An ambitious and fast-growing UK food manufacturing business is seeking a commercially driven Head of Retail to lead and develop its retail channel.

This is a senior leadership role with full commercial accountability for a portfolio worth approximately £60 million across major UK grocery retailers, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Iceland.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing strategic customer relationships, driving profitable growth, and leading cross-functional collaboration across NPD, Technical, Supply Chain and Operations to deliver best-in-class retail partnerships.

This role offers the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the retail strategy of a dynamic and entrepreneurial food business.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Retail Leadership

• Own and lead the commercial strategy for major UK retail accounts, delivering sustainable revenue and margin growth.

• Hold full P&L responsibility across the retail portfolio.

• Identify and deliver new commercial opportunities, driving category expansion and profitable growth.

• Act as the senior commercial contact for retail partners, building strong and trusted relationships at multiple levels.

Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all commercial queries across retail accounts.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with buying teams and key stakeholders across customers’ organisations.

• Deliver regular business reviews covering sales performance, profitability, product performance and future growth opportunities.

Commercial Delivery & Account Performance

• Analyse sales performance, forecasts and promotional activity to optimise account performance.

• Work closely with internal commercial teams to develop pricing strategies based on market insight and cost inputs.

• Manage stock levels and demand planning in collaboration with supply chain teams where applicable.

Innovation & Product Development

• Work closely with the NPD team to drive innovation across retail customers.

• Attend product development sessions to ensure retail opportunities are maximised.

• Manage critical paths for new product launches, ensuring clear accountability and delivery timelines.

• Support the development of compelling customer presentations supported by pricing, market insight and commercial rationale.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Technical teams to manage customer feedback and resolve product issues effectively.

• Work with procurement, operations and supply chain teams to ensure seamless delivery of customer requirements.

• Ensure internal teams remain aligned on customer priorities and commercial opportunities.

Portfolio Development

• Conduct regular product and range reviews to ensure a strong and relevant product offering across accounts.

• Maintain accurate product databases used across retail channels.

• Identify opportunities to expand the customer base within retail and foodservice sectors.

Leadership

• Lead, mentor and develop two commercial team members.

• Support the wider leadership team in driving commercial strategy and business growth.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience managing major UK retail grocery accounts within food manufacturing.

• Strong commercial background with full P&L responsibility.

• Demonstrated success in driving account growth and winning new retail business.

• Experience leading product development and innovation with retailers.

• Strong negotiation, influencing and relationship management skills.

• Ability to translate commercial insight into actionable strategies.

• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.

Personal Attributes

• Highly commercial with a growth mindset

• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability

• Confident communicator able to influence at senior level

• Collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments

• Proactive, resilient and results-driven

Apply with your CV today or contact us for more information about this excellent opportunity in a leading food business.