Sales Director
Lindt & Sprüngli is an internationally operating group of companies and the world‘s leading manufacturer of premium quality chocolate. Our exclusive products enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide. We are seeking a highly motivated professional to perform a critical role by providing vision, leadership, and development of the overall corporate strategy with CEO and Leadership Team.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Strategy
- Define and implement the annual commercial strategy aligned with Lindt’s corporate objectives and regional priorities.
- Develop commercial plans to achieve sales, profitability, and market share targets.
- Identify growth opportunities by channel, customer, category, and region.
- Lead commercial planning processes, annual budgeting, and sales forecasting.
- Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive activities to adapt commercial strategies accordingly.
Key Account Management
- Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with key customers, distributors, and business partners.
- Lead commercial negotiations, annual agreements, pricing strategies, and promotional plans.
- Ensure profitable account growth while maintaining the brand’s premium positioning.
- Foster long-term partnerships based on trust and mutual value creation.
Sales Leadership
- Lead, develop, and motivate the national sales team, promoting a high-performance culture.
- Establish clear objectives, performance metrics, and development plans for the team.
- Identify and develop key talent while implementing succession plans.
- Encourage cross-functional collaboration to ensure the effective execution of commercial strategies.
Financial Management & Profitability
- Manage commercial budgets and promotional investments, ensuring an efficient return on investment.
- Monitor profitability by customer, channel, and category, implementing corrective actions when necessary.
- Partner with Finance to ensure forecasting accuracy and achievement of financial objectives.
- Support Revenue Growth Management strategies and margin optimization initiatives.
Channel Development & Commercial Execution
- Ensure excellence in sales execution across all channels.
- Drive distribution, visibility, availability, and flawless point-of-sale execution.
- Ensure successful implementation of new product launches and seasonal campaigns.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Marketing to develop commercial strategies and brand activation plans.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure product availability and demand planning accuracy.
- Coordinate with Finance to monitor budgets and commercial performance.
- Maintain alignment with regional and global teams to share best practices and ensure compliance with corporate standards
Profile Requirements
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive commercial experience within FMCG, food, confectionery, or premium consumer goods companies.
- At least 5 years of experience leading national sales teams.
- Proven experience negotiating with strategic customers and major retail accounts.
- Strong knowledge of distribution channels and the retail landscape in Mexico.
- Experience working in multinational companies is highly valued
Core Competencies
- Commercial Strategic Planning
- High-Level Negotiation
- Revenue Growth Management
- Key Account Management (KAM)
- Budget Management
- Demand Planning and Forecasting
- Financial Management and Profitability
- Commercial Channel Development
- Data Analysis and KPI Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Results Orientation
- High-Performance Team Leadership
- Decision-Making
- Talent Development
- Influence and Negotiation
- Change Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Executive Communication