Senior Commercial Manager Maternity Cover

📍 Location: Uxbridge
🗂️ Department: Commercial
👤 Reports to: Commercial Director / Sales Director
📄 Contract: Fixed-Term Maternity Cover - 12-month

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Commercial Manager to join our Commercial team on a maternity cover basis.

Based at our Uxbridge office, this role will lead one of Pilgrim's Europe's most strategically important retail partnerships within the fresh poultry category. You'll be responsible for driving sustainable sales growth, delivering profitable returns, and developing strong customer relationships while managing a significant own-label poultry portfolio.

Working cross-functionally with teams across Category, Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and Technical, you'll play a key role in delivering customer success and commercial performance.

What You'll Be Doing

• Own the P&L for a major retail account.
• Deliver sustainable sales growth and profitability in line with business objectives.
• Develop, negotiate, and implement annual Joint Business Plans (JBPs).
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customer stakeholders.
• Drive performance across all routes to market, including convenience and online.
• Lead the commercial management and development of a major UK retail partner within the fresh poultry category.
• Identify market opportunities through customer insight, market trends, and data analysis.
• Develop and implement customer strategies that support long-term growth.
• Manage forecasts, risks, opportunities, and performance plans.
• Evaluate promotional performance and identify opportunities to maximise effectiveness.
• Monitor account performance and implement corrective actions where required.
• Drive forecast accuracy and performance through the S&OP process.
• Deliver annual budget targets and business improvement initiatives.
• Work closely with Category, Customer Marketing, and Product Development teams.
• Support innovation and NPD programmes that drive category growth and customer value.
• Develop customer activation plans across both in-store and digital channels.
• Coach, mentor, and support junior commercial colleagues.
• Share best practice and contribute to capability development across the wider team.
• Lead by example and demonstrate Pilgrim's Europe values in all interactions.

What We're Looking For

• Experience within a leading Food or FMCG business
• Own-label and/or branded experience

✅ Significant experience managing major retail accounts within FMCG or food manufacturing

✅ Proven success operating at Commercial Manager level or above

✅ Experience working with major UK grocery retailers

✅ Strong commercial acumen with P&L ownership experience

✅ Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills

✅ Strong analytical, forecasting, and business planning capabilities

✅ Experience delivering Joint Business Plans and customer growth strategies

✅ Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-driven environment

✅ Experience coaching, mentoring, or developing others

✅ Strong communication and presentation skills

Essential

• Full UK Driving Licence
• Ability to travel as required

Working at Pilgrim's Europe

This is an office-based role located at our Uxbridge office, reflecting our commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, customer partnership, and team engagement.

Eligibility

Please note: Applicants must have the legal right to live and work in the UK at the time of application.

Why Join Us?

• Take ownership of one of Pilgrim's Europe's most significant retail partnerships within the fresh poultry category.
• Play a key role in shaping strategy and delivering growth within a major own-label retail account.
• Work at the heart of a category that is central to both consumer demand and business performance.
• Gain exposure to senior customer stakeholders and influence decisions across Commercial, Category, Supply Chain, Innovation, and Operations.
• Join one of Europe's leading food businesses, supplying quality products enjoyed by millions of consumers every week.
• Collaborate with experienced teams across the wider business to drive innovation and commercial success.
• Develop your leadership skills while mentoring and supporting future talent.
• Be part of a business that encourages ownership, continuous improvement, and career development.

Our Values

At Pilgrim's Europe, our values are at the heart of everything we do:

• Ownership – Taking responsibility and delivering results.
• Determination – Driving growth and overcoming challenges.
• Simplicity – Focusing on practical solutions and what matters most.
• Humility – Listening, learning, and valuing others' perspectives.
• Sincerity – Acting with honesty, integrity, and respect.

Ready for Your Next Commercial Challenge?

👉 If you're a commercially driven account leader with a passion for building customer partnerships, delivering growth, and influencing strategy, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and join Pilgrim's Europe as our Senior Commercial Manager (Maternity Cover).