The Hershey Company
Discounter Channel Manager
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Discounter Channel Manager
Discounter Channel Lead (London)
Role Summary
Hershey, a rapidly expanding confectionery company, seeks a driven and ambitious individual to lead the Discounter Channel (Aldi & Lidl) in the UK market, focusing on driving growth for Reese’s and ensuring sustained profitable sales.
The Discounter Channel Lead will:
- Develop and execute business plans aimed at net sales growth, gross profit, category/market share, and operating income.
- Collaborate closely with Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and the UK distributor team.
- Align National Account Managers (NAMs) in distributor relationships to achieve revenue and profitability targets.
- Optimise promotional spend, sales budgets, and distribution goals while mentoring distributor teams.
success relies on a candidate who is a brilliant communicator, strategic thinker, and highly commercial. They must be able to:
- Prioritise risks and opportunities rigorously
- Inspire teams to deliver results
- Stay close to market trends and discounter channel dynamics
Key Responsibilities
1. Market Strategy & Execution
- Define and expand the core business via effective sales and customer marketing strategies.
- Implement "where to play" and "how to win" trade, customer, and shopper programmes with clear:
- Marketing
- Sales
- Financial deliverables
- Lead customer marketing, field sales, and supply chain to ensure profitable growth in the Discount Channel (Aldi & Lidl).
- Manage joint business plans with distributor partners and prioritise key customer relationships.
- Ensure measurable progress tracking at every level to support business objectives.
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2. Distributor Management
- Oversee sales goal delivery through distribution KPIs (e.g., gross invoice sales, promotional spend, in-country sales, trade inventory).
- KPIs reflect strategy execution across the market.
- Serve as the primary driver of distributor relationships, ensuring joint performance alignment.
3. Customer Marketing & Financial Accountability
- Develop and articulate channel strategies across stores, ensuring positioning, pricing, product, promotion, and placement align with targets.
- Co-lead financial health across:
- Total business
- Brand performance
- Channel/customer P&Ls
- Sales-to-expense and SG&A management
4. People Management
- Act as a key talent developer, creating and executing sales incentives for NAMs/distributors.
- Foster performance-driven growth by:
- Providing stretch opportunities
- Giving actionable feedback
- Ensuring accountability
Core Competencies
| Competency | Description |
|---|---|
| Strategic Agility | Anticipates and navigates market trends to drive competitive advantage. |
| Business Acumen | Deep understanding of competitors, operational policies, and industry shifts. |
| Drive for Results | Persistent goal-orientation, prioritising key actions and eliminating roadblocks. |
| Problem-Solving & Decision Making | Systematically analyses issues to generate and execute solutions under pressure. |
| Team Leadership | Empowers team members, leverages their strengths, and fosters a culture of achievement. |
| Process Management | Optimises workflows and resource use against real-time metrics. |
| Building Talent Capability | Aligns recruitment, performance management, and succession planning for future growth. |
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Minimum Requirements
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree
- 5+ years in sales, Key Account Management, or FMCG, ideally within the UK discounter space (Aldi/Lidl preferred)
- Demonstrates clear career progression in increasing business complexity or responsibility
Key Skills
- Deep sales & account management knowledge
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal abilities
- Experience working in cross-functional team settings
- Distributor relationship management (helpful but not mandatory)
Location: London
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