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Regional Sales Manager, Retail - Continental Europe

Employer
Clearwater Seafoods
Location
Windsor, Berkshire
Salary
Up to £70,000 per annum with benefits and bonus eligibility
Closing date
24 Mar 2015

View more

Business Sector
Food & Drink
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Function
Sales

 

Clearwater Seafoods is a leading seafood company, headquartered in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. Clearwater Seafoods harvests, processes and distributes fresh and frozen fish and shellfish. It holds major offshore rights to harvest clams, crabs, lobster, scallops and shrimp off the coasts of Canada and South America. The company sells about 80 million pounds to customers in more than 30 countries worldwide each year. Clearwater operates its own fleet of vessels, as well as off-shore and on-shore processing facilities.

Clearwater enjoys unparalleled access to rich natural resources, an admirable record for sustainable and responsible harvesting, a recently renewed fleet, a culture of innovation, a strong global reputation of outstanding quality and products that should grow in appeal to expanding global markets.

Clearwater’s Windsor, UK office is seeking Regional Sales Manager for a full time position.

  Purpose of Position

  • In 2014, Clearwater’s sales will reach over $430MM CAD in Revenue.

  • EMEA is the largest region in terms of revenue for Clearwater with total sales of approximately $140MM across most of key species.

  • While Clearwater sells into all seafood channels, it is estimated that approximately 70% of the current EMEA region revenue generated is via the Processor channel.

  • Clearwater believes that a tremendous opportunity to grow revenue and margin exists in the Retail channel across the region and Retail expansion is therefore the centerpiece of its growth strategy.

  • The Regional Sales Manager Retail, Continental Europe role has therefore been created to drive development and execution of a Continental Europe expansion strategy, focused in France, Germany, and Belgium, for the Retail channel.

  • This includes selecting and developing new retail accounts, both directly and via key distribution partnerships, which deliver sustainable business and incremental revenue and margins via gains in net price realization through a clear understanding of the full value chain.

  • Further, this position will work jointly with Marketing to identify co-development opportunities with retailers to help develop and execute a new “Value Added” strategy in Continental Europe.

  • The success of this position with result in the “Retail” channel becoming the key driver of increasing value creation across mainland Europe.

  • The successful candidate will have a strong track record of success in retail sales in Seafood and/or FMCG across Europe, with specific experience in France and Germany, and ideally contacts in both markets that can be leveraged in this role.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Achieve a competitive advantage for our products and brands

  • Identify and prioritize key retail account targets focused in France and Germany whose Seafood goals and strategies most closely align with Clearwater’s USP’s of vertical integration, wild catch, sustainability, food safety, and ultimately the highest quality products in the industry.

  • “Hunt” for new business with these selected retailers while being flexible in terms of business model. Clearwater has a large business with key importers whose margins are critical to the overall profit picture of the company so it is imperative that Retail channel expansion be carefully managed to include key partnerships where the partners add value in a 1+1=3 approach.

  • Provide “Leadership”, both internally within Clearwater and externally with each retailer, to ensure goals, strategies, and tactics are aligned. This includes where possible, the development and leadership of multi-functional Key Account teams for selected high volume / strategic accounts.

  • Develop a compelling Annual Operating Plan each year for inclusion in the EMEA AOP that meets or exceeds revenue and margin goals towards Clearwater’s 5-1-5 Plan.

  • Working with Marketing, identify co-development opportunities to jump start a Value Added strategy in Mainland Europe to further improve revenue and margins. Value Added is a key strategic growth pillar for Clearwater with 2015 slated as the first year of geographic expansion in to Europe. A successful entry into Value Added has the potential to transform Clearwater’s business model and brand in Europe and the ideal candidate should have the entrepreneurial spirit and be highly motivated and excited to bring this strategy and vision to life.

  • Build a solid understanding of key customer objectives and strategies along with actionable insights into the key decision making processes of each customer.

  • Align Clearwater strategies to each customer’s strategies through development and implementation of a “Joint Business Plan” that translates into concrete projects which deliver growth, differentiation, and incrementally value creation for both parties.

  • Through customer understanding and insights, lead develop and growth of Clearwater’s “shopper” understanding as it relates to each key account. Understanding the target shopper profile of key customers and how they align to Clearwater’s product line and positioning will be critical to ensuring retail customers and opportunities are prioritized correctly to deliver the most incremental value.

  • Further, develop an understanding of the seasonality of demand for Clearwater’s core species across the customer base to identify opportunities and strategies for “everyday” as well as key seasonal consumption periods such as Christmas/Year End.

Reporting Structure

  • Director of Sales – Mainland Europe

Working Conditions

  • International travel will be required.

Key Behavioral Competencies:

  • Competitive nature accustomed to winning;

  • Entrepreneurial – excellent strategic & conceptual thinking – hands on –result oriented;

  • Team player – flexible, likes change;

  • Natural leader – assertive, convincing, inspiring.

Qualifications:

  • University degree (MBA Preferred) in Business / Commerce

  • 5+ years of experience in Retail Sales ideally selling direct to customer and via partnerships.

  • Demonstrated ability to lead Key Account Teams including Joint Business Plan development and execution with retailers is required.

  • Demonstrated success working with retailers in both France & Germany is required, additional European geographies would be a plus.

  • Verbal and written fluency in French and English is required (German or other languages would be a plus).

  • Solid analytical skills combined with the drive and competitiveness to hunt for new business and Win.

  • Experience in Seafood, premium & perishable foods, and/or FMCG is and asset.

  • Contacts, ideally in Seafood, with key retailers across Europe would be a plus.

  • Strong understanding of the EMEA retail landscape.

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