Head of Food Retail (CPG and Strategy) We’re on a mission to make delicious, exciting food available in more places. At Lean Kitchen Network (LKN), we push boundaries on flavour, disrupt old-school models, and help our partners achieve more. We spread the love for great food by combining innovative brands with a proven ability to drive profits for our partners. Does this fit with what you want? We’re looking for passionate foodies, high-energy dreamers, and game-changers. Someone who will go the extra mile to make it really f cking good. Someone who genuinely cares about our partners, the team, our products, and most importantly, our mission. Expect hard work, unexpected turns, exciting projects, fast pace, tough days—but also incredible food, a sense of purpose, and being part of a company transforming an industry that desperately needs it. The Role We’re looking for a dynamic and entrepreneurial Head of Retail (CPG and Strategy) to launch and scale LKN’s retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) operations. This is a startup within a startup—you’ll be the first hire for retail, building the foundations and creating a roadmap to launch, grow, and ultimately scale a retail team. You’ll have an exciting pipeline of products in meals and food-to-go categories ready to launch; working with some of the largest brand partners and celebrities in the UK, and the autonomy to shape a strategy that makes the most of these opportunities. From owning retailer relationships to driving sales, your work will help us commercialise our innovative brands. What You’ll Do Build the Strategy: Review LKN’s brand portfolio to identify retail potential. Develop a winning CPG strategy to maximise our reach and profitability. Define Success: Set KPIs, build forecasts, and own the P&L to guide business growth and performance. Launch Products: Oversee the rollout of new CPG projects, working with chefs, marketing, and operations to ensure they’re retail-ready and irresistible to customers. Drive Sales: Own relationships with retailers, manufacturers, and distributors, driving the success of new launches. Explore new ways to commercialise LKN brands and open new channels. Build the Team: Develop a hiring roadmap, scaling the retail team as revenue grows. Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing team. What You’ll Bring Proven experience in retail or CPG roles, ideally in startups or scale-ups. Bonus if in meals, food to go, frozen and/or sauces Experience and contacts with buyers across various retailers including travel, grocery, wholesale and convenience Experience working with BRC food manufacturers Deep experience working with brands and retailers Expertise in launching products, building strategies, and scaling operations. Strong financial acumen with experience managing forecasts, KPIs, and P&Ls. Exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills with partners and stakeholders. An understanding of marketing and activation (in store, digital, influencer) An entrepreneurial mindset: you’re excited to build from scratch and thrive in fast-paced, high-energy environments. Passion for food trends and a deep connection to LKN’s mission. Why LKN? You’ll work with award-winning brands and game-changing partners to push the boundaries of what’s possible in food. You’ll be part of a company that’s driving real change and making a difference for partners, customers, and the industry. You’ll enjoy incredible food, exciting challenges, and the chance to lead a transformative journey from the ground up. Are you ready to build something extraordinary? Apply now and join the team that’s redefining food retail.