Country Manager

Operaria Headhunting & Recruiting; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Palkintotukku Pocal Oy, a well-established Finnish company now relocating to Helsinki, invites an experienced leader to assume the role of Country Manager. You will oversee day-to-day leadership, drive operational development and commercial growth, and guide the business through its next development phase.

The position is full-time and based at our premises in Helsinki, with a transition plan designed to ensure a smooth handover and lasting impact.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in a customer-oriented business such as wholesale, retail, e-commerce, logistics or operations.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to identify and implement opportunities to improve the business.
• Commercially minded with capability to balance strategic questions and hands-on decisions.
• Fluent Finnish and English, comfortable in an international business environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the team to achieve business goals.
• Develop processes, responsibilities and ways of working across the organization.
• Improve operational efficiency, inventory management and reporting.
• Strengthen collaboration between retail and online operations.
• Identify commercial opportunities and enhance customer experience.
• Introduce clear KPIs and management reporting.
• Drive change and translate improvement opportunities into actions.
• Develop a clear 2–3 year business plan and roadmap.

Skills

Leadership experience

Entrepreneurial mindset

People management

Commercial mindset

Process development

Job description

Take the lead in the next chapter of an established Finnish business

For over 40 years, Palkintotukku Pocal Oy has helped customers celebrate achievements and important moments. We supply trophies, medals, awards and recognition products to sports clubs, associations, companies, public organizations and private customers throughout Finland. Our own imports and manufacturing enable a broad product range, competitive pricing and customized solutions for different customer needs. Read more about us.

Our long-standing management will retire during 2027, and we are now looking for an experienced and commercially minded Country Manager to take over the leadership of our seven-person organization. The transition will be carefully planned, giving you the opportunity to get to know the business and its people while gradually taking responsibility for its future development.

Following the merger of our operations and relocation to new premises in Helsinki, this is an excellent time to join us. We have a strong foundation and are now looking for a leader with an entrepreneurial mindset who sees opportunities, gets things moving and wants to develop the business further.

Your role

As Country Manager, you will have overall responsibility for the day-to-day leadership and development of Palkintotukku Pocal. You will work closely with the team, ensure smooth operations and drive improvements across the organization.

During your first 6 months, your focus will be on taking over the current management responsibilities, understanding the organization and its processes, and identifying where we can work smarter and more efficiently.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, coaching and developing our team
• Developing processes, responsibilities and ways of working
• Improving operational efficiency, inventory management and reporting
• Strengthening collaboration between our retail and online operations
• Identifying commercial opportunities and improving customer experience
• Introducing clear KPIs and management reporting
• Driving change and turning improvement opportunities into concrete actions
• Developing a clear 2–3 year plan for the business

This is a hands-on leadership role combining people management, operational development and commercial responsibility. We are looking for someone who takes ownership, makes decisions and moves things forward.

What we expect from you

You have previous leadership experience from a customer-oriented business environment such as wholesale, retail, e-commerce, logistics or operations. More important than your specific industry background is your ability to understand a business as a whole and develop both people and processes.

You have an entrepreneurial mindset and naturally look for opportunities to improve the business. At the same time, you are a structured and experienced people manager who understands that sustainable change is created together with the organization.

You are commercially minded, pragmatic and comfortable moving between strategic questions and hands-on everyday decisions. You challenge existing practices constructively and have the determination to turn ideas into action.

You communicate fluently in Finnish and English and are comfortable working in an international business environment.

What we offer

You will join an established Finnish company with a long history, strong market position and committed team. The planned management transition gives you the opportunity to learn the business from experienced people while gradually putting your own mark on its future.

We offer you an independent leadership position with broad responsibility, genuine influence and room for entrepreneurial thinking. This is an opportunity to take responsibility for an established business and lead its next phase of development.

The position is full-time and based at our premises in Helsinki.

Interested?

last application day is September 20th, 2026.

All applications and enquiries will be handled confidentially.