Senior Commercial Manager

The Compleat Food Group; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturer in the UK is seeking a Senior Commercial Manager to manage strategic grocery partnerships and ensure category growth. The role encompasses full P&L accountability and collaboration with diverse teams. Candidates should possess strong FMCG knowledge and proven B2B experience. This opportunity offers autonomy and visibility in a fast-paced environment. Regular travel across the UK is expected, reflecting the dynamic nature of the role, with a competitive salary and benefits package.

Qualifications

• Strong working knowledge of FMCG required.
• Proven experience in a customer-facing commercial role with P&L ownership.
• Experience managing Top 6 UK grocery retailers is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic relationships with major grocery retailers.
• Own category and account strategies aligned to business objectives.
• Drive profitable category growth across branded and private label portfolios.

Skills

Strong working knowledge of FMCG

Proven experience in a B2B commercial role

Experience managing Top 6 UK grocery retailers

Highly autonomous with strong accountability

Commercially sharp and data-driven

Detail-oriented with high resilience

Collaborative approach

Understanding of category growth principles

Job description

Job Advert

Senior Commercial Manager

Salary: c. £70,000 + Car Allowance + Bonus + Benefits

Location: Flexible – commutable to Bristol, Crewe, Market Drayton, Ebbw Vale, Nottingham, Redhill (Surrey) or Milton Keynes

Travel: Regular UK travel required (2–3 days per week on average)

The Opportunity

The Compleat Food Group is a >£1bn turnover, award‑winning food manufacturer supplying both branded and private label products across fresh and frozen categories. With long‑term, multi‑category partnerships spanning grocery retail, foodservice, and OOH channels, innovation and consumer‑centricity sit at the heart of everything we do.

Operating across 15+ UK manufacturing sites alongside a broad European partner network, The Compleat Food Group continues to grow through acquisition and category‑led expansion. This presents a compelling opportunity for a commercially astute FMCG professional to make a meaningful impact within a dynamic, fast‑paced organisation.

The Role

As Senior Commercial Manager, you will play a critical role in managing one of our largest and most strategic grocery retail partnerships. With accountability across key categories spanning both branded and private label ranges, you will lead initiatives from concept through to execution, driving sustainable, profitable category growth.

Working closely with cross‑functional teams including Marketing, NPD, Supply Chain and Operations, you will shape and deliver strategy for your assigned categories while contributing to the broader account vision and direction. This role offers genuine autonomy, ownership, and visibility at senior level.

You will hold full P&L accountability for your categories, leading strategic development while gaining exposure to wider business initiatives across the Group. For the right individual, this is an excellent platform to grow a long‑term career within a highly acquisitive FMCG business.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop strategic relationships with a major grocery retail customer
• Own and deliver category and account strategies aligned to business objectives
• Full P&L accountability, including pricing, margin, and promotional investment
• Drive profitable category growth across branded and private label portfolios
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives from ideation through execution
• Support end‑to‑end NPD and EPD programmes, ensuring commercial rigour
• Contribute to the wider commercial and category strategy across the Group

About You

Essential

• Strong working knowledge of FMCG
• Proven experience in a B2B, customer‑facing commercial role with P&L ownership
• Experience managing Top 6 UK grocery retailers
• Highly autonomous with a strong sense of accountability
• Commercially sharp, data‑driven, and results‑focused
• Detail‑oriented with high personal resilience
• Authentic, dynamic, and collaborative in approach
• Solid understanding of category growth principles

Desirable

• Experience in fresh or chilled food categories
• Exposure to both branded and private label portfolios
• Line management experience
• End‑to‑end NPD and EPD experience

Location & Travel

The role requires regular UK travel, averaging 2–3 days per week across customer, site and central locations, typically involving around one night per week away from home. Some weeks may involve shorter trips; others may be more intensive. Regular presence in Central London, Bristol and Nottingham should be expected.

About The Compleat Food Group

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to create Food to Feel Good – great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat.

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, including Wall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, and Harvey & Brockles. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own‑label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added‑value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces & plant‑based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across foodservice.

With over 6,000 talented colleagues across 17 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better.

We are backed by European private equity firm PAI Partners.