Head of Sales - Italy

ZURU is looking for an exceptional Head of Sales to lead ZURU EDGE's consumer goods business in Italy.

Responsibilities

• Set the commercial agenda: Define and execute the Italy commercial strategy to disrupt category incumbents, win share, and deliver against ZURU's growth ambitions.
• Own the P&L: Drive top‑line growth, optimise trade investment, and expand margin - fuelling reinvestment in innovation and consumer experience.
• Build strategic customer partnerships: negotiate and deliver joint business plans that create mutual value with retail partners and unlock long‑term growth.
• Champion the customer internally: translate market and shopper insights into commercial direction, ensuring the customer and consumer sit at the heart of every account decision.
• Win the trade strategy: identify and secure distribution across priority accounts, then drive best‑in‑class 4P execution to maximise performance in every door.
• Execute with excellence: maximise availability, visibility, and awareness of ZURU brands in‑store and online through best‑in‑class distribution, feature, display, and activation across our biggest bets. Partner closely with our China sales support team on customer administration.
• Partner with marketing: co‑develop campaigns, launches, and promotional activity that drive brand awareness, demand, and sell‑through.
• Lead the culture: as ZURU scales, protect the entrepreneurial, challenger spirit that makes us win – putting people first and bringing the team with you.

Additional Responsibilities

• Full ownership of the Italy P&L – driving net revenue, optimising trade investment, and managing product mix to deliver financial commitments.
• Define the Italy commercial strategy and secure cross‑functional alignment on the tools, products, investment, and support required to win in market.
• Own and develop top‑to‑top relationships with key retail and distributor partners, building long‑term strategic alignment that delivers against shared commercial and financial goals.
• Drive and leverage the cross‑functional teams (marketing, supply, finance, China sales support) to over‑deliver against sales, P&L, and supply KPIs.
• Continuously raise the bar on commercial processes, ways of working, driving performance, discipline, and efficiency.
• Build a high‑performance, entrepreneurial team culture – one that thrives on disruption and growth, resolves issues at pace, builds strong internal and external relationships, and develops capability across the business.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of at least 6+ years in senior sales or commercial leadership roles within the consumer goods industry, preferably confectionery, and experience operating in a fast‑moving entrepreneurial environment.
• Major retailer and distributor experience within the respective regions required.
• Strong commercial & business acumen, strategic thinking and problem‑solving capability.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to translate messages across a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Must have strong leadership capability including the ability to influence and motivate cross‑functional teams, while holding stakeholders accountable to deliver on business objectives.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Fluency in English and Italian is a must.
• This is a full‑time position based in Milan.