Sales Manager retail (m/f/d)

We are seeking a highly impactful commercial leader to head our Key Account Management Retail team in Germany. Based in Düsseldorf and reporting directly to the Country Manager, this role is responsible for accelerating retail growth, expanding distribution, strengthening strategic customer partnerships and driving measurable performance improvements across all national retail accounts. The position combines commercial steering, strategic leadership and team development with a strong focus on execution quality and sustainable, profitable growth.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the national retail strategy for retail, incl discount and drugstores
• Monitor and analyze retail business to conclude dedicated customer strategies together with the teams
• Identify new listing and distribution opportunities and unlock white spots
• Translate brand and category priorities into structured customer growth plans
• Use market data in order to identify potential and actions points, short- to longterm
• Act as strategic retail lead and sparring partner to the Country Manager
• Lead and coach the KAM team throughout all major customer negotiations
• Ensure negotiation strategies and outcomes fully align with company objectives
• Provide senior guidance to secure execution of ambitious commercial targets
• Build strong decision-maker relationships at senior customer level
• Thrive for best in class storytelling to achieve high goals within retail channel (EDEKA, Discounters, Markant Group, REWE Group, drugstores, …)

Process & Performance Improvement

• Identify structural and commercial improvement opportunities across customers and internal processes
• Implement smart and efficient ways of working that measurably improve retail performance
• Drive professional, data-based customer planning and monitoring standards

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Oversee the external field sales agency to ensure strong retail execution aligned with national priorities together with dedicated field sales force responsible
• Work closely with Marketing, Category, Supply Chain and Finance to deliver aligned and impactful retail strategies

Qualifications

• Academic Excellence: A master’s degree in economics, business or equivalent
• Proven Expertise: min.7 years of senior experience in FMCG retail sales / key account management
• Profound knowledge: Strong knowledge of German retail incl classic retail, discount and drugstores
• Analytics: deal with numbers at ease, internal data (BI-based) as well as external data (e.g. Circana)
• Commercial understanding: be on top of your numbers and feel comfortable with commercial calculations
• Negotiation skills: Strong track record in guiding successful high-value retail negotiations in Germany, ideally also on an international level
• POS Mastery: Experienced in steering external sales partners (or experienced on guiding own sales force)
• Operational excellence: Proven ability to identify potentials and implement commercial and process improvements
• Language Skills: Fluency in German and a strong command of English (written and spoken)

Additional Skills

• Cultural Fit: True team player, approachable, pro-active, positive and strong communicator
• Story Ambassador: Great ability to persuade others of your ideas
• Brand Lover: Great passion for our brands and categories
• Proactive Achiever: With a hands-on mentality, you are ambitious to take ownership, develop new ideas & follow up to ensure excellence in execution
• Innovative Thinker: Ambitious and forward-looking, you proactively develop new ideas and follow up to ensure excellence in execution
• Results-Driven Visionary: You take an active role in identifying and shaping today’s and future potentials of the business

Offer

• Impactful Role: Actively shape the Lotus Bakeries Germany business with huge future potential and leave your own signature with a pivotal role in the local leadership team while having close collaboration with top management and high visibility within the organization
• Autonomy & Ownership: A key commercial leadership role with direct impact on retail growth in Germany and the responsibility for bringing alive our brand vision with a high scope of individual management
• Supportive Environment: Professional working environment with a great interpersonal atmosphere, where collaboration and interpersonal connection thrive.
• Competitive compensation and benefits: a permanent position based in a modern office in Düsseldorf, 30 days of annual vacation,
• Additional Perks: Benefit from corporate benefits, team events and, because we love our products as much as you will, enjoy our delicious brands every day in the office, paired with a great cup of coffee!