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Commercial Lead
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Head of Commercial — Premium Food Distributor
Location: Kent (hybrid — 2–3 days on site initially, reducing to 1–2)
Salary: c.£70,000 + £6k car allowance + c.10% bonus
Reports to: Managing Director
The business
A long-established distributor of premium, premium food products with an outstanding reputation for quality. The product and technical teams are genuinely best-in-class - what the business wants now is a commercial leader to match, with significant appetite from major premium retailers to grow the relationship.
The role
This is a true number-one commercial seat, reporting directly to the MD and owning the full commercial performance of the business:
- Set and deliver the overall commercial plan across Key Accounts and Independent Sales
- Lead and unite the field sales (ASM) and telesales teams into one joined-up Independent Sales function — clear account ownership, coverage and call structures
- Develop and deliver the strategy for key retail customers, leading major negotiations
- Own pricing and margin across the business — structures, discount levels, guardrails, and timely cost pass-through
- Control all commercial spend, approving deals and trading agreements
- Balance investment between Key Accounts and Independents, protecting profitable independent business while growing retail
- Lead, develop and hold accountable a commercial team, building a collaborative, performance-led culture
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There is potential to take direct ownership of the major premium retail accounts if your experience fits.
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What you'll need
The client has been very clear on two non-negotiables:
- You have led a sales team - genuine people leadership, not just seniority
- You have sold into farm shops, delis and independents - you understand this route to market first-hand
Beyond that:
- Strong background in commercial/sales leadership within food or FMCG
- Experience managing both field sales and key account teams
- Proven track record of delivering sales and margin growth
- Strong grasp of pricing, margin and commercial governance
- Hands-on, takes ownership, comfortable operating at pace
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
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