Commercial Director, Gourmet Japan

About the role

• The role is responsible for commercial strategy and targets for the Gourmet business domain in the Japan market. This includes devising and executing the sales strategy, in alignment with regional/ global strategy and priorities, as well as leading a team of sales professionals towards delivering the sales volume and financial business objectives.  A strong focus on go-to-market strategy optimization and execution, including developing distributor networks, strategic partnerships and key account management is expected from this role. This role is charged with bringing a step change to our Gourmet business model.
• The role will be part of the market leadership team, and play an integral part in devising and driving the market’s commercial growth strategy.  

Key responsibilities include

• Develop, own and execute the strategic plan for achieving the business targets for the Gourmet business including maximizing volumes, margins and profitability;
• Ensure that critical and strategic business drivers are known and understood within commercial and other relevant teams, to maximize sales potential in the area of responsibility
• Develop and expand  customers and market segments
• Create a differentiated e-commerce rollout and drive value in our high-margin business
• Nurture and maintain new and existing customer relationships as well as relationships with partners
• Identify new business opportunities and serve as a ‘frontline’ representative with potential customers to develop business
• Manage the planning of resources (budget, forecast, manpower, etc.), oversee budgetary controls and manage expenses
• Manage, coach and guide team members to enable their commercial performance, including through managing targets and sales processes, building capabilities, performance management, sales meetings, regular commercial reviews, etc
• Collect, analyze and assess market intelligence to devise relevant strategic and operational plans and maximize business opportunities; including e-commerce, ensure relevant trends and information are communicated to appropriate functions/ internal stakeholders
• Provide ongoing analysis of sales performance metrics against budgeted objectives such as market share, margin, revenue growth, and profitability; measure and assess the effectiveness of overall commercial activities and update business plans accordingly
• Build and develop strong relationships with global/regional/local internal stakeholders to have a clear understanding of critical priorities and objectives and establish action plans that translate into business opportunities
• Be a part of the Market Leadership team and will be responsible for all company-wide agendas

About you

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business Commercial subject or Food technologist or equivalent (Master's degree preferred)
• 12 to 15+ years of relevant experience in a commercial B2B environment, preferably in a multinational company in the food industry or FMCG; knowledge and experience of the chocolate industry is a plus
• Demonstrated track record in strategically developing new customers, new products and new market segments while maximizing volumes, sales margins and customer profitability, and managing end-to-end processes.
• Fluent in Business English; Native language is an added advantage
• IT Skills in the MS Office and Google Suite
• Strong business acumen with solid commercial experience and credentials
• Desire to build something to make a difference. Drive for results and ambition to win in the market
• Natural change agent. A vibrant, performance-driven individual who possesses the fortitude to lead a transformation
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, engaging a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders across organizational boundaries
• Contribute to an atmosphere in which people work together, enthusiastically and effectively, to produce outstanding results. Raise the performance levels of others
• Resilient and confident individual who operates well under pressure and in global environments undergoing change. Understand how to pivot quickly when necessary
• Proactive and entrepreneurial mindset; self-starter who takes ownership and accountability
• Agile, flexible and comfortable with ambiguity; Ability to thrive under pressure and ability to adapt to market needs and changes
• Strong cross-functional collaboration to achieve results
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Hands-on style; willing to roll up sleeves
• Inspiring and effective people management
• Good interpersonal skills and teamwork: work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Strong organization & planning skills
• Strong ethics: understand ethical behavior and business practices and ensure own behavior and the behavior of others are consistent with these standards and align with the values of the organization.
• Focus on client needs: anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of internal and external clients to meet or exceed their expectations.
• Strong in navigating complex matrix organizations, both internally and externally