Commercial
Witlshire
Permanent
£100,000
Senior Commercial Manger – Food Manufacturing
Location: Wiltshire
Salary: up to £100,000
About the Opportunity:
The Collective Network is working on behalf of a leading food manufacturing and distribution business to appoint a Senior Commercial Manager – Retail. This role represents a fantastic opportunity to join a fast-paced, innovative company supplying high-quality branded and own-label products to major UK retailers.
This is a strategic, customer-facing role responsible for driving profitable growth across retail accounts, enhancing brand presence, and leading the commercial team to exceed performance targets. The successful candidate will play a key part in shaping future commercial direction and supporting wider business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
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Strategic Leadership:
Develop and execute commercial strategies aligned to business growth plans across retail channels. -
Retail Account Management:
Manage and grow key UK premium retail accounts, maintaining strong relationships with buyers and key stakeholders. Balance customer expectations with commercial viability. -
Growth & Opportunity Identification:
Proactively identify new opportunities to expand product listings, increase distribution, and strengthen brand positioning. -
Commercial Negotiation:
Lead pricing negotiations, contract renewals, and commercial discussions to ensure optimal outcomes for the business. -
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Work with internal departments including Operations, Technical, ESG, and Marketing to ensure customer requirements are met across ethical, sustainability, and quality standards. -
Product & Brand Development:
Support the development and implementation of new and seasonal product launches in line with market trends and customer demands. -
Team Management:
Lead and develop the commercial team to deliver results, foster a high-performance culture, and ensure effective succession planning. -
Data & Insight:
Analyse commercial performance, monitor KPIs, and deliver accurate forecasting, reporting, and insights to senior stakeholders.
Person Specification:
Essential Skills & Attributes:
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Commercially astute with a strategic mindset and ability to lead complex negotiations.
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Proven track record of building strong relationships with major UK retailers.
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Skilled in balancing customer needs with internal business priorities.
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Effective communicator and influencer with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
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Excellent analytical, planning, and organisational skills.
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Strong leadership qualities with the ability to inspire, mentor, and manage a team.
Experience & Qualifications:
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A minimum of 5 years’ senior-level commercial experience in food manufacturing or FMCG, with a focus on short shelf-life products.
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Demonstrable success managing both own-label and branded product portfolios.
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Experience working with UK premium retailers is highly desirable.
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Familiarity with food quality and compliance standards (e.g. BRC, customer audits).
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Degree-level education in Business, Marketing, or a related field preferred.
