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Senior Commercial Manager - Food Manufacturing
Location: Wiltshire
Salary: up to £100,000
About the Opportunity:
The Collective Network is working on behalf of a leading food manufacturing and distribution business to appoint a Senior Commercial Manager - Retail. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to join a fast-paced, innovative company supplying high-quality branded and own-label products to major UK retailers.
This strategic, customer-facing role is responsible for driving profitable growth across retail accounts, enhancing brand presence, and leading the commercial team to exceed performance targets. The successful candidate will play a key part in shaping future commercial direction and supporting wider business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute commercial strategies aligned with business growth plans across retail channels.
2. Retail Account Management: Manage and grow key UK premium retail accounts, maintaining strong relationships with buyers and key stakeholders. Balance customer expectations with commercial viability.
3. Growth & Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify new opportunities to expand product listings, increase distribution, and strengthen brand positioning.
4. Commercial Negotiation: Lead pricing negotiations, contract renewals, and commercial discussions to ensure optimal outcomes for the business.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with internal departments including Operations, Technical, ESG, and Marketing to meet customer requirements across ethical, sustainability, and quality standards.
6. Product & Brand Development: Support the development and launch of new and seasonal products in line with market trends and customer demands.
7. Team Management: Lead and develop the commercial team to deliver results, foster a high-performance culture, and ensure effective succession planning.
8. Data & Insight: Analyse commercial performance, monitor KPIs, and provide accurate forecasting, reporting, and insights to senior stakeholders.
Person Specification:
* Commercially astute with a strategic mindset and ability to lead complex negotiations.
* Proven track record of building strong relationships with major UK retailers.
* Skilled in balancing customer needs with internal business priorities.
* Effective communicator and influencer with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
* Excellent analytical, planning, and organisational skills.
* Strong leadership qualities with the ability to inspire, mentor, and manage a team.
Experience & Qualifications:
* A minimum of 5 years' senior-level commercial experience in food manufacturing or FMCG, focusing on short shelf-life products.
* Demonstrable success managing both own-label and branded product portfolios.
* Experience working with UK premium retailers is highly desirable.
* Familiarity with food quality and compliance standards (e.g., BRC, customer audits).
* Degree-level education in Business, Marketing, or a related field is preferred.
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