Sales Director

Lindt & Sprüngli is an internationally operating group of companies and the world‘s leading manufacturer of premium quality chocolate. Our exclusive products enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide. We are seeking a highly motivated professional to perform a critical role by providing vision, leadership, and development of the overall corporate strategy with CEO and Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy

• Define and implement the annual commercial strategy aligned with Lindt’s corporate objectives and regional priorities.
• Develop commercial plans to achieve sales, profitability, and market share targets.
• Identify growth opportunities by channel, customer, category, and region.
• Lead commercial planning processes, annual budgeting, and sales forecasting.
• Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive activities to adapt commercial strategies accordingly.

Key Account Management

• Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with key customers, distributors, and business partners.
• Lead commercial negotiations, annual agreements, pricing strategies, and promotional plans.
• Ensure profitable account growth while maintaining the brand’s premium positioning.
• Foster long-term partnerships based on trust and mutual value creation.

Sales Leadership

• Lead, develop, and motivate the national sales team, promoting a high-performance culture.
• Establish clear objectives, performance metrics, and development plans for the team.
• Identify and develop key talent while implementing succession plans.
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration to ensure the effective execution of commercial strategies.

Financial Management & Profitability

• Manage commercial budgets and promotional investments, ensuring an efficient return on investment.
• Monitor profitability by customer, channel, and category, implementing corrective actions when necessary.
• Partner with Finance to ensure forecasting accuracy and achievement of financial objectives.
• Support Revenue Growth Management strategies and margin optimization initiatives.

Channel Development & Commercial Execution

• Ensure excellence in sales execution across all channels.
• Drive distribution, visibility, availability, and flawless point-of-sale execution.
• Ensure successful implementation of new product launches and seasonal campaigns.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing to develop commercial strategies and brand activation plans.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure product availability and demand planning accuracy.
• Coordinate with Finance to monitor budgets and commercial performance.
• Maintain alignment with regional and global teams to share best practices and ensure compliance with corporate standards

Profile Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive commercial experience within FMCG, food, confectionery, or premium consumer goods companies.
• At least 5 years of experience leading national sales teams.
• Proven experience negotiating with strategic customers and major retail accounts.
• Strong knowledge of distribution channels and the retail landscape in Mexico.
• Experience working in multinational companies is highly valued

Core Competencies

• Commercial Strategic Planning
• High-Level Negotiation
• Revenue Growth Management
• Key Account Management (KAM)
• Budget Management
• Demand Planning and Forecasting
• Financial Management and Profitability
• Commercial Channel Development
• Data Analysis and KPI Management
• Strategic Thinking
• Results Orientation
• High-Performance Team Leadership
• Decision-Making
• Talent Development
• Influence and Negotiation
• Change Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Executive Communication