Head of Retail and Distributor Sales - Food and Drink Brands

London, office-based

£70,000 - £80,000 + bonus.

A fast-scaling FMCG distribution and go-to-market consumer goods business is hiring a Head of Offline Sales to build, lead, and grow its UK offline revenue engine across wholesale, cash and carry, convenience, multiples and HoReCa.

This is not a “manage a spreadsheet and attend meetings” leadership role. You need to be hands-on, commercially sharp, and able to sell, while also motivating and developing a team. If you thrive in pace, change, and a bit of organised chaos, keep reading.

The business

You will join an ambitious, entrepreneurial scale-up working with a mix of major multinationals and high-growth challenger brands, helping them expand and win through a blend of distribution, operational capability and smarter commercial strategy.

Growth is fast, and the portfolio evolves quickly. You will help build the engine that can absorb it.

The role

You will own and scale offline sales performance across key UK channels, bringing structure and momentum without “corporate-ifying” the place.

Key points:

• Full offline P&L ownership, including revenue, margin, and cost discipline
• Lead a team of channel specialists and unify execution across channels into one plan

What you’ll be doing

Channel strategy and growth

• Build and execute the go-to-market plan across wholesale, cash and carry, convenience, multiples and HoReCa
• Identify growth pockets, win new customers, and expand share with existing accounts

Key account leadership

• Lead Joint Business Plans, promotions, forecasting, and senior commercial negotiations
• Use your buyer relationships to open doors faster than a “cold start” ever could

Leadership and operating rhythm

• Coach and drive a high-performing team with clear standards and accountability
• Partner closely with ops, finance, logistics and marketing to deliver profitable growth

Market intelligence

• Stay close to trends, competitor moves, customer needs, and category dynamics, translating this into actions and forecasts
• Potential to extend reach into Europe over time, if you have the network

What we’re looking for

This role suits someone who has done the real work and still wants to do it.

You’ll likely have:

• 7+ years FMCG sales experience, including 3+ years leading people
• Strong UK route-to-market understanding across wholesale, convenience, cash and carry, HoReCa, and ideally exposure to multiples
• Proven P&L ownership, not just “influenced performance”
• A genuine black book, buyers answer your call because you have earned it
• Confidence with data, forecasting, pipelines, and using CRM and reporting tools properly
• A practical, sleeves-rolled-up style, you can operate in grey areas, move fast, and make things happen

How to apply

Reply with a CV or LinkedIn profile. If you prefer a confidential chat first, that’s fine, this search is being managed discreetly and the company name will be shared at first conversation stage.

If your CV reads “strategic leader” 14 times but you have not personally won a listing in years, this will not be your happy place. If you are a builder with buyer credibility, it probably will be.