Commercial Manager

Overview

The Commercial Manager plays a critical role in driving the growth and performance of MM Flowers’ customer portfolio, supporting the Head of Commercial to deliver strategic initiatives, expand online customer bases, and build strong customer relationships. This role involves working cross-functionally to optimise operational delivery, strengthen customer engagement, and drive profitability by identifying and leveraging commercial opportunities.

The successful candidate will bring passion for the retail space, a strong understanding of commercial levers to influence performance, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while delivering sustained value.

• Build and nurture strong, long-term relationships with customers, ensuring positive engagement and alignment with their business needs.
• Manage customer relationships for new products by supporting the product development process and influencing outcomes to align with strategic goals.
• Collaborate with the Head of Commercial to identify and secure opportunities that expand MM Flowers’ portfolio and deliver commercial value.
• Take ownership of the customer business plan, ensuring continued growth, introducing new product concepts, and developing initiatives to achieve targets.
• Work with operational teams to ensure customer requirements are well understood and met, taking ownership of product production and delivery timelines.
• Coordinate with NPD, Operations, and Technical teams to ensure the seamless execution of launches and category changes.
• Collaborate with the Insight team to deliver data-driven reporting and performance updates, offering actionable recommendations for customer improvement.
• Use insights to inform decision-making and identify opportunities to continually improve commercial performance.
• Support the Head of Commercial in managing key accounts, engaging with online customers to effectively communicate product strategy and progress.
• Build strong relationships with customers by delivering outstanding service and aligning their needs with MM Flowers’ capabilities.
• Act as a critical point of contact for customers, providing updates, resolving issues, and maintaining high levels of satisfaction.
• Support the development and implementation of strategies to deliver long-term growth within the retail sector, exploring and securing new revenue opportunities.
• Assist in the commercialisation of new products, including managing customer paperwork for NPD samples and supporting launch initiatives.
• Identify and exploit all relevant commercial levers within the business to influence performance and profitability.
• Take responsibility for ensuring operational teams are supported and knowledgeable about customer requirements and product specifications.
• Work alongside commercial, NPD, and insight teams to effectively launch new category concepts, providing evidence-backed rationale for customer alignment.
• Deliver regular reporting and updates to senior management on customer performance, opportunities, and risks.
• Collaborate with Insight and Technical teams to analyse category trends, build plans, and inform decisions that generate value for both the business and customers.
• Assist with the planning and execution of category range reviews, ensuring targets are met and stakeholders are well-coordinated.
• Demonstrate strong project management skills, ensuring all commercial projects meet deadlines, budgets, and KPIs.
• Engage with internal teams to ensure consistent communication and alignment on customer goals, new product developments, and process improvements.

• Strong background in managing customer accounts and delivering commercial outcomes within FMCG, retail, or a similar fast-paced business.
• Passion for customer environments, with proven experience in driving growth and performance via retail strategies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and provide actionable insights to support growth and profitability.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to manage relationships with internal teams and external customers.
• Experience with ERP systems (e.g., Rubicon) and familiarity with product specifications, BOMs, and production planning.
• Proven ability to plan and execute projects, demonstrating strong organisational and time management skills.
• Knowledge of forecasting and peak planning methodologies, particularly within retail or wholesale environments.
• Experience working with product development (NPD) and successfully launching new products into the market.
• Familiarity with category management and data-backed decision-making.