Business Development Manager

Sofina Foods Europe; Cookstown; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Sofina Foods in Northern Ireland is seeking a driven junior Commercial role covering field sales, account management and commercial support to grow distribution in NI convenience channels.

You will visit stores, develop relationships with small accounts, secure new listings, and provide admin support to help deliver business plans across the territory. A UK driving licence and willingness to travel are required.

Qualifications

• Experience in a sales, commercial, account management, or field-based role.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• UK driving licence and willingness to travel across Northern Ireland.

Responsibilities

• Support the growth of sales and distribution across the Northern Ireland convenience and independent retail market.
• Manage and develop relationships with a portfolio of smaller customer accounts.
• Identify and secure new opportunities for product listings and brand visibility within independent stores.
• Conduct regular store visits to monitor compliance, promotional execution, and distribution opportunities.
• Provide commercial administration support, including reporting, customer documentation, and sales analysis.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to deliver customer plans and commercial objectives.
• Support key accounts.
• Assist in business development activities to drive sustainable sales growth across the territory.

Skills

Strong communication

Relationship-building

Proactive mindset

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Full UK driving licence

Willingness to travel

Job description

Summary

Support the growth of our Northern Ireland retail business through a blend of field sales activity, customer account management, and commercial support, delivering increased distribution and visibility across key convenience channels.

Summary

Support the growth of our Northern Ireland retail business through a blend of field sales activity, customer account management, and commercial support, delivering increased distribution and visibility across key convenience channels.

The Role

We are looking for a driven and commercially minded individual to join our team in a junior Commercial role, supporting the growth of our business across Northern Ireland. This is a varied position that combines field sales operations with customer account management, offering excellent exposure to both sales and commercial functions.

The Northern Ireland market is highly convenience-focused and independently driven, presenting significant opportunities to grow our presence across key customers.

You will support the management of existing customer relationships while identifying new opportunities to drive sales, improve product distribution, and secure additional brand listings across independent retail stores. Alongside customer-facing responsibilities, you will provide commercial administration support, helping to ensure effective execution of business plans and customer initiatives.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Support the growth of sales and distribution across the Northern Ireland convenience and independent retail market.
• Manage and develop relationships with a portfolio of smaller customer accounts.
• Identify and secure new opportunities for product listings and brand visibility within independent stores.
• Conduct regular store visits to monitor compliance, promotional execution, and distribution opportunities.
• Provide commercial administration support, including reporting, customer documentation, and sales analysis.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to deliver customer plans and commercial objectives.
• Support key accounts.
• Assist in business development activities to drive sustainable sales growth across the territory.

The Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience in a sales, commercial, account management, or field-based role would be advantageous.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• A proactive and self-motivated approach with a desire to develop a career in commercial sales.
• Able to analyse information and identify opportunities for business growth.
• Highly organised with strong administrative and attention-to-detail skills.
• Comfortable working independently in the field while collaborating with wider teams.
• A commercially aware individual with a customer-focused mindset.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across Northern Ireland.

Why Sofina Foods?

At Sofina Foods, you’ll join a fast-growing, international protein business where ambition is encouraged and development is real. We’re home to some of the UK’s most recognised brands, and we’re investing heavily in innovation, category expertise and customer partnerships.

You’ll work with passionate, down-to-earth people who care about doing the right thing—for our customers, our teams, and our communities. We move quickly, back our people, and give you the space to make an impact from day one.

If you want to shape the future of foodservice, grow with a business on the rise, and be part of a team that genuinely values collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement, Sofina Foods is the place to be.

Company Information

Sofina Foods isn't just a food company - It’s a place to build your future.

With a team of over 13,000 people across 40 sites in Canada and Europe, we're passionate about delivering quality meats and seafood products to consumers around the world.

Join a company where innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction drive everything we do. At Sofina, you’ll grow your skills, make a real impact, and work with responsibly sourced products from more than 50 protein sources across five continents.

Our vision is bold: to be the most successful food company in the world. If you’re looking for a rewarding career in the food industry, there’s a place for you at Sofina Foods.

Equal Opportunities

Sofina Foods is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences – regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Schedule

Monday to Friday

Location

Cookstown, County Tyrone

Hours of Work

Full-time

Company

Sofina Foods

Country Code

IE