Job Description
Head of Retail
Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: Circa £100,000 basic + Car Allowance + Performance Bonus
Reports to: Managing Director / Board
Direct Reports: 2 Commercial Team Members
Overview
An ambitious and fast-growing UK food manufacturing business is seeking a commercially driven Head of Retail to lead and develop its retail channel.
This is a senior leadership role with full commercial accountability for a portfolio worth approximately £60 million across major UK grocery retailers, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Iceland.
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing strategic customer relationships, driving profitable growth, and leading cross-functional collaboration across NPD, Technical, Supply Chain and Operations to deliver best-in-class retail partnerships.
This role offers the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the retail strategy of a dynamic and entrepreneurial food business.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Retail Leadership
* Own and lead the commercial strategy for major UK retail accounts, delivering sustainable revenue and margin growth.
* Hold full P&L responsibility across the retail portfolio.
* Identify and deliver new commercial opportunities, driving category expansion and profitable growth.
* Act as the senior commercial contact for retail partners, building strong and trusted relationships at multiple levels.
Customer Relationship Management
* Serve as the primary point of contact for all commercial queries across retail accounts.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with buying teams and key stakeholders across customers’ organisations.
* Deliver regular business reviews covering sales performance, profitability, product performance and future growth opportunities.
Commercial Delivery & Account Performance
* Analyse sales performance, forecasts and promotional activity to optimise account performance.
* Work closely with internal commercial teams to develop pricing strategies based on market insight and cost inputs.
* Manage stock levels and demand planning in collaboration with supply chain teams where applicable.
Innovation & Product Development
* Work closely with the NPD team to drive innovation across retail customers.
* Attend product development sessions to ensure retail opportunities are maximised.
* Manage critical paths for new product launches, ensuring clear accountability and delivery timelines.
* Support the development of compelling customer presentations supported by pricing, market insight and commercial rationale.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Partner with Technical teams to manage customer feedback and resolve product issues effectively.
* Work with procurement, operations and supply chain teams to ensure seamless delivery of customer requirements.
* Ensure internal teams remain aligned on customer priorities and commercial opportunities.
Portfolio Development
* Conduct regular product and range reviews to ensure a strong and relevant product offering across accounts.
* Maintain accurate product databases used across retail channels.
* Identify opportunities to expand the customer base within retail and foodservice sectors.
Leadership
* Lead, mentor and develop two commercial team members.
* Support the wider leadership team in driving commercial strategy and business growth.
Skills & Experience
* Proven experience managing major UK retail grocery accounts within food manufacturing.
* Strong commercial background with full P&L responsibility.
* Demonstrated success in driving account growth and winning new retail business.
* Experience leading product development and innovation with retailers.
* Strong negotiation, influencing and relationship management skills.
* Ability to translate commercial insight into actionable strategies.
* Comfortable operating in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
Personal Attributes
* Highly commercial with a growth mindset
* Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
* Confident communicator able to influence at senior level
* Collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments
* Proactive, resilient and results-driven