At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage key customer accounts and develop market opportunities in the food and drink sector.
- Company: Join Scotland Food & Drink, a leader in promoting Scottish products.
- Benefits: Enjoy 35 days annual leave, flexible working, and a comprehensive benefits package.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the growth of Scotland's vibrant food and drink industry.
- Qualifications: Experience in account management and knowledge of the UK retail market required.
- Other info: Be part of a collaborative culture that values work/life balance and diversity.
The predicted salary is between 38000 - 48000 £ per year.
Salary: £38 - £48k annually dependant on experience
Working hours: Full-Time – 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Ratho, Edinburgh / Hybrid-working
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 25th of February at 12:00 noon
In person interviews for this role will take place w/c 4th of March 2026
Prior to any employment commencing with Scotland Food & Drink you will be asked to provide documents to demonstrate your right to work in the UK.
JOB SUMMARY
The UK Market Manager – Retail at Scotland Food & Drink (SF&D) is responsible for supporting the delivery of the UK Market Development Strategy with a focus on managing key customer accounts and developing route-to-market opportunities. The role contributes directly to the growth of the Scottish food and drink sector, aligned with the industry vision set out in Sustaining Scotland, Supplying the World. This position requires an experienced, commercially minded account and projects manager with strong knowledge of the food and drink sector.
Responsibilities:
- Managing relationships with key customers, including major retailers and wholesalers, building sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships that support the sales growth of Scottish products in Scotland and across the UK.
- Acting as the lead point of contact for assigned major accounts, collaborating with cross‑functional teams both within SF&D and across nominated accounts to develop and deliver strategic account plans, ensuring effective communication flows.
- Working at both strategic and operational levels, engaging flexibly and collaboratively with internal colleagues and external partners to achieve business objectives and support the implementation of the UK Market Strategy.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Your day-to-day responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
- Customer Relationship Development: Operate as the lead point of contact for major customer accounts, collaborating with internal colleagues and external partners to develop and deliver strategic account plans, ensuring effective communication flow between SF&D and assigned accounts.
- Commercial Opportunity Management: Identify, develop, implement and oversee commercial initiatives to grow sales of Scottish food and drink, ensuring alignment with customer priorities and organisational objectives.
- Project and Programme Delivery: Design, plan and manage the delivery of bespoke development projects within account plans, ensuring timely execution and measurable outcomes.
- Industry Representation & Event Support: Represent SF&D at external‑facing events and support industry initiatives to facilitate supplier‑buyer engagement, market development and promotion of Scottish food and drink.
- External Partnership Collaboration: Work with external partners and stakeholders on strategic projects that support growth, resilience and sustainability in the sector.
- Internal Collaboration and Advisory: Provide guidance and support to the Business Development team on account‑related strategy, market approaches and supplier engagement.
- Budget & Resource Oversight: Manage and monitor budgets, costs and outcomes associated with assigned accounts and initiatives, ensuring alignment with agreed objectives.
- Graduate Support: Supervise and support graduates assigned to key accounts where relevant.
- Customer Data Management: Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the customer relationship management system to ensure data integrity and support reporting.
- Stakeholder and Board Engagement: Represent SF&D on the UK Market Board and other relevant internal and external groups, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and the UK Market Strategy.
ABOUT YOU
Commercial Acumen: Works independently to apply deep understanding of the UK food and drink sector and supply chain environment, providing insight and guidance on commercial opportunities and strategies to support organisational objectives.
Project Management & Planning: Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to plan, organise, prioritise, and oversee multiple projects and account activities, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with business objectives. Demonstrates a proven track record of programme delivery, achieving measurable results.
Relationship Management: Works without supervision to build and maintain strategic relationships with senior stakeholders across large and complex organisations, demonstrates strong people skills to motivate, influence, and support colleagues and partners effectively.
Account Management: Applies expertise to independently manage key accounts, developing tailored account plans and driving programme delivery to achieve commercial outcomes. Proven ability to maintain and grow strategic accounts successfully.
Negotiation & Influence: Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to negotiate and influence independently, providing guidance to colleagues on obtaining consensus between internal and external parties with differing interests.
Communication & Presentation: Works independently to communicate ideas and information clearly, concisely and persuasively, including report writing, presentations, and public speaking.
