Trade Marketing Lead | FMCG | ENG

Our client is the official European subsidiary of an internationally recognized food manufacturer known for iconic FMCG food products. As they expand their business and distributor markets, they are looking for a Trade Marketing Lead to plan the strategy from scratch. The position will report to the Sales Director Europe. 

Job Overview

The Trade Marketing Lead plays a key role in translating brand strategy into best-in-class customer activation, working closely with sales and marketing teams to plan, execute, and evaluate customer marketing activities across Europe.

The role focuses on building a strong trade marketing strategy and fostering solid collaborations with key customers — particularly in the mainstream retail channel — to effectively activate brands at the point of sale, drive conversion, and contribute to joint business planning with priority retail partners.

This position requires strong trade marketing experience, operational excellence, and the ability to navigate a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Marketing Strategy & Execution

• Build the customer marketing strategy and annual plan in line with sales and marketing goals and priorities.
• Support the Trade Marketing team in executing the annual Customer Marketing Plan across priority markets and accounts.
• Localize global marketing plans into actionable customer-specific activation calendars.
• Ensure alignment with brand strategy, sales priorities, and customer/retailer expectations.
• Identify opportunities for category growth and visibility improvement within each retailer.

2. Customer Activation & Execution

• Implement in-store and online customer activations, including POS materials, sampling programs, thematic displays, and seasonal campaigns.
• Work with the Marketing team to create and deliver customer-specific toolkits and sell-in materials.
• Ensure consistent execution of promotions, new product introductions, and display programs.

3. Creating Perfect Store

• Develop standards for the perfect store in collaboration with internal stakeholders (marketing & sales) and HQ.
• Define strategy across Assortment, Merchandising, Pricing, Promotions, and Shelf.
• Implement perfect store standards across countries and key accounts: visibility guidelines, planograms, shelf presence, and brand compliance.

4. Trade Marketing Excellence (Mainstream Channel Focus)

• Develop activation solutions tailored for mainstream retail across key EU markets.
• Manage promotional plans: mechanics, performance tracking, compliance, and ROI analysis.
• Partner with sales teams to strengthen customer relationships through impactful trade programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve category share, pricing execution, and store-level impact.

5. Collaboration & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Work closely with Sales, Brand Marketing, Supply Chain, and external agencies and vendors to ensure seamless campaign execution.
• Develop supporting tools, processes, and ways of working to enable higher levels of collaboration across stakeholders.
• Collaborate with HQ Channel Trade Marketing teams to support CMP execution while maintaining visibility on regional activities.
• Act as a key link between HQ and European teams to adapt assets and guidelines for local customers.

6. Reporting, Tracking & ROI

• Monitor promotion performance and shopper behaviour through customer and market data.
• Conduct post-activity evaluations and share insights to improve future activations.
• Develop and consolidate performance reports across specific KPIs and identify best practices for future planning.
• Maintain an updated database of customer marketing performance across accounts.

7. Team Leadership

• Manage, lead, and develop the trade marketing team to ensure high employee engagement, efficient working methods, and exceptional outcomes.

Key Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in Customer Marketing, Trade Marketing, Shopper Marketing, or Category Development in FMCG.
• Being able to work 5 days a week onsite in the Amstelveen office and be able to travel up to 10%. 
• Strong track record of working with mainstream retail channels in Europe (mandatory).
• Experience executing POS activation, promotional planning, and perfect-store programmes.
• Familiarity with customer data sources (Nielsen, IRI, retailer portals).
• Experience in multicultural environments and/or working with Asian or international brands is an advantage.
• Strong project management and executional discipline.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building with internal and external stakeholders.
• Analytical mindset with experience tracking promotional and in-store KPIs.
• Ability to translate brand strategy into customer-level activation.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and high-growth environment.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented, and highly collaborative.

What Our Client Offers

• The opportunity to join a dynamic, high-growth brand shaping the future of Asian food culture in Europe.
• A multicultural environment with close collaboration between European teams (marketing, sales, SCM), customers, and international HQ.
• Room for career development in customer marketing, account management, or brand strategy.
• Competitive salary package with performance bonus.

Interested? We look forward to hearing from you!

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