Director of Commercial – food manufacturing Location: Southern Home Counties with travel £110,000 - £130,000 car allowance bonus corporate benefits A premium branded and contract manufacturing, growth-focused food manufacturer is seeking a Director of Commercial to lead and expand strategically important retail, hospitality and leisure partnerships. Operating within a lean, high-impact commercial team, this role will serve as the primary in-market lead for major national retail and hospitality accounts. As the most senior commercial leadership individual you will operate from site, and remotely, this position will act as the day-to-day “boots on the ground” representative, building deep customer relationships and driving profitable growth. This is a high-visibility role with direct influence on strategic account direction, category expansion and long-range planning. The role You will take ownership of key retail accounts and work in close partnership with the Retail Vice President to design and execute short- and long-term growth strategies. Core focus areas include: Direct commercial leadership and profitable revenue growth Business growth in both new business and current business Development and execution of annual sales plans and spending strategies New product development pipeline management Category insight and data-driven decision making Cross-functional alignment across Demand Planning, R&D, Operations and Marketing Digital campaign leadership to maximise ROI Forecasting and volume planning You will act as a trusted category specialist, representing the organisation’s expertise in all current and future categories Lead day-to-day leadership of all commercial areas Establish clear goals, business and category direction and growth priorities Deliver against revenue and margin targets Collaborate with Innovation on the internal and external new product development process Leverage syndicated data to generate actionable insight Maintain a robust opportunity pipeline and provide structured weekly reporting Collaborate with Demand Planning and Business Development on forecasting accuracy Coordinate digital activation initiatives across retail and hospitality partners Ensure on-time, in-spec delivery of R&D samples Facilitate customer meetings Lead long-range account strategy and commercial planning The person: As the commercial leader, you will be: Degree educated or equivalent Progressive blue chip experience in consumer packaged goods within retail or hospitality Direct experience strategic development of the commercial agenda with major national retail and hospitality accounts Experience of driving change and growth agendas Proven track record of profitable sales growth Experience launching new products into large-scale retail environments Strong financial acumen and commercial negotiation capability Experience using CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) Strong analytical capability using syndicated data platforms High proficiency in Microsoft Office Model core values and a strong performance culture Build accountability and results orientation Develop team capability and succession Promote collaboration across functions Drive continuous improvement and operational discipline Monitor performance metrics and resolve variances proactively We are seeking a commercially sharp, relationship-led sales professional with: Private Label experience would be advantageous but is not essential. Self-directed and capable of operating with autonomy Strong relationship builder across internal and external stakeholders Comfortable operating in fast-paced, evolving environments Organised and detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple initiatives Confident addressing complex or challenging situations constructively Commercially curious and passionate about the food industry Why Consider This Role? Strategic ownership of nationally significant accounts High visibility within a lean leadership team Direct influence on commercial growth trajectory Opportunity to operate at both tactical and strategic levels In-market authority with strong executive backing This opportunity will suit an ambitious, data-driven FMCG Commercial leader who thrives on relationship depth, strategic execution and delivering sustained profitable growth. To apply please email your CV to kate.hamilton@hprtalent.com