Customer Development Manager WholesaleFood Service

Job Title: Customer Development Manager (Food Service)
Location: Hybrid Homeworking weekly time spent in London (Head Office) plus UKwide travel

Contract: 1 Year Fixed Term Contract (with view to extension). 3month probation period.

Important: Please note we will only review applicants that have food service knowledge and experience.

HRA Global are working on behalf of one of our key clients a large international Dairy Cooperative to recruit a Customer Development Manager. You will be employed by HRA Global but you will be reporting directly to our client s Business Unit Lead to help develop wholesaler relationships that drive new food service channel opportunities and sales for their range of products and brands. HRA Global will support you during your contract and provide access to our team and range of expertise in insights and strategy.

Purpose of the Job:

As a Customer Development Manager Foodservice you will play a pivotal role in expanding this wellknown dairy brand s footprint across the UK. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with wholesalers specifically Bidfoods and Brakes in order to increase listings with their foodservice clients and open up new business opportunities. This role requires an indepth knowledge of this sector and you must be a strategic and quick thinker with a passion for customer development and negotiation.

Whilst some of your time will be spent homeworking you will also be expected to work at our client s head office in London in order to connect with the wider team and you will need to travel across the UK* as required to meet suppliers and potential targets.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership in creating and executing business strategies developing longterm partnerships negotiating commercial terms and increasing market share within the competitive dairy sector.

Key Responsibilities:

Open New Sales Channels: Identify and evaluate new foodservice distribution channels and opportunities to expand market reach and increase brand presence. Develop and implement strategies to penetrate these channels ensuring alignment with overall business goals and maximising revenue potential

Grow Market Share: Identify and develop growth opportunities within the UK market by expanding into new territories and developing strategic partnerships with key customers and building physical distribution availability and visibility of the clients products

Develop New Accounts: Proactively seek out and establish relationships to expand our customer base and increase revenues.

Account Management & Strategy: Create and execute bespoke account plans and activation programmes for key customers focusing on longterm partnership growth and profitability

Range Portfolio & Promotions: Collaborate with customers to agree on effective product range portfolios and implement promotional strategies that drive sales while ensuring brand integrity.

Negotiate Contracts: Lead commercial negotiations with customers ensuring mutually beneficial agreements

Sales Data Analysis: Regularly analyse sales performance data to identify trends measure the success of promotional activities and inform decisionmaking for future business development.

Ensure Strong Margins: Monitor pricing promotional investments and cost structures

Customer Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction and collaboration.

Crossfunctional Collaboration: Work closely with internal teams including marketing supply chain and product development to ensure alignment and effective delivery of account objectives.

Travel & OnSite Client Visits: Frequently travel across the UK to meet with clients attend business reviews and represent the company at trade shows and industry events as necessary.

Requirements

Experience & Skills:

National Account Management Food Service Experience: Demonstrated success in managing large national & regional accounts ideally within the dairy sector (though experience in other sectors will be considered).

Channel experience: the ideal candidate will have direct experience of opening up and maintaining contracts with wholesaler and foodservice channels

Strategic Planning: Strong experience in developing and executing strategic account plans that deliver against sales profitability and growth targets.

Sales & Negotiation Expertise: Proven track record of negotiating and securing commercial deals with the ability to build winwin partnerships.

Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of key business drivers and ability to analyse financial data to inform commercial decisions.

Customer Relationship Management: Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective longterm relationships with key customers at all levels of the business.

Excellent Communication Skills: Clear and persuasive communicator both written and verbal with strong presentation and influencing skills.

Analytical Thinking: Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data identify trends and make datadriven recommendations.

Resilience Tenacity & Perseverance: Demonstrated ability to influence and build new relationships overcoming challenges and setbacks to drive successful outcomes.

Adaptability & Flexibility: Able to work in a fastpaced dynamic environment with a willingness to travel across the UK as required.

Crossfunctional Collaboration: Comfortable working with internal teams across various functions (sales marketing supply chain) to deliver against customer needs.

SelfMotivated & GoalOriented: Able to work independently remotely and as part of a team with a focus on achieving and exceeding targets.

Travel Requirement: Willingness to travel extensively across the UK including frequent overnight stays where necessary. You must have a valid UK driving license and access to a car.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor s degree in Business Marketing or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Certifications such as Strategic Sales Management Business Analytics Negotiation Mastery or Communication is desirable but not essential

Benefits

Remuneration package:

All reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will be reimbursed

Application Process:

First round 30minute interviews will be online with HRA Global. You will be asked to discuss a situation (using the STAR) where you applied a consultative rather than transactional approach to selling.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online by our client s Business Unit Lead mid to end May

A small selection of candidates will be invited to a facetoface interview with our client in London end May/beginning June

The successful recruit will need to provide evidence of a right to work in the UK along with 2 industry references

About HRA Global:

HRA Global is a strategy and management consultancy born out of a love and a desire to improve and innovate the global food and drink industry. We work up and down the value chain using strong project management commercial analysis and market research capabilities. Our client base includes brands retailers producers and processors in over 20 countries worldwide.