Sales Director - FMCG

We are seeking an experienced, commercially driven and customer-focusedSales Directorto lead the strategic development and commercial performance of the business across the Island of Ireland.

Reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the Senior Management Team, the Sales Director will play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of the company's growth. The successful candidate will have an FMCG background and take ownership of the commercial strategy across a diverse portfolio with aparticular focus on Gardencare and consumer horticulture, alongside, agriculture and animal health.

The role will combine strategic sales leadership with hands-on commercial execution across garden retail, garden centres, DIY, retail, wholesale, distribution and specialist trade. The successful candidate will be expected to understand the Gardencare market, customer dynamics, seasonal trading patterns, product categories and routes to market, while bringing a strong FMCG approach to category development, ranging, merchandising, promotions and customer profitability.

This is a high-impact leadership role for an individual who combinesGardencare, horticulture, FMCG or related consumer-sector experiencewith strategic thinking, commercial acumen, strong customer relationships and proven sales-team leadership.

The business is well established, ambitious and progressive, with a strong reputation for innovation, quality and customer focus. Headquartered in Oranmore, Co. Galway, it operates across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and continental Europe and has continued to invest in product innovation, brand development and category leadership.

The company owns and manages a portfolio of recognised brands alongside a number of leading partner brands. Its ambition is to lead the categories in which it operates by anticipating changing customer and consumer needs, developing compelling Gardencare and consumer propositions and continuously innovating across products, brands and routes to market.

Culture The company has developed a high-performance culture built around collaboration, accountability, innovation and ambition. Employees are encouraged to challenge convention, identify opportunities and continuously raise standards.

The Sales Director will play an important role in developing this culture across the commercial organisation, creating acustomer-focused, data-led and results-oriented sales environment, with particular emphasis on Gardencare category growth, customer service, commercial discipline and a strong One Team philosophy.

Key Responsibilities Commercial & Strategic Leadership

• Define and deliver the overall commercial strategy for the Island of Ireland, aligned with the company's long-term growth objectives.
• Develop and lead the Gardencare commercial strategy, identifying opportunities to grow market share, distribution, customer penetration and profitability.
• Lead the development and execution of annual and multi-year sales plans across Gardencare, consumer horticulture, FMCG, Agri and Animal Health categories.
• Take ownership of revenue, gross margin, profitability and market share performance.
• Identify opportunities to accelerate growth through new customers, channels, products, brands and geographic markets.
• Develop clear commercial strategies by channel, customer, category and product portfolio.
• Contribute actively to the overall business strategy as a member of the Senior Management Team.
• Ensure commercial plans reflect the highly seasonal nature of the Gardencare and horticulture markets, with effective pre-season planning and execution.

Gardencare & Consumer Horticulture

• Lead the commercial development of the Gardencare portfolio across garden centres, DIY, retail, wholesale, distributors and specialist horticultural channels.
• Develop strong relationships with garden centre groups, buying groups, independent garden retailers, distributors and other key Gardencare customers.
• Drive category growth through improved ranging, distribution, merchandising, promotional activity and rate of sale.
• Develop customer-specific plans based on category, geography, customer profile and seasonal opportunity.
• Maintain a strong understanding of consumer gardening trends, garden centre dynamics, competitor activity and emerging product categories.
• Identify opportunities for new Gardencare products, brands, pack formats and customer propositions.
• Work closely with Marketing and Product Development to ensure the Gardencare portfolio is commercially compelling and differentiated.
• Develop strategies to maximise the performance of the product portfolio during key seasonal trading periods.
• Ensure the business is recognised as aleading Gardencare partner, delivering innovation, category expertise, service and commercial value to customers.
• Monitor customer feedback and market trends to ensure the Gardencare proposition continues to evolve in line with consumer and retailer needs.

FMCG, Customer & Channel Development

• Develop and lead an FMCG-focused customer strategy across key channels, including retail, garden centre, DIY, wholesale, distribution and specialist trade.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with key customers, buying groups, distributors and strategic partners.
• Lead major customer negotiations, annual trading agreements, pricing discussions and commercial reviews.
• Identify opportunities to increase distribution, rate of sale, ranging, promotional effectiveness and customer profitability.
• Develop effective go-to-market and route-to-market strategies across different customer and product segments.
• Maintain a strong understanding of shopper behaviour, consumer trends, category dynamics and competitive activity.
• Strengthen the company's position as a preferred supplier and category partner.

Sales Team Leadership & Management

• Lead, manage and develop the entire Sales Team, including Area Managers and wider commercial resources.
• Set clear sales targets, territories, objectives and KPIs for individual team members and the sales organisation.
• Establish a high-performance culture based on accountability, coaching, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and ensure agreed objectives and sales targets are achieved.
• Coach and develop Area Managers and sales professionals in account management, negotiation, Gardencare category selling, customer planning and commercial analysis.
• Ensure the Sales Team has a clear understanding of business priorities, product strategies, customer objectives and commercial targets.
• Introduce structured sales planning, pipeline management, territory management and customer review processes.
• Ensure consistent standards of customer engagement, sales execution and CRM/reporting discipline across the team.
• Identify training and development requirements and create clear career and succession pathways within the Sales Team.
• Recruit, retain and develop high-quality commercial talent as the business grows.
• Build a culture where Sales and Operations work collaboratively to deliver excellent customer service and commercial results.
• Hold the Sales Team accountable forrevenue, margin, new business, customer retention, distribution and Gardencare and Agri/Vet product category growth.

Sales Performance & P&L

• Own and deliver the annual sales, revenue and gross margin budget.
• Establish clear sales targets, KPIs and performance measures across channels, customers, territories and members of the Sales Team.
• Drive disciplined forecasting, pipeline management and sales planning.
• Use commercial data and market intelligence to identify performance opportunities and risks.
• Monitor pricing, promotional investment, margins and customer profitability to maximise commercial return.
• Provide regular, insightful commercial reporting to the CEO and Senior Management Team.
• Establish appropriate dashboards and reporting to provide clear visibility of Sales Team and customer performance.

Brand, Category & Product Development

• Work closely with Marketing to develop and execute annual brand, category and trade marketing plans.
• Translate consumer, customer and market insight into commercial opportunities.
• Partner with Technical, Product Development and Innovation teams to identify and prioritise new product opportunities.
• Support the successful launch and commercialisation of new Gardencare products and brands.
• Ensure product development is driven by genuine customer, consumer and market needs.
• Develop category leadership strategies that strengthen brand positioning and customer value propositions.
• Ensure the Sales Team is fully equipped to communicate product benefits, category opportunities and commercial propositions to customers.

Agri & Animal Health

• Provide commercial leadership across the Agri and Animal Health portfolio alongside the Gardencare and consumer categories.
• Maintain a strong understanding of relevant agricultural, veterinary and animal health markets and customer requirements.
• Support the commercial development of products across areas such as crop protection, weed management, veterinary products and parasite control.
• Work closely with technical teams and customers to ensure products are effectively positioned . click apply for full job details