Head of Sales – FMCG (Food & Beverages)
đź“Ť United Kingdom | Full-time | Senior Leadership
We are seeking a driven, commercially focused Head of Sales with deep experience in the UK FMCG Food & Beverage market, including established relationships with UK supermarket chains and convenience retail groups.
This role is responsible for scaling our food and beverage portfolio across major national and regional retailers, wholesalers, cash & carry groups, and FMCG distributors. The focus is on driving distribution, visibility, profitability, and sustainable growth across all channels.
The ideal candidate brings strong FMCG Food & Beverage leadership experience, a proven ability to influence senior buying teams, and the commercial acumen to lead negotiations, strategy, and execution at a national level.
Key Responsibilities
Own and deliver the UK sales strategy for the Food & Beverage portfolio
Drive national distribution and revenue growth across grocery, convenience, wholesale, and foodservice
Lead and grow relationships with major supermarket buyers, category managers, and senior retail stakeholders
Identify, pitch, and secure new business opportunities with national and regional retail partners
Negotiate and manage pricing, promotions, JBPs, listings, margins, and trade spend
Ensure strong product availability, shelf presence, planogram compliance, and in-store execution
Oversee forecasting, demand planning, and stock flow in collaboration with supply chain teams
Analyse sales performance, category trends, competitor activity, and shopper insights
Work closely with Marketing and Trade Marketing teams to deliver impactful in-store activations and product launches
Lead, mentor, and develop the national sales and account management team
Experience, Skills & Background
8–12+ years’ experience in FMCG, with a strong focus on Food & Beverages
Proven relationships with UK supermarket buyers or category managers
(e.g. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, etc.)
Strong understanding of UK FMCG retail structures, buying cycles, and promotional mechanics
Demonstrated success in opening new retail accounts and scaling distribution in competitive food categories
Experience managing national accounts, distributors, and wholesale partners
Commercially astute with strong analytical capability and P&L ownership
Confident leader with the ability to influence at board, buyer, and store level
Highly Desirable
Experience across branded and/or private label food & beverage products
Exposure to chilled, frozen, or ambient food categories
Background in scaling FMCG brands or fast-growth businesses
What’s On Offer
Competitive senior-level salary + performance-based bonus
High level of autonomy and strategic influence
Opportunity to lead and shape the UK Food & Beverage sales function
Entrepreneurial FMCG environment with strong growth ambitions