Sales Director - FMCG

Methodius Ltd; Galway; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Methodius Ltd. seeks a commercially driven Sales Director to lead the Island of Ireland business, shaping growth across Gardencare and consumer horticulture, along with agriculture and animal health.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution across garden retail, DIY, wholesale and specialist trade. The candidate will have a strong FMCG background, deep customer relationships, and a track record of leading sales teams to deliver revenue, margin and market-share gains.

Qualifications

• Significant senior commercial/sales leadership experience in Gardencare, horticulture, FMCG or related sectors.
• Proven ability to develop and execute a commercial strategy across multiple channels.
• Strong negotiation, customer relationship and category leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the Island of Ireland commercial strategy aligned to long-term growth.
• Lead Gardencare portfolio development across garden centres, DIY and wholesale channels.
• Drive FMCG customer strategy, pricing negotiations and channel expansion.
• Lead the Sales Team with clear targets, KPIs and performance reviews.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Product Development, Finance and Operations to ensure cohesive execution.

Skills

FMCG leadership

Sales strategy

Key accounts management

Channel development

Data-driven decision making

Team leadership

Education

Degree in Business/Commerce/Marketing/Horticulture/Agriculture

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced, commercially driven and customer-focusedSales Director to lead the strategic development and commercial performance of the business across the Island of Ireland.

Reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the Senior Management Team, the Sales Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of the company’s growth. The successful candidate will have an FMCG background and take ownership of the commercial strategy across a diverse portfolio with aparticular focus on Gardencare and consumer horticulture , alongside, agriculture and animal health.

The role will combine strategic sales leadership with hands-on commercial execution across garden retail, garden centres, DIY, retail, wholesale, distribution and specialist trade. The successful candidate will be expected to understand the Gardencare market, customer dynamics, seasonal trading patterns, product categories and routes to market, while bringing a strong FMCG approach to category development, ranging, merchandising, promotions and customer profitability.

This is a high-impact leadership role for an individual who combinesGardencare, horticulture, FMCG or related consumer-sector experience with strategic thinking, commercial acumen, strong customer relationships and proven sales-team leadership.

The business is well established, ambitious and progressive, with a strong reputation for innovation, quality and customer focus. Headquartered in Oranmore, Co. Galway, it operates across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and continental Europe and has continued to invest in product innovation, brand development and category leadership.

The company owns and manages a portfolio of recognised brands alongside a number of leading partner brands. Its ambition is to lead the categories in which it operates by anticipating changing customer and consumer needs, developing compelling Gardencare and consumer propositions and continuously innovating across products, brands and routes to market.

Culture

The company has developed a high-performance culture built around collaboration, accountability, innovation and ambition. Employees are encouraged to challenge convention, identify opportunities and continuously raise standards.

The Sales Director will play an important role in developing this culture across the commercial organisation, creating acustomer-focused, data-led and results-oriented sales environment , with particular emphasis on Gardencare category growth, customer service, commercial discipline and a strong One Team philosophy.

Key Responsibilities Commercial & Strategic Leadership

Define and deliver the overall commercial strategy for the Island of Ireland, aligned with the company’s long-term growth objectives. Develop and lead the Gardencare commercial strategy , identifying opportunities to grow market share, distribution, customer penetration and profitability. Lead the development and execution of annual and multi-year sales plans across Gardencare, consumer horticulture, FMCG, Agri and Animal Health categories. Take ownership of revenue, gross margin, profitability and market share performance. Identify opportunities to accelerate growth through new customers, channels, products, brands and geographic markets. Develop clear commercial strategies by channel, customer, category and product portfolio. Contribute actively to the overall business strategy as a member of the Senior Management Team. Ensure commercial plans reflect the highly seasonal nature of the Gardencare and horticulture markets, with effective pre-season planning and execution.

Gardencare & Consumer Horticulture

Lead the commercial development of the Gardencare portfolio across garden centres, DIY, retail, wholesale, distributors and specialist horticultural channels. Develop strong relationships with garden centre groups, buying groups, independent garden retailers, distributors and other key Gardencare customers. Drive category growth through improved ranging, distribution, merchandising, promotional activity and rate of sale. Develop customer-specific plans based on category, geography, customer profile and seasonal opportunity. Maintain a strong understanding of consumer gardening trends, garden centre dynamics, competitor activity and emerging product categories. Identify opportunities for new Gardencare products, brands, pack formats and customer propositions. Work closely with Marketing and Product Development to ensure the Gardencare portfolio is commercially compelling and differentiated. Develop strategies to maximise the performance of the product portfolio during key seasonal trading periods. Ensure the business is recognised as aleading Gardencare partner , delivering innovation, category expertise, service and commercial value to customers. Monitor customer feedback and market trends to ensure the Gardencare proposition continues to evolve in line with consumer and retailer needs.

FMCG, Customer & Channel Development

Develop and lead an FMCG-focused customer strategy across key channels, including retail, garden centre, DIY, wholesale, distribution and specialist trade. Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key customers, buying groups, distributors and strategic partners. Lead major customer negotiations, annual trading agreements, pricing discussions and commercial reviews. Identify opportunities to increase distribution, rate of sale, ranging, promotional effectiveness and customer profitability. Develop effective go-to-market and route-to-market strategies across different customer and product segments. Maintain a strong understanding of shopper behaviour, consumer trends, category dynamics and competitive activity. Strengthen the company’s position as a preferred supplier and category partner.

