Job Title: Director of Commercial Growth and Strategy
Location: Inverness (with travel as required)
Reports to: Managing Director
Direct Reports: 9 Managers
Hours: Full-time
Job Purpose:
Our client, undergoing an impressive company culture change, is seeking to add a new role within the organization. The role will provide commercial leadership across sales, purchasing, category management, and retail operations. The Commercial Director will be responsible for shaping and executing a company-wide commercial strategy, developing high-performing teams, and delivering measurable growth across all product categories and customer segments.
Key Responsibilities
1. Commercial Strategy & Business Growth
o Develop and lead the delivery of a commercial strategy aligned with the company’s long-range plan.
o Identify and execute new business opportunities, including new markets, customer segments, and product innovations.
o Lead commercial planning cycles, including pricing, promotion, and product lifecycle decisions.
o Drive performance across internal/external sales teams, trade counters, and key accounts.
o Set and monitor ambitious sales targets, improving sales conversion and customer retention.
o Lead strategic account development and commercial pipeline management.
2. Retail, Inventory & Category Oversight
o Oversee category managers to optimize range performance and supplier relationships.
o Direct the Retail Director and Inventory Manager to ensure strong in-branch performance, stock availability, and cost efficiency.
o Ensure margin integrity through strong purchasing, pricing, and inventory control.
3. Cross-functional Alignment
o Partner with Marketing, Operations, Finance, and People & Culture to ensure delivery of commercial objectives across the business.
o Provide insights into market trends, competitor analysis, and customer behaviors to support strategic planning.
o Lead and develop direct reports through effective coaching, goal setting, and performance reviews.
o Build a collaborative and accountable commercial culture focused on customer experience, innovation, and growth.
4. Reporting & Commercial Governance
o Oversee accurate sales forecasting, budgeting, and commercial reporting.
o Report monthly to the Managing Director on performance against KPIs, risks, and opportunities.
o Ensure a fully implemented commercial strategy aligned to business goals.
o Achieve year-on-year revenue and margin growth across key categories and segments.
o Improve stock availability and reduce inventory holding costs.
o Enhance supplier performance and pricing terms.
o Increase branch and trade counter sales performance.
o Maintain high employee engagement and capability within the commercial team.
o Ensure clear cross-departmental alignment with business development, operations, and marketing.
5. Measures of Success
o Revenue growth (overall and by category/region).
o Gross margin improvement and cost control.
o Customer acquisition and retention metrics.
o Stock turn and availability rates.
o Sales target attainment by team/branch.
o Supplier performance against negotiated terms.
o Forecast accuracy and reporting compliance.
6. Candidate Profile
o Proven experience in a senior commercial leadership role within distribution, trade, or B2B environments.
o Strong track record of driving sales performance and commercial growth.
o Deep commercial acumen with the ability to lead across diverse functional areas.
o Strong influencing, coaching, and communication skills.
o In-depth understanding of regional markets and rural customer needs.
o Experience in industrial or technical product sectors.
o Background in retail operations or managing multi-location sales environments.
o Familiarity with CRM systems, ERP platforms, and sales analytics tools.
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