National Field Sales Manager BeLux

About the Role:

As National Field Sales Manager, you are responsible for the development of the business, by achieving sustainable competitive advantages in the stores of Belgium and Luxembourg in order to achieve the company's objectives and priorities. You are responsible for reaching the defined sales targets (distribution , visibility, volumes , …) while managing and adapting the field sales structure to the evolving business priorities and changing Belgian retailer landscape.
You are directly managing a team of two Field Sales Managers and one Field Sales Analyst and indirectly the field sales representatives. You also take care of the proper management of the external merchandising team according to the predefined rules.
You are reporting to the Sales Director BeLux.

Main Responsibilities:

Development of the business:
In this role, you will drive the development of the business by defining the targets across the key commercial growth pillars and ensuring the successful execution of the company’s priorities related to distribution, secondary placements, shelf visibility, promotions, and seasonal volume objectives. Your responsibility will be to closely monitor sales trends across the regions, evaluate the performance of the sales structure, and ensure that commercial agreements and sales conditions are effectively implemented and respected in the field.
You will identify opportunities to accelerate growth, organize the implementation of development plans (e.g., evolution of sales volumes and approach linked to promotions), and take corrective actions to close performance gaps. You will also continue to strengthen and develop the reporting structure and platforms, ensuring that business insights are translated into actionable recommendations. Further, you will assess both the strengths and improvement areas of the department from a people and business perspective and provide strategic recommendations to support long-term success.

Team Management:
As a manager, you will shape the Field Sales organization by proposing the optimal sales force structure for BeLux, including headcount, roles, territory design, and trade universe coverage strategies. You will coordinate, motivate, coach, and support a team consisting of two Field Sales Managers, Regional Account Representatives (Chefs de Secteur), and a Field Sales Analyst, enabling them to perform at their best and grow professionally.
You will take ownership of the performance management cycle, leading the evaluation process and ensuring effective follow-up on objectives, rewards, and Individual Development Plans (IDP). In addition, you will continuously seek opportunities to optimize the regional organization and field activities through effective management, development, and monitoring of route plans.

Budget Management:
You will be responsible for managing and optimizing the Field Sales budget, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and monitored closely throughout the year. This includes maximizing the return on investment of external merchandising activities and maintaining strong budget discipline. The role also involves preparing annual sales forecasts as part of the budgeting and review processes, contributing accurate insights and recommendations to support business planning.
As an active participant in the “Strategic Customer Plan” process, you will collaborate closely with key stakeholders to align field sales priorities with broader commercial objectives and support sustainable growth.

Reporting & communication:
You will represent the Field Sales department internally and share results, feedback, and recommendations during regular weekly/monthly meetings with key stakeholders. You will provide clear visibility on performance, optimization initiatives, and ongoing projects to the Sales Director.
You will conduct sales meetings with your direct reports and play a central role in facilitating the flow of information. Ensuring timely, high-quality communication between Sales Management and the field teams will be essential, as will capturing feedback and sharing it with the management teams involved (Sales / Trade Marketing / Marketing / Supply Chain). Further, you will also contribute to attracting future talent by participating in recruitment activities, including interviews and campus presentations.

Project Management:
In addition to your operational and leadership responsibilities, you will ensure the successful implementation of sales-related projects and initiatives. The position requires a strong cross-functional mindset, as you will be responsible for leading and/or contributing to strategic transversal projects.

About You:

The ideal candidate should have at least 8 years of Sales experience in the Belgian FMCG industry, ideally in Food.
Experience in field sales management/ Key Account Management or Trade Marketing management is essential. You should demonstrate high-level sales and negotiation skills, and act analytically.
Strong interpersonal skills are a must, as you will need to build and establish trust with employees, shareholders, and customers. You should develop a vision, be a 'change manager', show drive and initiative, leverage innovation, and generate innovative ideas.
You lead transformation with energy and clarity, translating strategic ambitions into actionable roadmaps. You demonstrate resilience and agility by setting the right priorities, balancing short and long term objectives, and driving initiatives through to completion. You foster effective collaboration, engaging key contributors, and creating shared accountability.
Proficiency in Dutch, French and English enable you to effectively communicate and collaborate with your internal and external stakeholders.

What We Offer:

Careers with caring built in - discover our benefits here.

About Ferrero:

Ferrero began its journey in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food companies, with many iconic brands sold in countries all over the world. Find out more about Ferrero at ferrero.com.

DE&I at Ferrero:

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative, and highly rewarding.
Find out more here.