Sales Director, Retail Planning

We are looking for a Sales Director for Italy who will report directly to the General Manager of Italy. This role is responsible for defining and executing the national sales strategy to deliver sustainable, profitable growth across all channels in the Italian market. The role has full accountability for net sales performance, customer management, commercial execution and team leadership, ensuring alignment with Marketing, Finance, HR and Operations. The Sales Director works in close partnership with the Commercial Excellence Director, who acts as a strategic enabler and governance function for Point-of-Sale execution, Revenue Growth Management (RGM) and Category Management. The position represents the senior commercial leader in the country and a key contributor to the overall business strategy.
Sales Strategy & Business Planning
Define and implement the national sales strategy for the company’s portfolio in line with local and global business priorities.
Translate corporate, brand and category strategies into actionable commercial plans by channel and customer.
Lead the annual commercial planning cycle, including:
Sales forecast (volume, value and mix)
Ensure balanced growth across top line, margin and profitability, in collaboration with Finance and Commercial Excellence.
# Actively contribute to the country leadership team, providing a strong commercial perspective to strategic decisions.

Lead senior-level negotiations, Joint Business Plans and long-term partnership agreements.
Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, Specialized channel, Distributors, E-commerce, Other emerging channels.
Ensure consistency and discipline in commercial policies, customer conditions and contractual compliance.
Commercial Execution & Commercial Excellence Interface
Partner with the Commercial Excellence Director to implement Revenue Growth Management principles (price-pack architecture, promo effectiveness, mix optimization).
Ensure strong adoption of tools, processes and KPIs defined by Commercial Excellence within the Sales organization.
Act as business owner of execution outcomes, ensuring sales teams deliver against agreed standards.
Team Leadership & Talent Development
Lead, coach and develop the national sales organization, including Chains and Buying groups managers, Vet Affairs manager, Key National Account Managers, Area / Regional Sales Managers, Field Sales Teams.
Performance evaluation and incentive schemes, Talent development and capability building, Succession planning and organizational design.
Foster and leverage Vet Science as a key growth driver through the whole sales organization.
Work closely with Marketing on product launches, innovation rollouts, brand activation plans and POS media/activation alignment.
Collaborate with Operations to ensure accurate demand forecasting, optimize service levels and customer satisfaction, and align supply chain priorities with commercial needs.
Partner with Finance to monitor margins, profitability and trade spend; review commercial performance and corrective actions.
Performance Monitoring & Market Intelligence
Track and analyse sales performance, market share, distribution and customer profitability.
Monitor market trends, consumer behaviours and competitive dynamics.
Prepare and present performance updates, risks and action plans to the General Manager and senior leadership.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics or similar. MBA or postgraduate degree is a strong plus.
Languages : Native-level Italian and professional fluency in English (for corporate reporting).
Experience : Minimum 10 years of commercial experience in FMCG – OTC with a proven track record in leading national sales organizations; Market Expertise : Strong knowledge of the Italian retail landscape and distribution channels.
excellent negotiation and influencing skills at senior level; strong analytical mindset with data-driven decision making; entrepreneurial spirit and high call to action.
Sustainable growth in sales, market share and profitability.

• High engagement, capability and performance of the Sales organization.
• Effective collaboration with Commercial Excellence and other functions.

Hybrid working model
Flexible working hours
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