Commercial Director, Gourmet Japan Location: Tokyo, Shinagawa-ku, JP, 141-0032 At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond! About the role + The role is responsible for commercial strategy and targets for the Gourmet business domain in the Japan market. This includes devising and executing the sales strategy, in alignment with regional/ global strategy and priorities, as well as leading a team of sales professionals towards delivering the sales volume and financial business objectives. A strong focus on go-to-market strategy optimization and execution, including developing distributor networks, strategic partnerships and key account management is expected from this role. This role is charged with bringing a step change to our Gourmet business model. + The role will be part of the market leadership team, and play an integral part in devising and driving the market’s commercial growth strategy. Key responsibilities include + Develop, own and execute the strategic plan for achieving the business targets for the Gourmet business including maximizing volumes, margins and profitability; + Ensure that critical and strategic business drivers are known and understood within commercial and other relevant teams, to maximize sales potential in the area of responsibility + Develop and expand customers and market segments + Create a differentiated e-commerce rollout and drive value in our high-margin business + Nurture and maintain new and existing customer relationships as well as relationships with partners + Identify new business opportunities and serve as a ‘frontline’ representative with potential customers to develop business + Manage the planning of resources (budget, forecast, manpower, etc.), oversee budgetary controls and manage expenses + Manage, coach and guide team members to enable their commercial performance, including through managing targets and sales processes, building capabilities, performance management, sales meetings, regular commercial reviews, etc + Collect, analyze and assess market intelligence to devise relevant strategic and operational plans and maximize business opportunities; including e-commerce, ensure relevant trends and information are communicated to appropriate functions/ internal stakeholders + Provide ongoing analysis of sales performance metrics against budgeted objectives such as market share, margin, revenue growth, and profitability; measure and assess the effectiveness of overall commercial activities and update business plans accordingly + Build and develop strong relationships with global/regional/local internal stakeholders to have a clear understanding of critical priorities and objectives and establish action plans that translate into business opportunities + Be a part of the Market Leadership team and will be responsible for all company-wide agendas About you + Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business Commercial subject or Food technologist or equivalent (Master's degree preferred) + 12 to 15+ years of relevant experience in a commercial B2B environment, preferably in a multinational company in the food industry or FMCG; knowledge and experience of the chocolate industry is a plus + Demonstrated track record in strategically developing new customers, new products and new market segments while maximizing volumes, sales margins and customer profitability, and managing end-to-end processes. + Fluent in Business English; Native language is an added advantage + IT Skills in the MS Office and Google Suite + Strong business acumen with solid commercial experience and credentials + Desire to build something to make a difference. Drive for results and ambition to win in the market + Natural change agent. A vibrant, performance-driven individual who possesses the fortitude to lead a transformation + Strong negotiation and communication skills, engaging a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders across organizational boundaries + Contribute to an atmosphere in which people work together, enthusiastically and effectively, to produce outstanding results. Raise the performance levels of others + Resilient and confident individual who operates well under pressure and in global environments undergoing change. Understand how to pivot quickly when necessary + Proactive and entrepreneurial mindset; self-starter who takes ownership and accountability + Agile, flexible and comfortable with ambiguity; Ability to thrive under pressure and ability to adapt to market needs and changes + Strong cross-functional collaboration to achieve results + Excellent communication and negotiation skills + Hands-on style; willing to roll up sleeves + Inspiring and effective people management + Good interpersonal skills and teamwork: work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness. + Strong organization & planning skills + Strong ethics: understand ethical behavior and business practices and ensure own behavior and the behavior of others are consistent with these standards and align with the values of the organization. + Focus on client needs: anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of internal and external clients to meet or exceed their expectations. + Strong in navigating complex matrix organizations, both internally and externally At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth. If you want to learn more about Barry Callebaut, please find further information here. Were you missing anything in this job ad? Please share your feedback with us by clickinghere (https://app.talenthub.io/feedback/ad81b0fb66d2416990060452e7511e45?default\_lang=en) .