Supply Chain Optimisation Lead - High Performance
About the Role
We are seeking a commercially focused and analytically driven Commercial Partner – Strategic Accounts to join the UK Retail Cluster. This role acts as the commercial co-pilot to Strategic Account Managers, providing pricing expertise, commercial insights, demand planning support, and value creation initiatives that drive profitable growth across a portfolio of strategic customers.
The successful candidate will combine strong commercial acumen, financial analysis capabilities, and stakeholder management skills to influence decision-making and maximise volume, revenue, and margin performance
Key responsibilities
Strategic Pricing & Commercial Management
Lead all pricing activities across a portfolio of strategic accounts, including churn, innovation, tenders, and commercial excellence initiatives.
Develop and maintain a deep understanding of market dynamics, customer trends, and pricing strategies.
Partner closely with Strategic Account Managers to optimise pricing, margin, and volume opportunities.
Support tender submissions and value-selling opportunities, collaborating with Finance and Sales teams.
Calculate and review paper and non-paper indexations and implement price changes across relevant systems.
Commercial Insight & Performance Analysis
Utilise Power BI, Navigator, sales databases, and business systems to generate meaningful customer and account insights.
Analyse key drivers of revenue, volume, and profitability performance.
Provide recommendations that influence strategic decision-making and action planning.
Deliver data-led commercial insights to support account growth and profitability.
Value Creation & Commercial Excellence
Identify and evaluate profit enhancement and commercial excellence opportunities across the customer portfolio.
Work collaboratively with Sales, Design, Operations, Finance, and Site teams to implement initiatives.
Quantify commercial opportunities and build business cases to support decision-making.
Promote and share best practice across accounts and the wider commercial function.
Demand Planning & Forecasting
Support strategic demand planning activities across a rolling 24-month horizon.
Review and challenge forecasts to ensure alignment between commercial expectations and financial plans.
Identify and communicate risks and opportunities impacting account performance.
Stakeholder Partnership
Act as a trusted business partner to Strategic Account Managers.
Build strong relationships with both financial and non-financial stakeholders across multiple sites.
Support wider business development and tender opportunities where relevant.
Share commercial insights and best practices with the wider finance and commercial teams.
What We're Looking For
Qualifications
A-Level education or equivalent.
Commercial or finance-related experience.
Strong analytical and numerical capability.
Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
Knowledge & Skills
Strong commercial and financial acumen with experience in pricing, profitability, and margin management.
Advanced Excel and Power BI skills, with excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
Commercially focused and results driven, able to translate data into actionable insights.
Skilled at building relationships, influencing stakeholders, and constructively challenging to drive business performance.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage both financial and non-financial audiences.
Proactive, collaborative, highly organised, and able to manage multiple priorities effectively.
Experience
Experience in Commercial Finance, Commercial Analysis, Pricing, Revenue Management, FP&A or a similar commercial role.
Strong track record of partnering with Sales, Commercial and Finance teams.
Experience in manufacturing, FMCG, retail or multi-site environments is advantageous.
Exposure to pricing, forecasting, tenders and performance management
Benefits
Competitive salary
25 days holiday, plus bank holidays
Pension, life assurance and income protection
Employee Assistance Program
Digital GP and Health Checks
Retail and leisure discounts
Cycle to work scheme
Location: Hybrid Role – working across various locations in the business
About us
We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
Fair recruitment at DS Smith
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria