Head of Commercial Operations

Please note: This role is on a 12 Month FTC (Maternity Cover)

What will this role achieve?

Pladis is market leader in Sweet & Savoury Biscuits & a leader in Baked Snacks. Our vision is to further drive our growth via Category Leadership & World Class Execution.

This role is pivotal in ensuring that our Category, Brand and NRM initiatives are planned & implemented with our external customers in mind and delivered into market with excellence to deliver Budgeted targets.

It requires crafting strong internal relationships with Sales, Marketing, Shopper Marketing and Commercialisation and other functions to ensure that compelling Brand and NRM plans are developed in a timely manner and implemented with excellence. The Commercial Operations team will also work closely with the Category Development and Category Strategy teams to ensure that stretching space, distribution & off shelf feature targets are set and delivered against, and a compelling Category Vision is crafted and implemented by channel and retailer.

What will be your key deliverables?

• Deliver budgeted P&L at Tonnes, Net Sales and GP for the defined portfolio, executing through the wider Customer team
• Working closely with the Pricing & Investment Controller, develop plans to optimise Net Sales per Tonne and absolute GP through the development of the appropriate Pack/Price/Promo strategy for each brand. This should be by-channel for the brands within the defined product portfolio with a target 3-year strategy plan / roadmap
• Own the Commercial meeting rhythm with Sales and Marketing to ensure the commercial plan and calendar is built, executed and tracked by channel to deliver AOP
• Set clear execution targets by key brand initiative (e.g Brand Campaign, NPD) and account/channel that are stretching and tracked
• Build strong linkages between the commercial teams through meeting rhythm, ownership and content to include CEM, AMEX, MPR (meetings may change) and annual Brand plans. The bridge between Sales and Marketing.
• Establish and act on reports by brand, customer and channel which identify performance challenges and opportunities
• Build plans and solutions to fix brand challenges by account/channel
• Work closely with Commercialisation and Marketing on innovation launches and brand campaigns, leading all commercial aspects of delivery. Co-ordinating & communicating on timings, execution, merchandising & promotions.
• Commercial Representative on NPD forums to guide and advise to ensure world class execution in trade
• Track and communicate around account team forecasts being loaded on time for innovation to meet rate of sales assumptions
• Quarterly coordination of Ready To Sell to trade to ensure world class execution in terms of Sell In, Distribution, Space, Off Shelf Feature & Activation
• Sets the Execution standards & Owner of “NPD Execution” trackers
• Guardian & key Advisor to ensure Trade Selling Stories are Channel & Retailer focused
• Guardian of the Annual Customer Growth Plans presentations including tracking & communication, optimum Presentation formula/template to ensure consistency, subsequently tailored by channel & retailer and that all materials & support are available for Commercial team to deliver with excellence
• Identify where specific launches, commercial or category initiatives will necessitate flexibility with the retailer in range review timings & work with Cat Dev & Customer teams to ensure a plan is put in place to influence the facilitation of this
• Work with the Category Vision team to ensure brilliant execution of Pladis Category Vision both internally & into trade

What do you need for this role;

• 10+ years Commercial experience including Sales experience working across all UK channels and customers
• A high level of commercial competence and understanding
• Proven awareness of category and channel development processes
• A Growth mindset and desire to find solutions and act with pace
• Ability to lead and influence directly and indirectly
• Ability to turn data into insights and action plans

Our winning traits and behaviours

• Purpose-Led - Energised by our promise to deliver happiness to the world with every bite
• Agile - Ever evolving, never satisfied and never standing still
• Collaborative - Willing to work collectively for mutual success
• Resilient - Quick to adapt to change, fast learner and persistent in the face of setbacks
• Positive - Self-motivated, optimistic, adventurous, and encouraging

Diversity and inclusivity is central to everything we do and is reflected across our business. pladis brings together brands and people from around the globe – and this diversity is our phenomenal strength.

We’re an equal opportunities employer and believe in encouraging inclusivity where we celebrate diversity of thinking and respect everyone’s distinctive qualities and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform key job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation

Why join our team?

pladis is home to iconic brands Godiva, McVitie’s and Ulker. These brands make sweet treats and savoury treats that consumers everywhere recognise and enjoy! As we start on our new journey, we will continue making the biscuits and confectionery people know and expect from these brands, and we will expand their portfolios too. Together we will build new and exciting products at pladis – new flavours, new concepts and new ways to share happiness!

Our strength is not only in our products, it is also in our people and our values. Each business that has united to form pladis are loved for their heritage and values. We will retain the honesty, integrity and trust instilled in our brands by our ground‑breaking founders as we embark on the next chapter of our success.

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