Description
Lead the commercial performance, trading strategy, and local sourcing agenda of the M&S Food business across Ireland, ensuring the business delivers against sales, profit, customer, availability, and strategic growth objectives.
As the senior commercial leader for Ireland, you will translate local market dynamics, regulation, customer trends, and competitor activity into trading decisions, whilst representing the Irish business with suppliers, external stakeholders, and GB functions.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Leadership & Trading Performance
- Own overall Food commercial performance across ROI
- Set the Irish market trading agenda across buying, pricing, promotions, and insight
- Deliver sales, profit, margin, market share, and availability targets
- Lead seasonal planning and event trading
- Review category performance and identify commercial opportunities and risks
- Provide recommendations on ranging, pricing, promotions, and category investment
- Translate competitor activity and market trends into commercial actions
Local Sourcing & Supplier Strategy
- Lead M&S Ireland's local sourcing agenda and supplier strategy
- Build strategic partnerships with Irish food suppliers
- Identify opportunities to increase Irish provenance and local relevance within the range
- Maintain executive relationships with major suppliers and industry bodies
- Manage supplier risk, continuity, and contingency planning
Pricing, Promotions & Commercial Insight
- Sponsor the Ireland pricing strategy
- Oversee promotional planning and execution
- Maintain market competitiveness against Irish retailers
- Review KVI performance and competitive price positioning
- Govern ROI-specific and NI-specific pricing requirements
Regulation, Legislation & Market Representation
- Act as the senior commercial owner for Irish market requirements, including DRS, MUP, SPS, and food labelling requirements
Supply Chain & Availability
- Oversee Irish food supply chain performance, govern forecasting and demand planning processes
- Manage availability, waste, and stock flow
- Escalate supply risks affecting ROI and NI
Team Leadership
- Lead a multifunctional commercial organisation comprising buyers, pricing & promotions, trade planning, commercial insight, technical, and agronomy support
Strategic Planning & Growth
- Define the commercial growth strategy for Food Ireland
- Build business cases for investment
- Lead transformation initiatives
- Influence long-term estate, channel, and franchise plans