Commercial Trading Manager – Position now fulfilled

Company

Are you ready to take your career to new heights? Join an industry leader in premium bakery manufacturing in Europe as a Commercial Trading Manager. This company boasts an outstanding reputation, backed by numerous industry and supplier awards. With a remarkable European-wide turnover exceeding €1 billion and a global network of 20 bakeries, they are seen as once of the most successful suppliers. In the UK, their products have achieved nationwide distribution in Retail, Wholesale, and Foodservice channels. From Viennoiserie items to various breads, morning goods, and sweet and savoury bakery products, their range is truly impressive. With ongoing business growth and ambitious future plans, they are now actively seeking a dynamic Commercial Trading Manager to strengthen their commercial team.

Role

In this pivotal role as a Commercial Trading Manager, your primary focus will revolve around the development of the Sweet and Savoury Pastry category. Reporting directly to the Senior Category Manager, your responsibilities extend to sourcing products from both internal and external partners, actively engaging in product negotiations, and expertly managing projects that support the sales team in delivering these products to customers.

Your role goes beyond day-to-day tasks; you’ll be instrumental in shaping the business strategy, effectively cascading the group strategy at the local market level, and skillfully deploying category plans. Your ability to drive volume, net sales, and profitability within the category aligns seamlessly with our strategic goals and fostering long-term value.

Portfolio management and cost-saving initiatives will be among your key responsibilities, as you continuously evaluate and report on the Traded Goods category performance on a monthly basis, making insightful recommendations and implementing corrective actions when needed.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of success in this role. You’ll work closely with internal teams to ensure the creation and execution of market-leading innovation programs, both from a strategic and customer-specific perspective. Cross-functional collaboration with other key departments ensures that all activities are firmly grounded in insight-based rationales and executed profitably across the business.

Your role also involves delivering monthly reports and regular market updates while offering ad hoc insights and support to various business functions and teams. Your contributions will play a crucial part in driving the success of the company in the dynamic world of bakery manufacturing.

Requirements

The ideal candidate for this role should possess a diverse array of experiences within a commercial function, such as Sales, National Accounts, Category Management, or Buying/Procurement. Your background should reflect sound familiarity with category management, project management, negotiation, and product costing, demonstrating a proficiency in managing a multi-million-pound P&L within the FMCG sector, bakery experience would be a plus.

In addition, you should have a proven track record of effectively managing commercial relationships with traded suppliers and partners. Your strong knowledge of category management processes, tools, and operational methods will be a valuable asset in this role, along with your ability to work with product costing models and conduct margin analysis.

As a strategic thinker with robust numerical skills, a background or experience in procurement is desirable. Self-motivation, a strong work ethic, problem-solving abilities, and an analytical approach are key attributes we seek in the ideal candidate. Furthermore, your interpersonal skills should be strong, enabling you to build robust internal and external customer relationships.

Given the dynamic nature of this role, strong organizational skills are crucial, along with the ability to prioritise effectively. Multitasking is essential, and a willingness to work within tight deadlines is a hallmark of success in this exciting opportunity.

Location

This role offers hybrid working with an expectancy to be in the companies Surry based head office 4 days a week with a day working from home

Benefits

£50,000 to £60,000, pension & benefits

Contact

For more information on this position, please submit your application below or contact Aidan Goodall on 01943 667280 or email aidan@fmcgselection.co.uk