We’re hiring: Sales Manager BE
FMCG | Key Account Management | Retail & Pet Specialty
About the company : fast-growing & ambitious environment
It isn’t just a pet food company — they are a leader in the European pet food industry. The company is owned by one of the largest Private Equity firms worldwide. As one of the top 3 pet food manufacturers in Europe, they provide over 600 customers across 40 markets with high-quality products. From dry kibbles to wet food and tasty snacks, they’ve been recognized as an industry innovator, shaping the future of pet nutrition.
They are proud of their enormous innovative approach, introducing sustainably sourced ingredients, grain-free options, and natural pet food lines that set the standard for the industry. Their brands continue to thrive, and they are just getting started!
What makes them different? They focus on delivering products that enhance the lives of pets and pet owners while also caring for the planet. Sustainability is at their core, and they are consistently developing products that align with the latest trends in human food, including more natural, fresh ingredients.
Do you love pets? And are you ready to take the next exciting step in your sales career? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, innovative environment where you can make a real impact? If you’re driven by a passion for pets, sales, and innovation, this is the perfect opportunity for you.
About this unique mission
You will have the complete P&L responsibility of multiple retailers/pet specialists within Belgium. Future international responsibilities are strongly possible. Your main focus will be to grow the existing partnerships by expanding their own label share (via current and/or new product categories) and/or building their brands. Internally you manage functionally an international team of several departments in place to achieve common goals: category management, product management, supply, customer service, finance,.. In this role, you start reporting to the Country manager of amongst others BE/UK and once you can run the business independently to the General Manager BNL/UK.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop strategic, long-term relationships with your major retail/pet specialty customers; (Colruyt, Delhaize, Carrefour, Aldi, Lidl, Aveve, Tom&Co…)
* Take full ownership of the strategic plan for your accounts, driving sales and managing the profit and loss elements, aligning with the broader company goals;
* Lead forecast planning in unison with finance and supply teams to provide stellar customer service and financial consistency;
* Lead customer negotiations, representing the company's commercial interests and value-based trading terms effectively.
* Manage functionally & work closely together with several internal teams (Catman, Production, Product Developers) to achieve their partners’ and the company's mutual ambitions.
This role is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of a highly successful and innovative company that is a European market leader and to build your career in a fast-growing industry.
Candidate Profile
Education
* A master’s degree in business economics or similar
Languages
* Fluent in Dutch, French, and English
Experience
You are an ambitious, customer-centric goal getter, who has :
* Minimum 7 years of relevant commercial experience in large FMCG environments, such as Key Account Management or Category Management.
* Proven track record of achieving ambitious goals and delivering strong results, even in challenging circumstances
* Knowledge of the Belgian pet food market is a strong plus.
* Affinity with pets and/or pet food is important; technical nutritional or production knowledge is not essential, provided there is a strong willingness to learn.
Key Competencies
* Resilient and result driven, focusing on long term sustainable growth
* Create and implement a 360° negotiation approach
* Strong sense of ownership: treat the company as if it was your own
* Entrepreneurial spirit
o Continuously identifying new growth opportunities and finding ways on how to unlock them.
o Creative problem solver with a can-do mentality
o Doesn’t take a no for an answer
* Strategic thinker, being able to make your own 1, 3 and 5y plan, in line with company’s ambition
* Strong internal stakeholder management, being able to collaborate with/get things done from several departments
* Analytical:
o Ability to read and understand your P&L in depth and act upon it
o Ability to understand multiple datasets e.g. Nielsen data
* Based in Belgium
Batenborch International is a specialized Executive Search firm focused on recruiting commercial and marketing leadership talent across Europe. We partner with both international groups and fast-growing organizations to identify and attract high-impact professionals in Sales, Marketing, General Management and Digital roles.
Looking for your next career move or hiring top talent? Feel free to connect with us.
#ExecutiveSearch #Headhunting #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #SalesLeadership #FMCG #KeyAccountManagement #Retail #PetFood #BelgiumJobs #CommercialLeadership