Sales Team Leadership & Management

Lead, manage and develop the entire Sales Team , including Area Managers and wider commercial resources. Set clear sales targets, territories, objectives and KPIs for individual team members and the sales organisation. Establish a high-performance culture based on accountability, coaching, collaboration and continuous improvement. Conduct regular performance reviews and ensure agreed objectives and sales targets are achieved. Coach and develop Area Managers and sales professionals in account management, negotiation, Gardencare category selling, customer planning and commercial analysis. Ensure the Sales Team has a clear understanding of business priorities, product strategies, customer objectives and commercial targets. Introduce structured sales planning, pipeline management, territory management and customer review processes. Ensure consistent standards of customer engagement, sales execution and CRM/reporting discipline across the team. Identify training and development requirements and create clear career and succession pathways within the Sales Team. Recruit, retain and develop high-quality commercial talent as the business grows. Build a culture where Sales and Operations work collaboratively to deliver excellent customer service and commercial results. Hold the Sales Team accountable forrevenue, margin, new business, customer retention, distribution and Gardencare and Agri/Vet product category growth.

Sales Performance & P&L

Own and deliver the annual sales, revenue and gross margin budget. Establish clear sales targets, KPIs and performance measures across channels, customers, territories and members of the Sales Team. Drive disciplined forecasting, pipeline management and sales planning. Use commercial data and market intelligence to identify performance opportunities and risks. Monitor pricing, promotional investment, margins and customer profitability to maximise commercial return. Provide regular, insightful commercial reporting to the CEO and Senior Management Team. Establish appropriate dashboards and reporting to provide clear visibility of Sales Team and customer performance.

Brand, Category & Product Development

Work closely with Marketing to develop and execute annual brand, category and trade marketing plans. Translate consumer, customer and market insight into commercial opportunities. Partner with Technical, Product Development and Innovation teams to identify and prioritise new product opportunities. Support the successful launch and commercialisation of new Gardencare products and brands. Ensure product development is driven by genuine customer, consumer and market needs. Develop category leadership strategies that strengthen brand positioning and customer value propositions. Ensure the Sales Team is fully equipped to communicate product benefits, category opportunities and commercial propositions to customers.

Agri & Animal Health

Provide commercial leadership across the Agri and Animal Health portfolio alongside the Gardencare and consumer categories. Maintain a strong understanding of relevant agricultural, veterinary and animal health markets and customer requirements. Support the commercial development of products across areas such as crop protection, weed management, veterinary products and parasite control. Work closely with technical teams and customers to ensure products are effectively positioned, supported and brought to market. Ensure appropriate technical and regulatory considerations are incorporated into commercial planning.

Market Expansion & Business Development

Identify and pursue new market, customer and partnership opportunities, with particular focus on expanding the Gardencare customer base. Develop strategic opportunities across Ireland, the UK and selected European markets where appropriate. Assess new routes to market, distribution partnerships and commercial alliances. Lead business development projects from opportunity identification through to commercial implementation. Monitor emerging category trends to ensure the business remains ahead of market developments.

Operational & Cross-Functional Leadership

Work collaboratively with Finance, Marketing, Technical, Operations and Innovation to ensure strong commercial execution. Improve alignment between demand generation, sales, forecasting, inventory and customer requirements. Ensure seasonal demand is accurately forecast and effectively communicated to Operations and Supply Chain. Ensure robust planning, reporting and organisational discipline across the commercial function. Deliver clear and compelling commercial presentations to customers, colleagues and senior stakeholders. Embed a data-led approach to decision-making throughout the Sales Team.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an experienced commercial leader with a proven track record of delivering growth inGardencare, horticulture, FMCG, consumer goods, retail, agricultural or related sectors .

They will ideally bring strong knowledge of the garden retail and Gardencare environment, together with the commercial discipline and customer-focused approach associated with leading FMCG organisations.

Experience

Significant senior commercial/sales leadership experience, ideally withinGardencare, horticulture, FMCG, consumer products, garden retail or a closely related sector . Proven track record of delivering sustainable revenue, margin and market share growth. Demonstrated experience directly managing, coaching and developing a Sales Team. Experience setting sales targets, managing KPIs and holding sales teams accountable for performance. Strong experience managing major customers, key accounts and commercial negotiations. Experience developing and implementing channel, customer and route-to-market strategies. Strong understanding of garden centres, garden retail, DIY, wholesale, distribution or specialist horticultural channels would be highly advantageous. Experience managing budgets, forecasting, pricing and commercial performance. Experience working cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Technical, Operations and Finance. Experience managing seasonal sales cycles and demand planning would be advantageous. Exposure to agriculture, animal health, horticulture, Gardencare or related categories would be advantageous.

Skills & Attributes

Strong FMCG and customer-centric commercial mindset . Proven ability to lead, motivate, coach and develop a high-performing Sales Team. Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable with execution and operational detail. Excellent negotiation, influencing and relationship-building skills. Strong understanding of retail, garden centre, wholesale, distribution and route-to-market dynamics. Highly analytical and data-driven, with the ability to translate insight into action. Strong financial and P&L understanding. Exceptional leadership and people-development capability. Commercially astute with a strong focus on revenue, margin, growth and customer profitability. Confident, credible and commercially persuasive communicator. Entrepreneurial, ambitious and comfortable operating in a changing environment. Passionate aboutGardencare, consumer horticulture and delivering excellent customer experiences . High level of proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word. Full driving licence.

Education & Technical Requirements

Degree-qualified in Business, Commerce, Marketing, Horticulture, Agriculture or a relevant discipline. Relevant sector qualifications or technical knowledge inhorticulture, Gardencare, agriculture, animal health or FMCG would be advantageous. For relevant Agri/Animal Health responsibilities, eligibility or willingness to become qualified as a Professional Advisor is desirable, with training provid