Head of Trade Marketing

Looking for an experienced Head of Trade Marketing to lead the development and execution of trade marketing strategies across the FMCG business. This role will be responsible for driving strong in-market execution, trade activation, shopper engagement and commercial growth across key channels. The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in Trade Marketing, Trade Activation and Channel Marketing, with proven leadership experience, strong commercial and analytical capabilities, and the ability to manage internal teams as well as external agencies and partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the overall trade marketing strategy in line with the company's commercial and brand objectives.
• Lead the Trade Marketing team, drive a culture of strong execution, accountability and commercial focus.
• Translate brand and business strategies into effective channel-specific trade marketing plans.
• Identify opportunities to drive distribution, visibility, shopper conversion and sales across key channels.
• Develop annual trade marketing calendars, budgets and activation plans.
• Lead the planning and execution of trade activations, promotions and shopper marketing initiatives across multiple channels.
• Develop impactful in-store and point-of-sale activities to strengthen brand visibility and drive consumer purchase.
• Oversee the development and implementation of POSM, merchandising materials, displays and other trade assets.
• Track activation effectiveness and recommend improvements based on commercial and market insights.
• Manage and oversee third-party agencies, including POSM production agencies, merchandising agencies, promoter agencies and other trade marketing partners.
• Manage trade marketing budgets and ensure effective allocation of resources.
• Work closely with Sales teams to identify channel opportunities and address customer and trade needs.
• Analyse campaign and activation performance, providing insights and recommendations to improve ROI.
• Monitor market trends, shopper behaviour, competitor activities and channel developments to identify new opportunities.

Requirements

• 8–12+ years of relevant experience in Trade Marketing, Trade Activation, Shopper Marketing or Channel Marketing, within FMCG industry.
• Proven experience leading and managing a Trade Marketing function and team.
• Strong track record in trade activation and in-market execution.
• Proven experience managing external agencies and third-party vendors.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills, with hands-on experience using NielsenIQ, Kantar or similar market intelligence platforms.
• Ability to translate market and consumer data into actionable commercial and trade marketing strategies.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to connect trade marketing activities to sales and business results.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work closely with Sales, Marketing, distributors, customers and external partners.
• Strong leadership, communication, negotiation and project management skills.