Commercial Director

COREcruitment; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Premium Soft Drink & Juice business is seeking a Commercial Director to spearhead its UK commercial strategy. This pivotal role involves extensive travel, leadership in scaling the brand, and launching in international markets. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in the Drinks FMCG sector, with a strong commercial instinct and proven success in competitive markets.

Benefits

Competitive package including Bonus, Car Allowance, and Shares & Equity options

Autonomy, influence, and ownership in a high-impact role

Collaborative, ambitious, and values-driven culture

Qualifications

• 10+ years' experience in Commercial/Sales leadership roles within Drinks FMCG.
• Strong understanding of soft drinks, juices, or premium beverage categories.
• Proven track record of scaling SME/challenger brands in competitive markets.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the commercial strategy across multiple channels.
• Lead, coach, and grow a high-performing commercial team.
• Own and lead top-to-top relationships with national accounts and key customers.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial Strategy

Negotiation

Market Analysis

Team Development

Job description

Commercial Director - Premium Soft Drinks - National- Up to A£100,000 plus package

This company is an exciting and well-known Premium Soft Drink & Juice business excelling in growth across both the On Trade and Off Trade in the United Kingdom. Their product, offering, and service are exceptional, and their growth trajectory is notable.

This is a unique opportunity to join this brand at a pivotal point in its growth journey. They are seeking a commercially brilliant and entrepreneurial Commercial Director to lead the UK commercial strategy across On Trade, Out of Home, and Off Trade channels, while also launching internationally in key global markets.

This role requires extensive travel with a London-based office. Previous senior-level experience within the Drinks FMCG sector is essential.

Company Benefits

• Be part of a fast-growing, purpose-led challenger brand shaking up the premium soft drinks space
• Competitive package including Bonus, Car Allowance, and Shares & Equity options
• Enjoy autonomy, influence, and ownership in a high-impact role
• Join a collaborative, ambitious, and values-driven culture

Commercial Director Key Responsibilities:

1. Define and deliver the commercial strategy across the UK On Trade (hospitality, premium bars and restaurants), Off Trade (retail and grocery), and Out of Home channels
2. Set clear KPIs, objectives, and growth strategies aligned with business goals
3. Build robust commercial plans to strengthen market share, revenue growth, and brand awareness
4. Lead, coach, and grow a high-performing commercial team, fostering a strong performance and values-led culture. Design the team structure to scale with business growth, including recruitment of new talent
5. Work cross-functionally with Marketing, Operations, and Finance to ensure alignment and commercial excellence
6. Own and lead top-to-top relationships with national accounts, wholesalers, buying groups, and key customers. Identify and develop new channel opportunities to diversify revenue streams
7. Ensure excellence in customer engagement, contract negotiation, promotional execution, and account planning
8. Lead the development and execution of the international go-to-market strategy
9. Open new distribution markets abroad through strategic partnerships, importers, and direct-to-retail routes
10. Build long-term relationships with international distributors and retail partners
11. Full responsibility for commercial forecasting, budgeting, pricing strategy, and promotional ROI. Track and analyze performance to drive data-led decisions and optimize margin performance
12. Provide regular reporting and commercial insight to the executive leadership team

The Ideal Candidate:

1. 10+ years' experience in Commercial/Sales leadership roles within Drinks FMCG
2. Strong understanding of soft drinks, juices, or premium beverage categories
3. Proven track record of scaling SME/challenger brands in competitive markets
4. Extensive experience across On Trade, Off Trade, and Out of Home channels
5. Success in launching brands into international markets, ideally in Europe, Middle East, or Asia
6. Excellent leadership and team development capabilities
7. Strategic thinker with a strong commercial instinct and hands-on execution ability
8. Confident communicator and credible at senior levels with customers and stakeholders
9. Experience managing P&L, forecasting, trade terms, and complex negotiations

If interested, please forward your updated CV to Mark at COREcruitment. We are experts in recruiting for Hospitality, Catering, Leisure, Retail, FM, Property, and Construction sectors, with over 1350 live roles across the UK and globally.

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