Category & Commercial Account Executive

Copernus is one of the largest independent suppliers of chilled fish to both the UK and international retail markets – and quite frankly it’s something we are pretty proud of here in Hull.

The business has come a long way since our late founder Walter Simpson took his first orders over the phone in a local telephone box. We are now proud to produce a full range of pre-packaged chilled products which we supply into leading supermarkets. Our philosophy is to work closely alongside our partners to create bespoke products that respond directly to consumer demand.

Our cultural and operational models are framed completely around the needs of our customers and our business is underpinned by long-standing family values – honesty, integrity and transparency.

As part of our continued growth and expansion, we have recently become part of one of the biggest salmon processors in the World, Suempol (https://suempol.pl/en/) Thus, providing a strong platform for our future growth and success across the UK market.

As part of the growth strategy, we are now looking to appoint a “Category & Commercial Account Executive” to the Commercial Team.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious person with a passion for career development within Food manufacturing. As a Category & Commercial Account Executive at Copernus, you will play a crucial role in managing our customer relationships with major retailers. You’ll gain exposure across Sales/Customers, NPD, Supply Chain and Category Insights.

Reporting to the Senior Commercial Manager, you will be involved in all elements of the Commercial Management of Customers, within a supportive capacity. However, as the business grows so will the role, offering a fabulous opportunity for you to push towards more responsibilities in progressing your career.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage specific product portfolios and categories within specified accounts, liaising daily with the customer.
• Use and Own Kantar Market data to support the commercial team. Make recommendations based on this data internally and to retailers as required to align with business strategy & goals
• Control and map the market category – tracking RSP’s, flavours, products in order to identify gaps and opportunities as required & make suitable recommendations on market strategy
• Provide cover for the Senior Commercial Manager as required
• Control and map the market category – tracking RSP’s, flavours, products in order to identify gaps and opportunities as required
• Support NPD teams to define briefs and communicate internally & externally
• Plan and track promotional activity including special buys (products & RSP)
• Monitor competitor activity
• Developing and maintaining relationships with vendors, clients, and other organisations
• Support NPD teams to define briefs and communicate internally & externally
• Check and track samples going to the retailers
• Provide cover for the Senior Commercial Manager as required
• Support & Lead as required the management of internal product launch projects & processes
• Maintain all key Commercial administration and support the Senior Commercial Manager with daily tasks & tracking sales vs. agreed budgets
• Support with any Customer-specific tenders, including coordination of internal sign-off.

Candidates Requirements

You will have ideally gained experience within Food Manufacturing across either Category Marketing/Analysis or National Accounts. This needn’t be exclusively on Grocery Customers; but could also come from other channels. - Convenience, Cash & Carry or Foodservice etc.

We are also open to other candidates who may not have worked directly in Commercial or Category, as long as there is a genuine interest in moving into a more Category and Commercially focused role.

We welcome candidates from any of the following areas:

1. Retail Side- Buying, Analysis, Category/Merchandising or Planning Functions
2. Supply Side- Procurement / Buying, Planning, Analysis or Commercial Finance

Please Note: We have chosen to work exclusively with PT Executive; therefore, we kindly ask that other recruiters respect our decision and do not contact us in relation to this role. Thank you.