement.

You will also work closely with your peers, internal support teams and key stakeholders on initiatives that drive customer growth. Your consultative approach, ability to activate your networks and business credibility will be highly valued, as will your willingness to capture all interactions in our customer relationship management system and identify future market trends. Your guidance will enable the delivery of high-impact in-market projects, supporting our customers' growth objectives and providing insights that reduce barriers to entry for New Zealand exporters.

What you will need to be successful:

• With commercial smarts and the know-how to manage a portfolio of companies, you'll play a key role in evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities and supporting them with market entry and growth strategies.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the credibility to work with large and complex trading organisations as well as smaller, high-growth exporters.
• A solid understanding of market entry and route-to-market strategies across UK retail, wholesale, food service and on-premise channels.
• Sector knowledge across Food & Beverage (and ideally Consumer Goods), including an awareness of the regulatory context relevant to Food & Beverage customers.
• Keen business acumen, experience working alongside CEOs, and a willingness to 'roll your sleeves up'.
• Superior communication, business consulting and relationship management skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly.
• Knowledge of the UK commercial landscape and a strong sense for doing business in the United Kingdom.
• An enthusiastic, 'can-do' attitude, proactive nature, creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to work in virtual teams across sectors.

Nice to have (advantageous, not essential):

• Existing buyer connections within UK grocery, food service or wholesale networks.
• Marketing or consumer-market understanding, and knowledge of brand positioning.
• Experience across both the UK and Irish markets.

Please note: this role is known internally as a Business Development Manager.

Why you will love working here:

We provide an inclusive and stimulating organisational culture where you can bring your whole self to work. You will be supported in your professional growth and be provided with learning and development opportunities to develop your expertise and knowledge with a dedicated L&D budget. NZTE offers flexible working arrangements, a fun and nurturing environment with a unique opportunity to develop and access world-class business networks and work with a talented, diverse international team.

What's next:

If this role sounds perfect for you and you believe you have what it takes to really make it your own, then we want to hear from you! Please view the position description here, for more details and apply now with your resume and cover letter. You must have the right to work in the United Kingdom to be eligible for this role. This vacancy closes on 11:59pm GMT, Tuesday 8 September.

We believe New Zealand is good for the World. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is an equal opportunity employer. At NZTE it is all about our people and we seek diversity of thought; we welcome and encourage you to apply regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity or disability. If we need to make specific accommodations in any part of the interview process, please note this in your application or discuss with the Talent Acquisition Partner.