Head of Route to Market Channel

Purpose of Role

The role is responsible for shaping the trading strategy and for the delivery of customer performance and growth, through developing and leading the key account and field sales teams.

Leadership of the customer agenda and developing the team’s capability in the creation of joint value with customers (through interaction, negotiation, selling, and joint planning) are key deliverables.

Member of Commercial Leadership team accountable for holistic performance of commercial team and creating a world class commercial organization that is playing to win

1. Develop customer and channel strategy to position Diageo to win
2. Drive Customer strategy through Diageo’s S&OP process
3. Develop truly world class collaborative customer partnerships through world class account plans, joint business plans
4. Management of profit and NSV targets – “owning the numbers”
5. Deliver (value) market share targets
6. Preferred category partner to our Top 5 strategic customers
7. End-to-end accountability for managing 3rd Party Merchandising team in support of performance
8. Mastery of Net Revenue Management in support of performance
9. Support supply chain collaboration to significantly reduce complexity and improve service levels to our customers
10. Embed strong culture of accountability for performance throughout Off-Trade Key Account Management Team: KAMs always understand exactly where they are on performance and are leading interventions to underwrite success.
11. Grow, develop and motivate the sales organisation behind a clear, simple and powerful customer / channel strategy.
12. Effective management of external 3rd parties to deliver commercial targets
13. Develop and orchestrate end-to-end relationships via a cross functional network within Diageo and the customer base
14. Drive and measure the highest standards of execution for all specified channels.
15. Obtain and apply facts and data, driving excellence in planning, decision making and performance measurement and taking corrective action as required.
16. Shopper and category insight-based decisions, resulting in powerful and breakthrough category strategies
17. Establish suitable reporting to ensure sales out interpretation and development of corrective action plans.
18. Attract, retain and develop best-in-class commercial talent

Qualifications

• Suitable degree.
• Business qualification will be advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ commercial experience in the following areas -
• Different channels and different levels of customer sophistication (e.g. National Accounts, Key Accounts and Field Sales)
• Leadership of large teams operating in complex, multi-channelled settings
• Strong knowledge & demonstrated delivery in challenging trading environments; understanding of channel, pricing, negotiations and strategy development
• Track record of success in highly demanding sales organisations (FMCG)
• Negotiation and conflict resolution with top customers
• Relentless focus on driving and tracking of high execution standards through 3rd party sales force
• Cross functional experience advantageous
• FMCG experience advantageous

Skills

• Inspirational leadership, sound commercial acumen with a proven track record, people management, recruitment/selection, coaching, networking, influencing, communication, selling skills, planning, negotiating, training and development, performance management, problem solving and analysis and high degree of systems literacy.
• High level of accountability and agility

Worker Type

Regular

Primary Location

Waterfall

Additional Locations

Job Posting Start Date

2026-09-08