Customer Development Director - Speciality Channel

Job Description:

Mars is a family-owned business that has been making products for people and their pets for more than 100 years. We’re behind some of the best loved brands in the world including MARS®, SNICKERS®, EXTRA®, ECLIPSE®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, DOLMIO®, BEN’S ORIGINAL ® MASTERFOODS ® and ROYAL CANIN® ORIJEN® ACANA® we are dedicated to making a positive impact on people and the planet.

Join us in building a sustainable future where people, communities, and the planet can truly thrive!

About the role:

Reporting to the Sales Director, Pet Nutrition Australia you will take overall commercial accountability for our Specialty (SPT) channel and lead joint strategic growth with some of our most critical customers, Petbarn and Petstock.

Sitting on the Sales Leadership Team (SLT), you will hold full P&L accountability for the channel, lead a cross-functional growth team of 6 direct reports, and steer an indirect specialty field team of 8. This is a highly strategic leadership position within our Pet Segment, where you will help shape the broader sales function, drive capability building, and foster exceptional associate engagement.

What you’ll do:

• Lead Joint Business Growth: Develop and execute 2-to-3-year Joint Business Development Plans (JBDPs) that align Mars Petcare's strategies with our customers' priorities.

• Drive Account Profitability & P&L Success: Hold complete responsibility for Gross Sales Value (GSV) and Net Sales Value (NSV) targets. Educate and coach your team on strong fiscal responsibility, promoting a closed-loop "Plan-Investment-Evaluate-Plan" framework to optimize trade investment returns.

• Champion Brand Exposure & Availability: Influence long-term brand choice by designing and aligning customer-specific activities.

• Nurture & Develop Sales Talent: Coach, mentor, and build capabilities within a passionate sales team. Ensure every direct report has high-quality development plans and clear business objectives.

• Partner across the Supply Chain: Interface regularly with customer supply chain managers and internal logistics leads to optimise product availability, improve transport utilisation, eliminate pipeline costs, and drive industry-leading customer service metrics.

• Lead High-Stakes Negotiations: Conduct regular top-to-top meetings, trading term reviews, and business updates with senior customer executives to capture new business opportunities and reinforce joint growth.

What you’ll bring:

To thrive in this senior commercial leadership role, you will bring a strong blend of P&L accountability, with prior experience working within a specialty retail environment Specifically, we are looking for:

• Commercial Leadership Experience: Significant, high-level commercial or sales leadership experience within the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sectors. (Prior experience working with specialty accounts is essential).

• P&L and Trade Investment Expertise: Proven experience taking full accountability for sales growth, managing significant trade budgets, and executing structured trading term negotiations.

• Strategic Relationship Builder: Demonstrated success in developing top-to-top relationships and Joint Business Development Plans with major national retail accounts.

• Exceptional People Coach: Passion for mentoring and developing highly skilled sales professionals, with a track record of driving associate engagement and building succession pipelines.

• Cross-Functional Collaborator: Strong capability to interface effectively across Supply Chain, Logistics, Brand Portfolio, and Category Management teams.

• Educational Background: A relevant Bachelor's degree in Business, Commerce, Marketing, or a related discipline is highly desirable.

Why you’ll love working for Mars:

• Purpose: Help craft beloved brands with a legacy of over 100 years of local manufacturing making products that people and pets will love all while helping to build a more sustainable future.

• People: A culture that values your contributions, fosters leadership, and recognises the impact you make. Your work truly matters here.

• Development: Shape your career with personalised development and real opportunities to grow from day one.

• Wellbeing: Enjoy a team and business environment that is invested in helping you manage and grow your energy for work and life.

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.