Sales & Distribution Director
Consumer Goods
SALES & DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR
Consumer Goods | Bucharest, Romania
We are looking for a Sales & Distribution Director to lead and further develop a sizeable national direct distribution business.
The role is suited to a senior commercial leader coming from FMCG, consumer goods, food & beverages, personal care, healthcare or another high-volume distribution environment, with strong experience managing complex customer portfolios, an extremely competitive target market, large field sales organizations and commercial performance.
The core challenge is managing a large, fragmented customer universe through a national sales and distribution organization, while improving growth, profitability, commercial discipline and execution.
THE MANDATE
The Sales & Distribution Director will take responsibility for a significant commercial organization operating nationally and will be expected to:
- Lead a large national sales organization, including regional structures and field teams;
- Develop the commercial strategy for an extended portfolio of independent and professional customers;
- Strengthen route-to-market and coverage models, including territory and customer segmentation;
- Improve sales productivity, customer penetration and quality of execution;
- Drive profitable growth in an environment characterized by high volumes, competitive pressure and tight margins;
- Improve pricing, discount and commercial investment discipline;
- Develop differentiated commercial approaches by customer segment, potential and profitability;
- Translate data and market insights into clear priorities for the field organization;
- Build stronger performance management across regions, teams and individual sales roles;
- Work closely with Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and other functions to improve customer service and overall business performance;
- Lead change in an established organization, balancing business continuity with the need to challenge existing ways of working.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are particularly interested in executives who have worked in direct distribution or complex field-sales environments, rather than exclusively in Modern Trade / Key Account Management.
Relevant backgrounds may include FMCG, beverages, food distribution, tobacco, consumer healthcare, personal care, OTC, medical products or other businesses operating through extensive customer networks.
The successful candidate should bring:
- Significant commercial leadership experience with national scope;
- Proven responsibility for sizeable sales teams, preferably including regional layers;
- Strong understanding of direct distribution, traditional trade, independent retail, fragmented B2B customer networks or comparable channels;
- Experience managing a business where commercial decisions need to balance volume, margin, service level and working capital;
- Strong command of sales KPIs, customer segmentation, territory management and sales-force effectiveness;
- Evidence of improving an existing commercial organization rather than simply maintaining it;
- The ability to challenge established practices and introduce greater commercial accountability;
- Strong analytical and business judgment combined with practical field orientation;
- Credibility to operate with senior management while remaining close enough to the business to understand what actually happens with customers and sales teams.
THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE
We are not looking simply for an experienced sales manager.
The mandate requires someone who can understand where value is created and lost across a complex distribution model, make clear commercial choices and mobilize a sizeable organization behind them.
The right person will combine strategic thinking with strong execution: comfortable discussing business performance and profitability at management level, but equally willing to go into the field, challenge assumptions and understand why performance differs from one region, customer segment or team to another.
The position is based in Bucharest and involves regular interaction with international Group stakeholders, teams and customers across Romania.
Interested?
If this opportunity is relevant to your experience and career plans, we invite you to apply and start a confidential conversation with us.
If the role is not right for you, but someone in your network comes to mind, we would also greatly appreciate your recommendation. Introductions to strong commercial leaders with relevant direct distribution experience are very welcome.
All applications, conversations and recommendations will be treated with strict confidentiality.
We welcome resumes or / and recommendations in English until latest FRIDAY 16.10.2026.
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.