Inspired to grow with your experience, learn and share with new colleagues? Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world, enabling wellbeing and convenience. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, and help prevent food waste. We are committed to protecting food, people and the planet and are on the lookout for passionate and consummate professionals to join our growing team to help us deliver on our ambitious 2030 Strategy. We look for colleagues who Care, Dare and Deliver. Senior Category Sales Manager (QSR&B) – UK & Ireland Fiber Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania (EAO) business segment offers high quality molded fiber and paperboard packaging for food and beverages across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa. We serve quick service restaurants, coffee shops, retail, and vending operators as well as egg, fruit and vegetable producers. We also operate with a broad range of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods customers. The segment has a turnover of €1.5 billion (2022), 6,100 employees and 31 manufacturing sites across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East, and Africa. We are currently looking for a Category Sales Lead (QSR&B) for the UK & Ireland market. As a Category Sales Lead you will manage, lead and motivate a sales team with the aim of growing profitable sales within the QSR&B category in order to meet and exceed company targets. You will understand and identify customer needs & opportunities to grow our product offering to the category through existing manufacturing assets, or through 3rd party traded goods. Main Responsibilities: Sales Management Mentoring and developing individuals within your team. Assess contribution, effort and activity of team to ensure that all personnel are making a consistent contribution to the business. Ensure that the Sales Team communicates effectively with all other internal departments. Setting individual targets for Sales team as part of Personal Objectives. Providing guidance and support for sales staff and, where appropriate, recommending training to be sanctioned by the Senior Sales Manager for the Market Unit. Chairing regular Category sales meetings. Sales Activity Carrying out sales activities relating to the development of Huhtamaki’s business and areas of activity, leading to the creation of new business and growth of existing customers. To acquire and develop a good knowledge of the company’s manufacturing processes across sites within the UK&I, its capabilities and capacity. To maximise sales and contribution for the market sector. To maintain regular contact and create close working relationships with all key decision makers for those accounts for which you are responsible. To prepare and present fully costed quotations for specific customer product enquiries. To carry out sales presentations both external and internal as required. Functions including idea generation, contact building, arranging and holding client and new client meetings, writing proposals, negotiation and subsequent closing of contracts. Analyse sales trends and dynamics of current business to identify areas of opportunity or threat and adopt appropriate plans to manage these. Market mapping & understanding covering total QSR&B UK&I market size, opportunities and competitor SWOT. Positively contributing to increasing turnover and profitability as targeted in the agreed budget and long-term business plan. To achieve personal targets as outlined in the annual budget and to review these with Senior Sales Manager for UK&I on a quarterly basis. To prepare a monthly presentation/report for the Senior Sales Manager for the UK&I outlining performance for period, year to date and highlighting any forthcoming initiatives, threats and opportunities. Planning & Organizing To agree a coverage plan for all customers to ensure regular visits / communication with each customer on a regular basis. To establish product pricing based on detailed and confirmed customer specifications to maximize profitability. To review product pricing with Sales team and review with customer at appropriate times based on any significant movement in key variables and wherever possible maximize contribution. Ensure major customers provide regular and updated forecasts on demand by product line and liaise with sites Sales support and planning to ensure these are processed in line with required delivery date. R&D project work (e.g. assisting with new product development both customer led or conceptual) Experience & Skills Required 5 years of experience in a senior sales role selling into QSR&B customers in the UK&I. 3 years proven experience of effectively managing a Sales team. Exceptionally strong people leader. Previous experience in the Packaging industry is beneficial. Demonstrable record of winning new business and growing existing accounts. Strong selling and negotiation skills, experience using a structured process. Proven track record of managing and motivating Sales teams with demonstrable success in profitability and sales. Strong interpersonal skills and understanding of customer dynamics. Engaging and persuasive presenter with the ability to build an immediate rapport at all levels. A proven ability to undertake a wide range of activities to drive sales growth. Experienced at working in a highly collaborative cross-functional team. Strategic thinking to be able to see the big picture and drive growth. Strong ethic of “leading from the front” involving hands on Account Management, as well as supporting other accounts managed by Team. Self-motivated and able to work with minimal direction. Join us to shape the future together