Head Of Retail - Meat
New Today
An ambitious and fast-growing UK food manufacturing business is seeking a commercially driven Head of Retail to lead and develop its retail channel.
This is a senior leadership role with full commercial accountability for a portfolio worth approximately £60 million across major UK grocery retailers, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Iceland.
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing strategic customer relationships, driving profitable growth, and leading cross-functional collaboration across NPD, Technical, Supply Chain and Operations to deliver best-in-class retail partnerships.
This role offers the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the retail strategy of a dynamic and entrepreneurial food business.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Retail Leadership
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Own and lead the commercial strategy for major UK retail accounts, delivering sustainable revenue and margin growth.
Hold full P&L responsibility across the retail portfolio.
Identify and deliver new commercial opportunities, driving category expansion and profitable growth.
Act as the senior commercial contact for retail partners, building strong and trusted relationships at multiple levels.
Customer Relationship Management
Serve as the primary point of contact for all commercial queries across retail accounts.
Build and maintain strong relationships with buying teams and key stakeholders across customers’ organisations.
Deliver regular business reviews covering sales performance, profitability, product performance and future growth opportunities.
Commercial Delivery & Account Performance
Analyse sales performance, forecasts and promotional activity to optimise account performance.
Work closely with internal commercial teams to develop pricing strategies based on market insight and cost inputs.
Manage stock levels and demand planning in collaboration with supply chain teams where applicable.
Innovation & Product Development
Work closely with the NPD team to drive innovation across retail customers.
Attend product development sessions to ensure retail opportunities are maximised.
Manage critical paths for new product launches, ensuring clear accountability and delivery timelines.
Support the development of compelling customer presentations supported by pricing, market insight and commercial rationale.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with Technical teams to manage customer feedback and resolve product issues effectively.
Work with procurement, operations and supply chain teams to ensure seamless delivery of customer requirements.
Ensure internal teams remain aligned on customer priorities and commercial opportunities.
Portfolio Development
Conduct regular product and range reviews to ensure a strong and relevant product offering across accounts.
Maintain accurate product databases used across retail channels.
Identify opportunities to expand the customer base within retail and foodservice sectors.
Leadership
Lead, mentor and develop two commercial team members.
Support the wider leadership team in driving commercial strategy and business growth.
Skills & Experience
Proven experience managing major UK retail grocery accounts within food manufacturing.
Strong commercial background with full P&L responsibility.
Demonstrated success in driving account growth and winning new retail business.
Experience leading product development and innovation with retailers.
Strong negotiation, influencing and relationship management skills.
Ability to translate commercial insight into actionable strategies.
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
Personal Attributes
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Highly commercial with a growth mindset
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Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
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Confident communicator able to influence at senior level
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Collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments
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Proactive, resilient and results-driven
Apply with your CV today or contact us for more information about this excellent opportunity in a leading food business
- Location:
- Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
- Salary:
- £80,000 - £100,000 /annum
- Job Type:
- FullTime
- Category:
- Retail/Purchasing
