Business Development Manager

£45k - £55k + additional benefits

We’re looking for a proven passionate Business Development Manager for a dynamic growing business who focus on the design, manufacture and distribution of Health and Beauty products in three key operating functions; Brands (owned and licenced), Private Label Supply and Contract Manufacturing.

The customer base ranges from key multiple drugstore, grocery and fashion retailers to premium brands and is supplied throughout the UK from Superdrug to Harrods and growing international markets, currently 50 countries worldwide.

The company has a reputation for exceptional customer service and consistently leads the way forward in product and brand development. They are award winning with customers and products. Superdrug Own Brand Supplier 2019!

The Business Development role will be responsible for all sales and commercial elements of the customer relationship with a key retail account, driving sales and profit/margin performance. Ensuring highest levels of customer service at all times. We are looking for someone who ideally has key account management experience or other high street retailers. This is a great opportunity to work in a very exciting and innovative category.

Role Description

• Responsible for all sales and commercial elements of customer relationship with key retail accounts, driving sales and profit/margin performance. Ensuring highest levels of customer service at all times. Strategic account development for Private Label and P+M Brands.

Role Responsibilities

Commercial and Sales Management

• Initiate and drive a strategic trading sales plan for this key account to maximise, the business and total sales
• Identifying and actively pursuing new product/category opportunities.
• Full profit and loss management for each key account
• Prepare Product Costings ( brief internal teams – liaising with P+M suppliers as needed )
• Prepare quotations to send to customers
• Price negotiation with customers
• Initiate and drive product cost engineering where needed
• Managing  product commercially throughout its lifecycle ( impact of cost increases / change of specification)
• Producing sales budget to include sales/ margin and NPD costs ( where applicable )
• Tracking adherence to sales budget and reporting to the business shortfalls / gains.
• Understand and agree hurdle rates/ success criteria for new launches with customer
• Produce post launch reviews, for internal and customer use, including implementation compliance and agree next steps where relevant to maximise sales opportunities/ protect the listing. To include review of batch sizes and buffer stocks where relevant.

Customer Management

• Managing the key account interface with customer teams to include buyers, technical & product managers and supply teams.
• Understanding of customer processes + requirements of a vendor; including supplier KPI’s and full understanding of category review schedules and timelines for each category.
• Responsible for leading the generation, preparation and delivery of customer presentations. This includes product rationales, product positioning, competitive gap analysis, and price architecture definition.
• Day to day customer interface – driving and owning all meetings / conference calls including all meeting preparation and meeting minutes together with issuing and ensuring follow through is actioned and closed off.
• Assessment of new customer briefs. Preparing New Project Approval Forms for sign off
• Management of customer briefs/tenders. Briefing and leading the wider P+M team on new briefs.
• Agreeing Initial CPA with customer to meet required launch dates.
• Overseeing that all launches and NPD projects are delivered on time against CPA  and managed with relevant Customer teams
• Monitoring and managing with the team any customer quality issues –ensuring managed and communicated with the customer to closure.

Order /Stock Management

• Responsible for preparing and monitoring forecasting. To include launch forecasts, including final store numbers, stock allocation and agree stock holding levels at Customer depot/ stores
• Reporting of EPOS performance internally and externally
• Understanding and management of agreed stock holding levels (internal and external), working as needed with the purchasing and supply functions for the management of MOQ’s, including when relevant effective management of Customer underwrites and/ or justification for internal approval to order. Includes bespoke raw materials.
• Gather intelligence of activities which will impact base forecast (promotions / additional space / seasonality) and manage through the forecast into the business.
• Management of exit plans on discontinued lines to minimise P+M exposure on stock holding and profitability impact.
• Managing customer stocks) and reporting on the Monthly Stock Report. All excess and residuals are identified and managed efficiently (disposal / returning (free issue) or charging onto customers.
• Responsible for overseeing that stock is being produced in time to meet forecast or sales order. Communicating with customers if there are issues and offering solutions where appropriate
• Management of Customer shortages; ensure appropriate Customer teams are aware in advance of potential issues, including effective internal and external communication flow to resolve and expedite any issues

Candidate

Attributes

• Commercially astute
• Natural driver of activity
• Tenacious
• Passionate
• Team player and team leader
• Excellent communication skills
• Insightful – able to identify opportunities
• Flexible , fluid approach able to react to change positively

Experience

• Evidence of driving and managing key multiple retail accounts, ideally within the FMCG sector.
• Evidence of producing sales growth within key retail accounts
• Evidence of successful relationship building within key retail accounts
• FMCG background preferred
• Management of multiple product types and categories within key retail accounts