UK Commercial Manager – SME ambient food brand (New Market Launch - UK)
Location: Birmingham - 2 days office contact
Package: £60,000 - £70,000 basic + car allowance + attractive bonus structure + benefits
A rare opportunity to join a + £500m family-owned European food business with many years of heritage as they launch their established European/Global brand into the UK market.
The business employs over 2000 people globally, with 8 production sites across Europe and the US. The UK will be set up as a new standalone entity, currently in start-up phase with a small founding team.
Reporting into the UK Commercial Director with senior leadership support from the wider group, this role offers full autonomy to build the UK grocery business from the ground up. There is already some UK customer exposure via a distributor (£2m) with an official UK launch planned for early next year.
Role focus:
* Win and develop relationships with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, ASDA, and Co-op
* Shape UK sales strategy, forecasting, and account plans
* Own end-to-end account management: presentations, negotiations, JBPs, and execution
* Work cross-functionally with supply chain, marketing, and global teams
About you:
* 5–15 years FMCG grocery sales experience ideally within the challenger brand space
* Must have a successful track record with UK grocers/retail - ASDA, Morrisons, Tesco, JS, Waitrose, Co-Op, and Aldi
* FMCG food/drinks background is essential
* Comfortable operating independently in a start-up environment
* Background combining big business training with a challenger mindset
* Strong UK grocery buyer exposure essential
This is a genuinely unique opportunity to build a UK business from the ground up, with the investment, infrastructure, and credibility of a £500m+ international group.