Market Development Manager CEE

Sunstar; Poland; Hybrid; PLN 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Private healthcare

Life insurance

Multisport card

Eyewear allowance

Job summary

Sunstar in Poland is seeking a Market Development Manager for Central and Eastern Europe to own a portfolio of distributor markets, drive revenue growth and commercial excellence. You will build joint business plans with distributors, develop capabilities and lead initiatives that accelerate sell-out across pharmacy, mass-market and online channels.

You will manage revenue, P&L and growth for your cluster, assess distributor capabilities, run joint business plans, and lead change management.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, international business or marketing.
• Fluent English essential; Russian highly desirable; additional CEE language an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Own the cluster’s commercial results - revenue, P&L, sell-out growth and profitability.
• Ensure budget and forecast discipline with distributors and operations.
• Drive trade marketing fundamentals: assortment, planograms, merchandising and pricing.
• Expand channel coverage across pharmacy, mass and online.
• Build and run Joint Business Plans with distributors; set 3-year vision and annual targets.
• Develop distributor partners and manage capability development.
• Lead intervention plans and change management.
• Onboard and develop new distributors; own Monthly Business Review reporting.

Skills

English fluency

CEE language

Data-driven

Education

Master’s degree in business, International Business, or Marketing

Job description

Sunstar is a Swiss-Japanese multinational serving customers in more than 90 countries worldwide and is currently undergoing an ambitious multi-year transformation journey.

At Sunstar, we combine diverse perspectives, cultures, and expertise to drive innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We are committed to improving health and wellbeing through our products and services, while fostering a culture where people are empowered to learn, grow, take ownership, and make a real impact.

Joining Sunstar means becoming part of a company that values purpose, collaboration, and sustainable growth—offering the opportunity to shape the future while staying true to a strong set of values and a unique Swiss-Japanese heritage.

About the job

We're looking for a Market Development Manager CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) to take full ownership of a portfolio of distributor markets, driving revenue growth, profitability and commercial excellence. Partnering closely with distributors, you will build joint business plans, develop capabilities and lead initiatives that accelerate sell-out growth across pharmacy, mass-market and online channels.

The job's mission

As Market Development Manager, you take full ownership of a group of markets: revenue, P&L and growth, and the capability of the distributor partners who deliver them. This is not an account-management job of taking orders — you build joint business plans, assess and develop your partners, and lead the interventions that unlock the next stage of growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Building the business

• Own the business — Full responsibility for the cluster’s commercial results - revenue, P&L, sell-out growth and profitability, not just sell-in.
• Ensure budget & forecast discipline — Own the cluster budget and its building blocks; drive forecast discipline with distributors and operations; pressure-test forecasts and re-anchor targets on baseline data.
• Drive Sales fundamentals execution — Drive perfect execution in store through the distributor teams — assortment, planograms, merchandising and pricing — deploying the Trade Marketing guidelines.
• Expand Channel coverage — Ensure each distributor has the capacity and capability to cover pharmacy, mass and online across the cluster.

Building capabilities

• Own JBP discipline — Build and run the Joint Business Plan for each distributor in the cluster — 3-year vision, annual targets, sell-out transparency, review cadence, agreed actions with owners.
• Develop your distributor partners - Assess each distributor’s capabilities against our capability model, agree the priority to fix in each cycle and follow through the development plan.
• Lead intervention plans & change management — Take on the toughest market priorities, using objective data as your negotiation base, and see interventions through.
• Onboard & develop— Onboard new distributors, continuously assess and develop their capabilities, run performance management, and own MBR (Monthly Business Review) reporting for the cluster.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, International Business, or Marketing
• Fluent English essential. Russian highly desirable. Proficiency in an additional CEE language would be an advantage.

Experience

• Experience — 7+ years in commercial / distributor management within FMCG, consumer health or OTC, with proven P&L or sell-out accountability across international distributor markets.
• Distributor craft — Has built and run joint business plans with independent distributors; comfortable holding partners accountable through data rather than relationship goodwill.
• Analytical strength — Fluent with sell-out data, pricing and margin mechanics; able to challenge a forecast and rebuild it from baseline.
• Change leadership — Track record of moving reluctant partners; resilient in markets where structure must be built, not inherited.

What makes you successful in this role

• An entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build new capabilities, processes and standards from the ground up
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical skills, with the ability to turn data into actionable business recommendations
• Excellence in developing strategies and translating them into effective execution and measurable results
• Creative and innovative thinking to solve complex market and commercial challenges
• A results-oriented approach with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills, enabling you to build strong relationships across markets and functions
• A collaborative and adaptable mindset, thriving in a multicultural and distributor-led environment
• Willingness to travel across the CEE region as required

Why join Sunstar?

• Purpose-driven company focused on health and wellbeing
• Unique Swiss-Japanese heritage with a truly global footprint, serving customers in more than 90 countries
• Exciting transformation journey creating opportunities to make a tangible impact
• Collaborative, inclusive, and multicultural environment
• Strong commitment to learning, development, and career growth
• Culture of ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Hybrid working model supporting flexibility and work-life balance
• Private healthcare and life insurance, Multisport (gym) card, Contribution towards corrective eyewear

Location:

Poland

Employment Type:

Full-time, Permanent

Travel:

Approximately 50-75% travel across CEE