Job Description
We are looking for a senior commercial leader accountable for driving sales, profitability and channel penetration across the UK & Ireland business (£1.2bn GBP). Reporting to the Managing Director for UK&I, this role leads a team of ~100 individuals across omnichannel commercial execution (retail, discounters, convenience, e-commerce and Away‑From‑Home/foodservice), owns customer relationships and negotiations with major retailers and wholesalers, and delivers growth through range, innovation and go‑to‑market excellence.
Essential Functions & Responsibilities
* Define and deliver the UK&I commercial strategy aligned to objectives: Recapture brand love, Be Preferred, Be in More Occasions.
* Full P&L accountability for UK&I sales performance (NSV, gross profit and contribution to EBITDA), driving both volume and margin improvement through pricing, mix, cost‑to‑profit and fixed cost absorption initiatives.
* Lead the Omnichannel sales organization (retail multiples, discounters, convenience, e‑commerce, category development, sales finance, Ireland and Away‑From‑Home), empowering the team to execute customer plans and deliver targets.
* Own major customer relationships and commercial negotiations with key external partners: Grocery Multiples (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Co‑op, Waitrose), Discounters (Aldi, Lidl), national wholesalers and major foodservice chains/operators; secure ranges, promotions, and strategic partnerships that increase distribution and share of shelf/occasion.
* Accelerate Away‑From‑Home (AFH) strategy to make AFH the #1 driver of Heinz penetration — win chains and independents, develop chef‑led innovation & pack formats, relaunch FOH equipment and digital, and build brand experiences in AFH locations.
* Drive innovation and NPD pipeline (flavours platform, new formats/packaging, adjacencies) and translate it into commercial wins with customers and operators.
* Collaborate with Procurement, Supply Chain and Operations to optimise service, cost and availability (including co‑packer management), and to reinvest savings into growth.
* Build commercial capabilities and the Brand Growth System across people: recruit, develop and retain high‑performing sales, category and e‑commerce teams.
* Represent the voice of the customer internally; align marketing, shopper and field activation to maximise impressions and sell‑through.
Expected Experience & Required Skills
* Senior FMCG commercial leader with extensive UK & Ireland experience (ideally experience across Grocery Multiples, Discounters and foodservice).
* Proven track record of P&L ownership and delivering strong topline and margin results.
* Experience leading large omnichannel sales functions (c.100 FTEs or comparable scale) and cross‑functional teams.
* Strong negotiator and relationship builder with national retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators.
* Demonstrable success in innovation‑led growth, pack/format innovation and activation that translates into sales.
* Commercial and financial acumen: ability to model trade‑offs, price/mix optimization and value‑engineering to free investment.
* Excellent leadership, stakeholder management and capability building skills.
* Comfortable operating in a matrix environment, working closely with Procurement, Supply Chain, Marketing and Category teams.
Location(s)
London - The Shard
Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.
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