At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and develop the Independent Sales channel, driving growth and performance.
- Company: Join a dynamic team focused on premium independent food retailers.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership opportunities, and a chance to shape sales strategy.
- Other info: Be part of a Senior Leadership Team and drive commercial success.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the food retail industry with your strategic vision.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in sales leadership and managing diverse customer bases.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Head of Commercial will take ownership of the commercial performance of the business, leading sales strategy, customer growth and commercial delivery across both the Independent and Retail channels.
The key priority for this appointment is the leadership, development and growth of the Independent Sales channel, serving premium independent food retailers including delicatessens, farm shops, specialist food retailers and other independent retail customers.
This role requires a commercially strong, hands‑on leader with proven experience managing sales teams that serve independent, wholesale or similarly fragmented customer bases, where customer coverage, sales discipline, field activity and telesales performance are fundamental to commercial success.
The successful candidate will be equally comfortable operating strategically at board level whilst remaining close to the detail - coaching teams, reviewing customer performance, driving accountability and ensuring consistent execution across a large portfolio of smaller accounts.
This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced commercial leader who combines strategic thinking with a pragmatic, hands‑on leadership style and a proven track record of delivering profitable growth.
Key Responsibilities Develop and deliver the commercial strategy aligned to business objectives.
Drive sustainable sales and profit growth across all channels, with particular focus on the Independent Sales division.
Identify new opportunities for customer acquisition, category growth and market expansion.
Ensure commercial resources are deployed effectively to maximise profitable growth.
Contribute as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team to the wider business strategy.
Independent Sales Leadership (Key Focus) Lead, develop and grow the Independent Sales channel across delicatessens, farm shops, specialist food retailers and other premium independent retail customers.
Manage and motivate Area Sales Managers and telesales teams to maximise customer performance.
Establish clear customer coverage plans, call structures and sales disciplines to improve effectiveness across the sales function.
Review customer-level performance, identifying opportunities to increase sales, profitability and customer retention.
Drive accountability through regular performance reviews, KPI management and coaching.
Build a high-performance sales culture focused on execution, customer service and commercial excellence.
Key Accounts