Analytical & Reporting: Uses comprehensive knowledge to analyse performance data, monitor progress, and produce relevant, effective reports to inform decision‑making.
Attention to Detail & Problem Solving: Works without supervision to ensure high levels of accuracy and to develop solutions that meet the demands of account and project plans.
Adaptive Mindset: Works at an advanced level to assess changing circumstances and adjust strategies and work habits as required to achieve objectives.
Mobility & Flexibility: Willing and able to travel and participate in events outside of normal working hours as required to support business goals.
Experience
- Wide and deep experience providing expert competence.
- Food & Drink Supply Chain Knowledge: Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the food and drink supply chain, including production, distribution, and commercial dynamics, to inform strategy and decision‑making.
- UK Retail Market Knowledge: Possesses deep knowledge of the UK retail market, including trends, customer behaviours and commercial opportunities, to guide market strategy and business growth.
- Managerial Experience: Experience of coordinating accounts, activities and resources to achieve defined objectives and deliverables within agreed timeframes.
ABOUT SCOTLAND FOOD & DRINK
Scotland Food & Drink is the industry leadership organisation tasked with delivering the industry strategy and driving responsible growth for the sector. We are also a membership organisation with over 420+ companies at our heart. Working with us gives you an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting and innovative industries in Scotland. Our culture and our people are core to delivering our diverse and collaborative work. We have work/life balance as one of our core values and a comprehensive benefits package including, a group pension plan, 35 days annual leave (in addition to your birthday off), enhanced maternity & paternity benefits, a health care cash plan, a flexible working policy, an electric vehicle scheme, a cycle to work scheme, a life assurance scheme, professional study & training assistance, an employee assistance programme and wellness events. There are also opportunities to socialise and attend industry events and dinners. We believe working with us should be a hugely positive experience, our core values are:
- Ambition: We pursue excellence with unwavering ambition.
- Collaboration: We believe in the power of working together.
- Innovation: We embrace a culture of continuous improvement and creativity.
- Celebration: We believe in recognising and celebrating achievements.
- Authenticity: We are committed to honesty, transparency, and integrity.
- Balance: We believe in finding balance between work and the rest of our lives.
We are also an equal opportunity employer, and we recognise that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. We support candidates with reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please let us know when applying if you will require any additional support.
APPLY NOW
Please send CV and covering letter, or any questions you have regarding the role to:
UK Market Manager - Retail employer: Scotland Food & Drink Ltd.
Contact Detail:
Scotland Food & Drink Ltd. Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land UK Market Manager - Retail
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the food and drink sector. Attend industry events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out to potential contacts. You never know who might help you land that dream job!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Scotland Food & Drink thoroughly, understand their mission, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. Practice common interview questions and have some thoughtful questions ready to show your interest.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills! If you’ve got experience managing accounts or projects, be ready to share specific examples of your successes. Use metrics to demonstrate your impact – numbers speak volumes in the retail world!
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team at Scotland Food & Drink. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
We think you need these skills to ace UK Market Manager - Retail
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the UK Market Manager role. Highlight your experience in account management and the food and drink sector, as this will show us you understand what we're looking for.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've managed key accounts or developed successful strategies in the past. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Commercial Acumen: We want to see your understanding of the UK retail market. Use your application to demonstrate your knowledge of trends and customer behaviours that could impact our strategy. This will really catch our eye!
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Scotland Food & Drink Ltd.
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the UK food and drink sector, especially the retail market. Brush up on current trends, customer behaviours, and key players in the industry. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your commercial acumen during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Relationship Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed relationships with key customers or stakeholders in the past. Be ready to discuss specific strategies you've used to build sustainable partnerships and how these contributed to sales growth.
✨Be Project-Ready
Since project management is a big part of this role, think of instances where you've designed and delivered projects successfully. Highlight your planning and organisational skills, and be prepared to discuss how you ensure timely execution and measurable outcomes.
✨Communicate Clearly
Practice articulating your ideas concisely and persuasively. Whether it's discussing your experience or presenting a strategy, clear communication is key. Consider preparing a short presentation on a relevant topic to showcase your communication skills during the interview.
