Head of Modern Trade

DrinkPrime; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 9,500,000; Full time

Job summary

DrinkPrime, a leading Indian subscription-based water purifier brand, seeks a Head of Modern Trade to define strategy and scale its national retail channel. You will own the end-to-end plan, identify and onboard top retailers, and negotiate terms that deliver value for both DrinkPrime and partners.

The role requires a strong network in India's Modern Trade, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a proven ability to execute from 0 to 1 while collaborating with Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance teams.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of experience in Modern Trade sales, business development, or key account management.
• Strong existing relationships with leading Modern Trade retailers in India.
• Ability to influence decision-making through strong commercial business cases.
• CPG/FMCG industry experience is essential.
• Customer-first mindset with a passion for creating outstanding retail experiences.
• Entrepreneurial attitude with comfort in ambiguity and building a business from 0 to 1.
• Hands-on, self-driven leader who values execution.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end Modern Trade strategy and business for DrinkPrime.
• Identify, onboard, and grow partnerships with national and regional retailers.
• Build relationships with key decision-makers across Modern Trade organizations.
• Develop commercial business cases that create value for DrinkPrime and partners.
• Lead negotiations on assortment, pricing, promotions, visibility, and JBP.
• Drive store launches, expansion plans, and in-store execution across networks.
• Collaborate with Marketing for retail campaigns and shopper activations.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Product, and Growth teams for seamless execution.
• Establish metrics and playbooks to scale the channel profitably.
• Monitor performance, identify growth opportunities, and optimize outcomes.
• Build and lead the Modern Trade team as the business expands.

Skills

Sales leadership

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Entrepreneurial mindset

Strategic thinking

Job description

DrinkPrime is India's leading subscription-based water purifier company, leveraging technology, IoT, and data science to make safe drinking water accessible and affordable. Our mission is to eliminate the barriers of ownership by offering a hassle-free subscription experience with installation, maintenance, and service included.

Having built a strong online business, we're now investing in offline growth. Modern Trade is a strategic priority, and we're looking for an entrepreneurial leader to build this channel from the ground up.

About the Role

As the Head of Modern Trade , you will be responsible for building and scaling DrinkPrime's Modern Trade business across India. This is a unique opportunity to create a new growth engine for the company—from defining the strategy and securing key retail partnerships to building a scalable operating model.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving ambiguous problems, influencing senior stakeholders, and turning ideas into a successful business.

What You'll Do

Own the end-to-end Modern Trade strategy and business for DrinkPrime.

Identify, onboard, and grow partnerships with leading national and regional retail chains.

Build strong relationships with key decision-makers across Modern Trade organizations.

Develop compelling commercial business cases that create value for both DrinkPrime and retail partners.

Lead commercial negotiations, including assortment, pricing, promotions, visibility, and joint business planning.

Drive store launches, expansion plans, and in-store execution across partner networks.

Work closely with Marketing to execute retail campaigns, shopper marketing initiatives, and in-store branding.

Partner with Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Product, and Growth teams to ensure seamless execution.

Establish the metrics, processes, and play books required to scale the channel profitably.

Monitor channel performance, identify growth opportunities, and continuously optimize business outcomes.

Build and lead the Modern Trade team as the business expands.

Requirements

Who We're Looking For

8–12+ years of experience in Modern Trade sales, business development, or key account management.

Strong existing relationships with leading Modern Trade retailers in India.

Demonstrated ability to identify the right stakeholders and influence decision-making through strong commercial business cases.

Prior experience in the CPG/FMCG industry is essential.

Customer-first mindset with a passion for creating outstanding retail experiences.

Entrepreneurial attitude with the ability to thrive in ambiguity and build a business from 0 to 1 .

Hands-on, self-driven leader who enjoys execution as much as strategy.

Excellent commercial acumen, negotiation, stakeholder management, and analytical skills.

Experience building and leading high-performing sales teams is a strong advantage.

Why Join DrinkPrime?

Build a high-impact business vertical from the ground up.

Own strategy and execution with significant autonomy.

Work directly with senior leadership to shape DrinkPrime's offline growth journey.

Join one of India's fastest-growing consumer subscription brands at a pivotal stage of expansion.

Be part of a mission-driven company transforming access to safe drinking water through technology and innovation.