At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the national Field Sales agenda and optimise market execution.
- Company: Join Suntory, a leading global soft drinks company with beloved brands.
- Benefits: Enjoy a supportive work environment, career growth, and work-life balance.
- Why this job: Be a pivotal leader driving innovation and excellence in sales.
- Qualifications: Extensive FMCG sales leadership experience and strong commercial acumen.
- Other info: Embrace a diverse and inclusive culture that values your unique contributions.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Who we are Suntory is a fast-moving, agile, and entrepreneurial business that is home to some of the nation’s most loved brands. The Suntory Group is one of the largest soft drinks companies and among the world’s leading consumer products companies. We offer a uniquely diverse portfolio of beverages enjoyed by millions across the globe.
About your role As our Head of Field Sales, you will lead the national Field Sales agenda to maximise market execution excellence.
What You’ll Do
- Field Sales Leadership
- Set the strategic direction for the UK Field Sales operation, ensuring alignment with the broader commercial vision, customer strategy, and annual business plans.
- Own and optimise a Field Sales budget, ensuring ROI through targeted deployment of resources, headcount, and execution levers (distribution, visibility, promotional compliance).
- Lead the relationship with third-party sales partners (e.g., CPM), ensuring a best-in-class field execution model through contractual excellence, performance measurement, and long-term strategic alignment.
- Champion innovation by designing and trialling new retail execution models that future-proof the field function and create competitive advantage.
- Team & Culture Leadership
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing internal and external Field Sales team, with a focus on leadership pipeline development and embedding a culture of accountability and excellence.
- Support organisational design, succession planning, and leadership development across the commercial team in partnership with P&C and L&D.
- Act as a cultural ambassador and role model across the business, fostering a high-trust, inclusive, and performance-driven environment.
This highly senior role is pivotal to the delivery of SBFE GB&I’s growth strategy, requiring a commercially astute, people-centric leader with a strong bias for action, a track record of influencing at executive level, and proven expertise in managing complex, cross-functional initiatives.
What’s in it for you
Joining Suntory isn’t just about taking on a role, it’s about embarking on a career journey. You have the opportunity to work with talented, inspiring and authentic leaders and have the freedom to dream big and go for it (Yatte Minahare). At Suntory you’ll find a supportive work environment that values work life balance and that will help you realise your full potential and grow for good. Our People and Culture team are a team that genuinely care about creating a great experience for our employees and we would love you to be part of it.
What You need to be successful
- Extensive FMCG Sales leadership roles, including solid experience in Controller or Senior Director-level positions.
- Demonstrated success in leading large-scale Field Sales organisations and managing complex partner relationships.
- Strong track record in commercial leadership, including National Account management and cross-functional project ownership.
- Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide initiatives with multiple senior stakeholders.
Capabilities & Skills
- Visionary Leadership – Sets a compelling direction and brings others along with clarity, influence, and conviction.
- Strategic Agility – Synthesizes insights into bold strategies that balance long-term ambition with in-year delivery.
- Commercial Excellence – Deep understanding of customer, category, and shopper dynamics, with strong financial acumen.
- Change Leadership – Comfortable leading transformation in complex environments with resilience and urgency.
- Operational Excellence – Drives discipline in execution, processes, and governance, ensuring sustained business performance.
- Talent Development – Builds high-performing teams, develops future leaders, and embeds a culture of continuous growth.
Our DEI Commitment
At Suntory, we recognize that diverse knowledge, perspectives, and backgrounds contribute to our collective success. We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all individuals can bring their whole selves to work every day, regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or any other protected characteristic.
Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to highlight what Suntory offers as an employer while allowing candidates to share their unique skills and experiences. We understand that career trajectories vary, and if you believe your experience/background can benefit our team, we encourage you to apply. We endeavor to make our interview process as inclusive as possible and offer reasonable accommodations as needed. Together, we can cultivate a workplace where everyone can thrive and propel our mission of Growing for Good.
Head Of Field Sales in London employer: Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I
Contact Detail:
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head Of Field Sales in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential colleagues or mentors. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company, understand their values, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. Practise common interview questions and come up with examples that showcase your leadership skills and commercial acumen.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. It’s also a chance to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the Head of Field Sales position at Suntory.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the Suntory team and contributing to our mission of Growing for Good.
We think you need these skills to ace Head Of Field Sales in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Leadership Skills: When writing your application, make sure to highlight your leadership experience. We want to see how you've built and led teams in the past, especially in FMCG sales. Share specific examples that demonstrate your ability to inspire and develop others.
Be Strategic and Commercial: We’re looking for someone who can think strategically about Field Sales. In your application, showcase your understanding of market dynamics and how you’ve successfully managed budgets and resources in previous roles. This will help us see your commercial acumen.
Emphasise Your Change Leadership: Change is a constant in our industry, so we want to know how you've navigated transformation in complex environments. Use your application to tell us about times you've led change initiatives and the impact they had on your team or organisation.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about what we do at Suntory.
How to prepare for a job interview at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I
✨Know Your FMCG Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of the FMCG sector, especially in relation to field sales. Understand the latest trends, key players, and market dynamics. This will not only help you answer questions confidently but also show that you're genuinely interested in the industry.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a Head of Field Sales, your leadership approach is crucial. Be prepared to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you've built high-performing teams in the past. Use specific examples to illustrate how you've developed talent and fostered a culture of accountability and excellence.
✨Prepare for Strategic Discussions
Expect to dive deep into strategic planning during your interview. Think about how you would align the Field Sales operation with broader commercial goals. Be ready to share your thoughts on innovative retail execution models and how you would measure their success.
✨Demonstrate Your Change Leadership Skills
Change is constant in the FMCG world, so be ready to discuss how you've led transformation initiatives. Share examples of how you've navigated complex environments and driven operational excellence. Highlight your resilience and ability to adapt to new challenges.