Sales Director Italy | Luxembourg based

The Sales Director Italy is responsible for defining and executing the commercial strategy for the Italian market in line with overall company direction. The Italian business has a strong focus on Modern Trade, and the role is pivotal in consolidating and further developing the market presence of an international, entrepreneurial driven organisation with a long‑term growth ambition.

As a member of the senior leadership team, this position plays a key role in shaping and driving the strategic implementation of the commercial plan across multiple functions. The role requires a hands‑on leadership approach, including direct, day‑to‑day management of key retail customers within the Modern Trade channel.

Key objectives include strengthening the company's positioning within retailers' agendas across categories and channels, identifying and delivering new sales opportunities, and supporting the execution of the overall growth strategy. A core responsibility is the leadership, development, and coaching of the Italian sales team, fostering a high‑performance culture and developing future commercial leaders.

The role also involves reviewing the Italian commercial organization and implementing improved ways of working to enhance governance, customer management, and budget discipline, in full alignment with company strategy.

• Manage multiple customer agendas and complex ongoing trading requirements, ensuring clear prioritization and effective expectation management, both internally and externally
• Negotiate and implement annual customer Business Plans in line with the overall commercial strategy, budget, and objectives
• Provide key input into the annual budgeting and forecasting process, shaping customer‑level plans to deliver agreed targets
• Identify and deliver new business opportunities through new listings, expanded distribution, and the successful launch of designated new product initiatives
• Take full accountability for customer pricing, commercial terms, promotions, and cost price increases, in line with company guidelines and strong business ethics
• Ensure effective communication of brand strategies to customers and strong cross‑functional collaboration with Operations, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain
• Promote and support market and competitor analysis across Sales and Marketing to ensure informed and data‑driven commercial decisions
• Own all volume and financial forecasts, actively monitor KPIs, and take corrective action where required
• Collaborate with customers on range, space, and category recommendations; critically evaluate pre‑and post‑promotional performance and trade marketing initiatives
• Work closely with customer supply chain teams to maximize service levels and operational efficiency