Head of Sales

TalentPool; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Share options

Pension & Life Assurance

25 days holiday

Training budget

Career progression

Job summary

TalentPool in Central London is seeking an ambitious Head of Grocery Sales to lead the commercial strategy across Grocery, Wholesale, Amazon and On-Trade channels. You will own major UK retailer relationships, drive growth, manage trade spend and P&L, and mentor a direct report in On-Trade.

This is a high-visibility role within a scaling SME drinks brand with national listings, discretionary bonus, share options and strong development support.

Qualifications

• Experience managing major grocery accounts within the UK retail landscape.
• Strong commercial acumen with ownership of budgets, forecasting and profitability.
• Confident in influencing senior buyers and negotiating complex agreements.
• Hands-on, able to operate at strategic and operational level.
• Experience in a challenger, scale-up or entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to translate retailer and market data into actionable commercial plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial strategy across Grocery, Wholesale, Amazon and On-Trade channels.
• Own relationships with major UK retailers and key distribution partners.
• Drive sales, profitability and market share growth across existing and new accounts.
• Manage trade spend, promotional investment and channel P&L performance.
• Coach and develop a direct report responsible for the On-Trade channel.
• Collaborate with marketing, operations and leadership to deliver objectives.
• Contribute to wider strategic planning as part of the senior leadership team.

Job description

Head of Grocery Sales | SME Drinks challenger brand that is scaling

Location: Central London, office based with flexibility (3-4 days contact days)

Base salary of up to £75,000 + package

Are you a Senior National Account Manager ready to take the next step into a broader commercial leadership role?

We're partnering with an exciting FMCG brand as they enter a pivotal stage of growth. Already listed with major national retailers including Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado, the business is scaling and looking for a commercially driven sales leader to help shape its next chapter.

This business has spent years building a remarkable product, establishing a premium reputation and securing distribution. Now, with significant retail momentum behind it, it's looking for someone to help lead the next phase of growth.

Why this role?

You'll own key retail relationships, drive commercial strategy, lead negotiations, manage P&L performance and have direct influence on the future direction of the business.

You'll also gain people management experience from day one, leading an On-Trade National Account Manager while helping shape what the wider commercial team looks like as the business grows.

For the right person, this is the perfect step-up opportunity from Senior NAM or Controller level into a commercial leadership role.

What you'll be responsible for

• Leading the commercial strategy across Grocery, Wholesale, Amazon and On-Trade channels
• Owning relationships with major UK retailers and key distribution partners
• Driving sales, profitability and market share growth across existing and new accounts
• Managing trade spend, promotional investment and channel P&L performance
• Using data and category insight to influence retailer strategy and unlock growth opportunities
• Coaching and developing a direct report responsible for the On-Trade channel
• Working closely with marketing, operations and leadership teams to deliver business objectives
• Contributing to wider strategic planning as part of the senior leadership team

About you

We're open to people stepping into their first Head of Sales position, provided you've built a strong track record within FMCG, heavily weighted towards Top 4 Grocery Mults, and know how to deliver results.

You'll likely bring:

• Experience managing major grocery accounts within the UK retail landscape
• Strong commercial acumen with ownership of budgets, forecasting and profitability
• Confidence influencing senior buyers and negotiating complex agreements
• A hands-on approach and willingness to operate at both strategic and operational level
• Experience in a challenger, scale-up or entrepreneurial environment
• The ability to turn retailer and market data into actionable commercial plans
• A growth mindset and genuine desire to help build something special

Drinks experience would be advantageous, but we're equally interested in outstanding commercial talent from adjacent FMCG categories.

What's on offer?

• Discretionary bonus
• Share options
• Pension contribution and life assurance
• 25 days holiday plus birthday off
• Dedicated development support and annual training budget
• Genuine progression opportunities as the business continues to scale

The opportunity

The brand has already secured national listings and with significant investment behind growth plans and ambitious expansion targets ahead, this is an opportunity to make a visible impact in a business where your contribution will shape the future.