Area Sales Manager

Dale Farm; Derry/Londonderry; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual target related bonus

Company vehicle

Life Assurance

Wellbeing programme

Job summary

Dale Farm Cooperative is seeking an Area Sales Manager to maximise sales and distribution of their dairy products across Convenience, Foodservice and Doorstep channels in Northwest/Northern Ireland, with some Donegal coverage. You will oversee the van sales team and distributor network, delivering margin, volume and turnover targets.

Reporting to the Channel Manager Retail, you will build strong relationships with field accounts, negotiate commercial terms, and drive growth while managing

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' sales experience in FMCG/dairy or food industry.
• Proven track record of driving sales, growing opportunities and closing agreements.
• Able to work in a target-driven environment and meet sales objectives.
• Strong relationship management with customers and stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel across the assigned territory and use CRM tools.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for nominated field accounts in Convenience, Foodservice and Doorstep channels.
• Develop and maintain relationships to drive retail strategy and category plans.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure optimal customer service levels.
• Carry out other duties as directed by the Channel Manager within Commercial functions.

Skills

Sales experience

Relationship management

CRM tools

MS Office (Excel/PowerPoint/Word)

Driving licence & travel

Analytical thinking

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Location : Londonderry - Derry /Tyrone wider areas

Job Ref: UDF/2026/731

Employment : Full-Time Permanent

Closing Date : 28 September 2026 11:59 pm

Dale Farm Cooperative is a UK dairy farmer co-operative owned by over 1200 dairy farmers who supply us with fresh milk. Dale Farm has operations throughout the UK and Ireland producing and distributing a wide range of dairy products which it sells across the UK and Ireland as well as exporting to over 45 countries worldwide.

At Dale Farm virtually every career discipline is represented in our workforce, from production, engineering and distribution, to sales & marketing and food technology/quality assurance, to Finance, HR and IT through to general management. Our standards are high and when we recruit we are looking for those with energy and drive, who are keen for responsibility and motivated to succeed with a record of achievement and with the potential to develop as the company grows.

Culture

Our culture is based on setting best in class standards, working to-wards and delivering on committed objectives, striving for constant improvement and involving everyone in the company. We strive to develop our people and harness everyone's contribution to deliver a winning team.

The company is an Equal Opportunities employer and is committed to a safe, inclusive and relationship based workspace.

In return, we offer a high degree of responsibility, plenty of challenge, good opportunities for learning and personal development and rewarding benefit packages, all within a fast moving and results oriented environment.

About the Role

Reporting to the Channel Manager - Retail, the Area Sales Manager will maximise the sales and distribution of the full range of Dale Farm products through our Convenience, Foodservice and Doorstep channels. You will also be responsible for overseeing the activities of the van sales team and distributor network within the Northwest/ West N.Ireland areas with some coverage across Co Donegal.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Channel Manager Retail, your core responsibilities will include:

• Taking full responsibility of nominated field accounts across the Convenience, Foodservice & Doorstep channels to deliver budgeted margin, volume, and turnover across each category.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with field accounts, leveraging partnerships to drive forward retail strategy and category plans.
• Managing and developing strong cross-functional relationships within Dale Farm to ensure optimum service levels to the customer.
• Any other duties as directed by the Channel Manager within the scope of the Commercial function.

About You

• Minimum of 3 years' sales experience within an FMCG environment, preferably within the dairy, chilled foods, or wider food industry.
• Proven track record of driving sales growth, identifying new business opportunities, and successfully negotiating and closing commercial agreements.
• Experience working within a target-driven environment with a demonstrated ability to consistently achieve or exceed sales objectives.
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to develop and maintain effective partnerships with customers and key stakeholders.
• Highly motivated, proactive, and capable of working independently while effectively managing priorities and time.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to analyse sales data, identify trends, and implement actions to drive performance.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, PowerPoint and Word, with the ability to create reports, presentations, and business reviews.
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple customer accounts simultaneously.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the assigned territory as required.
• Proven ability to use CRM tools to organise customer data, monitor account activity, identify growth opportunities, and drive effective customer engagement.
• Annual target related bonus
• Company vehicle
• Life Assurance
• Full wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave.

Why Dale Farm?

We have a lot to offer at Dale Farm, not only to our farmer members that we support but also to our employees, and we are committed to a learning and development journey for all.

We promote an open and supportive culture which is based on our core values:

Teamwork | Positivity | Resolve | Ambition | Curiosity | Accountability

You can find out more about life at Dale Farm on our LinkedIn and Facebook Career pages, and on our company website.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

Only applications from EU Nationals or those with a valid permit to work in the UK will be accepted