Salary:
c. £70,000 (Depending on experience)
Who We Are Central Supplies prides itself on the highest level of BRC accredited services and a broad range of quality products to suit all requirements. Our many long-standing employees have vast experience and understanding of customers needs.
Distribution is made from our purpose built 31,500 sq. ft. warehouse situated within close proximity to Birmingham by our own fleet of chilled vehicles and additionally through a nationwide satellite depot distribution infrastructure provided by a partner sister Company. As part of the Kitwave Group, we are committed to providing outstanding service to our customers via our efficient and reliable supply chain.
The Role As Head of Trading you will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of both the Purchasing and Selling functions, including the Telesales department. This role plays a critical part in delivering the business strategy by strengthening relationships with customers and suppliers, driving commercial performance, and identifying new business opportunities.
You will have full oversight of operational, financial, and service performance across both functions, ensuring commercial growth, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement. A key focus of the role is to drive value creation through supplier partnerships, market insight, and cross-functional collaboration, while leading a high-performing team to deliver sustainable business growth.
Key Responsibilities Commercial Performance & Strategic Leadership
Develop and execute comprehensive account strategies across the sales and telesales functions.
Drive incremental value from supplier relationships through joint business plans and commercial negotiations.
Identify and deliver Route to Market consolidation opportunities with existing and new suppliers.
Provide monthly performance updates to the Managing Director, including key projects, risks, and growth opportunities.
Lead the strategic direction of purchasing and sales activities in line with business objectives.
Build, develop, and maintain strong long-term relationships with key customers and suppliers.
Act as a senior escalation point for strategic partner relationships.
Develop internal and external stakeholder networks to support commercial delivery.
Ensure consistent engagement with key partners to maximise value and service outcomes.
Business Development & Value Creation
Identify and convert new business opportunities through market scanning and relationship development.
Leverage existing partnerships to deliver range extensions, sourcing solutions, and added-value services.
Explore synergies across the wider business group to unlock additional revenue streams.
Drive innovation in commercial offerings to support business growth.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, and other internal teams to deliver commercial objectives.
Lead cross-functional project teams to support onboarding and embedding of new business.
Ensure seamless execution of customer and supplier initiatives across departments.
Align operational capability with commercial strategy and growth plans.
Leadership & Team Management
Lead, manage, and develop the Purchasing and Supply Chain Manager, Business Development Managers, and Telesales Manager.
Conduct regular performance reviews and provide coaching and development support.
Foster a high-performance, accountable, and commercially driven culture.
Ensure clear objectives, KPIs, and development plans are in place across the team.
Monitor and report on commercial performance, risks, and opportunities.
Ensure effective use of systems and data to drive decision-making.
Identify and implement process improvements across purchasing and sales functions.
Support wider business improvement initiatives and strategic projects.
What We’re Looking For
Lead and develop high-performing purchasing, sales, and telesales teams.
Drive commercial growth through supplier negotiation, customer development, and new business acquisition.
Build strong, trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Analyse market trends and identify opportunities for business expansion.
Deliver against financial, operational, and service performance targets.
Collaborate effectively across functions to achieve business objectives.
Use data and insight to drive commercial decisions and performance improvement.
Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, commercial environment.
Demonstrate strong negotiation, communication, and leadership skills.
Apply a strategic mindset with a focus on value creation and risk management.
Why Join Central Supplies?
Part of an established national business (Kitwave Group)
Opportunities for training and career progression
Employee assistance programme
Death in service package
If you are a proactive commercial leader with a strong track record in trading, supplier and customer relationship management, and driving profitable growth, and you take pride in developing high-performing teams and delivering outstanding commercial results, we would love to hear from you!
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