About the Company:
Canary Foods is dedicated to producing premium dairy products for both domestic and export markets, with a vision to be recognized as a world-class health food provider. This is a rare opportunity to join a New Zealand dairy business that supplies butter and cheese to B2B and B2C customers across retail, foodservice, and hospitality channels. Owned by China's largest dairy firm, Yili, and its NZ subsidiary Westland Milk Products, it is guided by their core values – Excellence, Accountability, Innovation, Win-Win Collaboration, and Respect - fostering a culture that drives success, innovation, and collaboration.
About the role:
As the Head of Sales , you will be a key part of the senior leadership team and:
Strategize and deliver revenue : Collaborate with the General Manager to design and implement sales strategies that align with Canary's growth objectives, delivering revenue and profitability targets.
Lead a talented team : Manage and develop a team of three sales professionals based in Hamilton, providing coaching, clear objectives, and ongoing support to ensure success.
Cultivate key customer relationships : Build and maintain strong relationships with retailers, suppliers, wholesalers, and distributors, ensuring satisfaction and uncovering new opportunities.
Drive market expansion : Leverage market insights to identify growth areas, guide product development, and design and optimize bespoke offerings for both existing and new markets.
Ensure financial performance : Oversee budgets and sales forecasts in collaboration with finance and demand planning teams to ensure adherence to financial targets and operational efficiency.
Collaborate across functions : Work closely with supply chain, finance, and NPD teams to align strategies, streamline processes, and meet customer needs.
Marketing and price positioning : Drive growth through strategic advice in this area.
Key requirements:
Significant sales management experience in FMCG and food manufacturing, including domestic and international market development, ideally within the dairy or foodservice sectors.
A track record of success in managing B2B and B2C sales, with experience leading and developing teams.
Strong understanding of the global dairy market, including market dynamics, supply-demand fundamentals, and product applications.
Effective change management exposure balancing both large global corporate ownership model and SME agility locally.
Commodity buying and reworking experience with a technical background would be beneficial.
Expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, and new product commercialization.
Exceptional interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and inspire performance.
Commitment to maintaining quality, health, safety, and environmental standards.
Why Join Canary?
This is a great opportunity to make leadership impact and take charge of sales strategy and execution in a work environment that values fresh ideas and collaboration. Play a pivotal role in shaping business strategy and upholding the vision and values of Canary to expand their footprint globally.
With domestic and international travel as part of the role, be a NZ brand ambassador and let your passions come alive. This role would ideally be based in the Hamilton head office, with flexibility offered for the right candidate if based in Auckland.
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