Sunflex’s parent company is Hunter Douglas which is comprised of a diverse portfolio of market-leading companies including Hillary’s, Thomas Sanderson, Luxaflex, Faber, Eclipse, Apollo Blinds and UK blinds, turning over $3.6 Billion in 2018. Hunter Douglas UK was founded in 1919 by Henry Sonnenberg in Dusseldorf, Germany. The global leaders in window furnishings, the business has enjoyed 100 years of success and as such, operates in over 100 countries and employs over 23,500 people worldwide.

 

Sunflex are going through an exciting period of growth and are transforming their marketing department by building a creative hub based at their Cannock Head Office, just outside of Birmingham. Keen to bring more resource in-house, Pitch has partnered with Sunflex on a retained basis to identify the best creative and commercial talent in the region to drive growth across their portfolio of branded and own label products.

 

Reporting to the Head of Marketing, this role is responsible for increasing distribution, market share and profitable growth of sales and margin within specified national retailers in line with Sunflex’s strategic business plan. In conjunction with consumer and trade knowledge and research, you may launch products into your account portfolio under a branded proposition where appropriate but this role will predominantly concern private label NPD to ensure profitable customer specific category development. 

 

You will ensure profitable and timely new product developments throughout the entire lifecycle. You will need to engage a variety of skills from research to design to develop both a long and short term plan focusing on results and ROI whilst managing a successful and large product portfolio from conception through to launch and beyond with a focus on commercial and financial performance. 

 

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, communicate and implement category plans by the customer based on long term strategies to ensure the product ranges are competitive and meet the customer and market requirements in line with sales and margin business objectives
• Manage and execute first class project management, delivering world-class NPD launch programs to meet business and customer’s requirements
• Implement and manage product pricing based on supplier quotations from briefs and specifications you have developed
• Conduct monthly audits of the brand, competitors, category, customer and consumer trends to monitor marketplace dynamics and performance
• Monitor and control budgeted expenditure for your customers
• Formulate and manage the Product Portfolio Planning to include an exit strategy of discontinued products from the assigned portfolio in order to maximise profit and customer inventory continuity
• Work collaboratively with the in-house and customer design/creative teams to ensure clear briefs are issued for all projects and to be fully conversant with retailer’s product range objectives and articulate trend in line with these. This includes but is not limited to execution of packaging designs, promotional campaigns, literature and POS consistent with the range and brand, that will deliver sales and profit growth based on business and customer objectives.
• Liaise with both UK and Far East factories to identify suitable suppliers and negotiate prices to ensure maximum profitability
• Take ownership of the NPD process from concept to delivery for your customer’s own label brands
• Identify and create new product opportunities which fulfil market, business and customer requirements to deliver required margins with a cohesive pricing architecture.
• Conduct annual pricing reviews for the relevant product range ensuring an appropriate balance between price positioning, sales volumes and margin achievement
• Develop specific account plans by the customer to include sales and margin objectives across your portfolio
• Agree joint strategic plans with each customer to maximize business profitability
• To provide best practice customer service at all times and manage across all departments within the business
• Prepare monthly by account, sales, EPOS and activity review reports
• Manage A&P within agreed parameters for each account within your portfolio
• Input at all commercial review meetings
• Work with the Supply Chain Analyst to accurately forecast forthcoming stock requirements for each account on a SKU by SKU basis upon the rolling 6 months’ forecast
• To report and communicate market, customer, competitor intelligence to all relevant parties within the business
• To have a detailed knowledge of the retailer’s supply chain requirements (DCs, packaging, labelling, palletising etc)
• Oversee the OTR (order to remittance) cycle ensuring a best in class process and eliminating opportunities for error if they occur with the other departments within the business

 

Requirements for the Role:  

• Account Management or customer/trade marketing with retail customers with demonstrable selling skills. 
• Marketing knowledge of Planning & Process across Marketing Functions – Communications, New Product Development, Brand Management.
• Experience of life cycle management throughout the product portfolio. 
• Strategic thinking with high levels of numeracy & literacy, fluency in Commercial calculations (margins & profitability etc).
• Organised and methodical with high attention to detail, a natural forward planner with a proven creativity, initiative, successful project management and problem-solving agility with the ability to work under pressure managing simultaneous projects.
• Self-driven, results orientated with a positive outlook and a clear focus on product, brand and business profit.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to influence across business functions, including Sales, Purchasing, Production, Operations and Design up to Board level, verbally and in writing.
• Passionate about Product. 
• Adept in the use of MS Office, particularly Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook or similar. 
• Knowledge of using management information systems and software for report preparation and analysis. 
• Current driving license.
• This is an office-based position, however, the role will require travel to customer’s offices and DCs, retail stores and trade shows with occasional overnight stays away from home in order to meet the demands of the role. 

 

Pitch are managing all applications and recruitment on behalf of Sunflex, if you are interested in having a confidential conversation to discuss the role please apply here or send your CV.

Applications sent directly to Sunflex will unfortunately not be considered.

 

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