Head of Sales - France

Join ZURU Edge and Drive Innovation in France's Consumer Goods Market!

ZURU is on a mission to disrupt industries, challenge the status quo, and drive change through radical innovation and advances in automation. Our diverse company pillars include:

• ZURU Toys: Re-imagining play
• ZURU Tech: Leading the next building revolution
• ZURU Edge: Pioneering new-generation consumer goods brands to serve modern consumers better

Founded in 2003 by EY Entrepreneur of the Year and World Entrepreneur Hall of Fame brothers Nick and Mat Mowbray, ZURU has grown to a team of over 5000 members across more than 30 international locations. Our globally recognized and award-winning brands include Bunch O Balloons, Mini Brands, XSHOT, Rainbocorns, Smashers, MONDAY Haircare, Rascal + Friends, NOOD, BONKERS, and Gumi Yum Surprise.

Role Purpose

• ZURU is one of the fastest growing consumer goods companies in the world; known for its agility, creativity and new-age manufacturing techniques. We are looking for an exceptional Head of Sales to join the ZURU team in France to lead our consumer goods division.
• Disrupt the market to better meet consumer & customer needs: develop and execute the France commercial strategy to disrupt established players and achieve ZURU company goals across customers and verticals.
• Drive ZURU financial performance to unlock the fuel for further investment in better consumer experience maximizing ZURU P&L delivery & unlocking margin to reinvest in game-changing Innovation.
• Build long term strategic partnerships that create mutual value & enable delivery of our customer partner's business goals: negotiate and execute Joint Business Plans that deliver on both ZURU’s and our customer's needs.
• Drive ZURU’s strategy through customer advocacy and ability to influence internally: leverage insights to drive ZURU’s direction – ensuring customers and their consumers are at the heart of all account decision making.
• Create and execute the France customer trade strategy, identifying and gaining distribution in accounts, then building 4P execution across all customers to maximize performance.
• Execute with excellence: lead the France market to maximize availability, visibility and awareness of ZURU brands instore and online via best-in-class delivery of distribution, feature, display and marketing activation across our biggest bets. Collaborate closely with our China sales support to deliver on all customer administration.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to develop and execute marketing campaigns, product launches, and promotional activities to drive brand awareness and demand generation.
• Be a captain of culture for ZURU: ensure as ZURU rapidly grows we maintain the magic, entrepreneurial culture that enables us to challenge the status quo and win together – whilst always ensuring we put people first.

How you will make an impact

• Develop the commercial strategy for the France market, then leverage to build strategic relationships across the France retail/distributor market ensuring delivery of market share & profitability growth across all EDGE verticals. You will lead the France EDGE team to ensure ZURU is capturing or over-indexing its Share of Shelf vs competitors, working closely with commercial, marketing & supply teams to achieve distribution goals and maximize performance at shelf. You will be able to work and deliver results while working as part of a cross-functional team across different time zones.

Core Roles and Responsibilities

• Complete ownership of the region P&L, responsible for driving sales, optimizing trade investment and maximizing product mix to achieve financial goals.
• Devise the country commercial strategy and influence cross-functional adoption to secure the tools, products and support you need to drive your business & win in.
• Ownership of key account relationships with responsibility of building long term alignment to enable delivery of mutually aligned strategic & financial goals.
• Lead cross-functional business teams to drive over achievement against customer sales performance, P&L and supply metrics.
• Constantly add value by developing and improving commercial processes to improve performance and drive efficiencies.
• Foster a team culture that supports achievement of record breaking market disruption and rapid growth whilst resolving business issues, building relationships and influencing broader capability development.

Skills & Experiences Required

• Proven track record of at least 5+ years in senior sales or commercial leadership roles within the consumer goods industry preferably confectionery, and experience operating in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
• Confectionary experience nice to have, but not a must have.
• Major France retailer and distributor experience required.
• Strong commercial & business acumen, strategic thinking and problem-solving capability.
• Strong communication & influencing skills, with the ability to translate messages across a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Must have strong leadership capability including the ability to influence and motivate cross-functional teams, while holding stakeholders accountable to deliver on business objectives.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Please note: this is a full-time position based in Frankfurt.
• Please note: France work permit required.