Sales Director

Henderson Group is a multi-award winning, family-owned business and, with over 5500 colleagues across the Group, it is one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers. The Company dates back to 1897 when it started life as a retail grocery business – today it is a £1.37bn Group comprising of four operating companies: Henderson Wholesale (which is complemented by its subsidiary companies, Henderson Technology and Henderson Print), Henderson Retail, Henderson Foodservice and Henderson Group Property.

Henderson Wholesale Limited (HWL) supplies over 500 stores across Northern Ireland, providing a unique support package to its retail partners which includes marketing, logistics, retail services, IT support, training & development, trading support, dedicated business development managers, central warehousing and an extensive range of fresh foods.

As part of their succession planning, Henderson Wholesale seeks to appoint a new Sales Director to have overall responsibility for developing and implementing initiatives which contribute to the profitable growth of sales from HWL, increasing market share and achieving their Core Purpose ‘To Be a Great Partner to Great Retailers’. The Sales Director will lead and collaborate with Directors across the Group to identify, recruit, retain and continually develop a world-class set of retailers, building fantastic relationships that reflect Company values and that support the partnership ethos of their business.

The Sales Director will work closely with colleagues to develop the various retail brands and formats, providing support to their independent retailers, growing their business and the brands under which they operate. Leading the HWL Sales Team and ensuring the highest levels of skills and performance in line with core values, the role holder will contribute to the development of key HWL strategic plans and will steer the delivery of relevant supporting projects and initiatives. The Sales Director is a high-profile appointment, chairing the Ulster Guild of SPAR retailers and representing it at SPAR UK and International meetings, and building relationships with external bodies to provide a voice at governmental decision-making forums.

Applicants should possess the following skills and experience:

• Considerable recent experience in leading a large Sales or Commercial function in the FMCG sector, ideally within the food retail sector.
• A clear record of success in building great teams and collaborating effectively with others.
• Proven record of leading successful negotiations with customers and of influencing a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrable ability to understand wider business strategy and how the Sales function can contribute to it.
• Knowledge and appreciation of the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in the UK and the island of Ireland, along with knowledge and understanding of the relevant economic, social and market environments..

This is a rare executive Sales career opportunity to join a successful, market leading business with a wonderful culture and heritage and to play a key role in further realising its potential.

To apply, please upload a CV at the link below or for further information please contact Ruth McDonald at Narratology in confidence. The closing date for applications is Monday 14^th April 2025.