TRADITIONAL TRADE SALES MANAGER

Traditional Trade & Cash & Carry channels

LOCATION: Bucharest | National Scope

THE COMPANY

Our client is an international FMCG company, among the global leaders in its category, renowned for its strong brands and sustained growth across multiple markets. In Romania, the company has built a solid presence with products distributed through both Traditional Trade and Modern Trade, relying on strong partnerships with distributors and retailers nationwide.
The business is now entering a new phase of development, aiming to strengthen execution across Traditional Trade and Cash & Carry channels (Metro, Selgros) while ensuring profitable expansion. To support this ambition, we are recruiting a Traditional Trade Sales Manager with national responsibility – a leadership role at the core of the commercial strategy.

THE ROLE

The role carries direct leadership responsibility for Area Sales Managers, combines distributor account management with key account responsibilities for C&C, and requires the ability to translate commercial strategy into actionable field execution.

Reporting directly to the Sales Director, the Traditional Trade Sales Manager will:

• Lead the relationship with Interbrands Orbico, the exclusive national distributor.
• Take ownership of Cash & Carry key accounts (Metro, Selgros) for negotiations, joint business plans, and promotional activities.
• Manage and coach a team of 9 Area Sales Managers covering the entire country.
• Ensure commercial strategy, trade terms, and promotional calendars are aligned across channels, avoiding overlaps and securing profitable execution.
• Work cross-functionally with Key Account Managers, Trade Marketing, Category Management, and Finance to deliver integrated customer solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Commercial Strategy & Distributor Management

• Define and implement TT commercial strategy in collaboration with the national distributor.
• Manage annual planning, promo calendar, forecasting, and contract-related processes.
• Ensure alignment of trade terms, pricing, and promotional activities across TT and C&C to avoid channel conflicts.

Cash & Carry Account Leadership

• Take direct responsibility for Metro and Selgros: contracts, joint business plans, negotiations, promo activities, planograms.
• Secure profitable growth and market penetration through tailored commercial initiatives.

Field Sales Leadership

• Lead and coach 9 Area Sales Managers, ensuring strong execution in TT and C&C.
• Build a high-performance sales culture, increasing initiative, ownership, and structured project execution.
• Oversee field operations in partnership with merchandisers and distributor sales agents.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Key Account Managers, Trade Marketing, Category Management, and Finance to ensure integrated commercial execution.
• Support annual distributor negotiations and represent TT/C&C in broader commercial planning.

Performance & Profitability

• Deliver annual revenue and profitability targets across TT and C&C.
• Track KPIs such as numeric distribution, ROI of trade investments, and execution metrics.
• Resolve operational issues and maintain strong customer trust.

KEY SUVVESS FACTORS

• Strategic yet hands-on leadership: balances market execution with structured commercial planning.
• Initiative & project ownership: proposes and drives impactful projects with clear ROI.
• Commercial sharpness: strong in negotiations, contract management, and profitability-driven decisions.
• People leadership: inspires and develops ASM team, raising the level of field execution.
• Channel integration: ensures alignment of TT and C&C to avoid internal conflicts.
• Cross-functional influence: works effectively with Trade Marketing, Finance, and Category teams.
• Profitability orientation: keeps margin and profitability as the main KPI, alongside distribution and share.
• Resilience & adaptability: navigates complexity and dynamic FMCG market conditions.

THE CANDIDATE

Professional Experience

• 5–8+ years of progressive commercial experience in FMCG.
• At least 3 years proven track record in TT leadership and distributor management.
• Exposure to Cash & Carry or Key Account Management strongly preferred.
• Experience in leading and developing sales teams.

Functional Competencies

• Commercial and business acumen, contract management, negotiation.
• Trade marketing knowledge and understanding of supply chain basics (forecasting, replenishment).
• Strong communication and presentation skills, both internally and with external partners.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic mindset combined with operational pragmatism.
• Initiative, ownership, and ability to structure projects with ROI logic.
• Inspires and develops teams; empowers ASMs to raise execution quality.
• Profitability-oriented decision-making.

Languages

• Romanian: native or equivalent.
• English: fluent, both spoken and written.

ATTRACTIVE ASPECTS

This is a unique opportunity to join a premium FMCG player with strong brands and ambitious growth plans in Romania. The successful candidate will:

✔ Manage the sole national distributor relationship, a critical partnership for long-term success.
✔ Lead both Traditional Trade and Cash & Carry, two strategically interconnected channels.
✔ Drive profitable growth and execution excellence across a large national field sales team.
✔ Contribute to shaping commercial strategies in a competitive FMCG market.

✔ Work in a collaborative, international environment where profitability, innovation, and consumer focus go hand in hand.

APPLICATION PROCESS

If this role is interesting for you, please APPLY by submitting your UPDATED CV in English.

If, this opportunity does not interest you, but you would like to recommend a member of your professional network who might have the right profile and a potential interest in pursuing it, please don’t hesitate to forward them this ad or directly send us their coordinates.

Please consider that only the suitable candidates will be contacted for interview, but we appreciate everyone’s interest in our projects and would like to keep in touch for future projects.

Pendl & Piswanger offers HR and management advisory services in the last 40 years in CEE. As members of InterSearch, a worldwide executive search firm with more than 100 offices in 50 countries, we are amongst the top search firms globally and operate across all major industry sectors. We are experienced, innovative, and totally committed to our clients who gain competitive advantage by hiring great people. For more information, please visit www.ro.intersearch.org.

Apply here!