Food Force Ireland - Commercial Director

For more than 30 years, Food Force Ireland (FFI) has played a central role within Northern Ireland’s independent retail sector. Representing a large network of entrepreneurial grocery retailers, supermarket operators and forecourt businesses, FFI has built a highly respected trading organisation focused on strengthening supplier relationships, enhancing purchasing leverage and delivering meaningful commercial value to its members.

Operating across a diverse retail landscape, the organisation negotiates directly with suppliers on behalf of its membership, develops promotional trading strategies, coordinates major supplier events and trade shows, and helps independent retailers remain commercially competitive within an increasingly challenging market.

Following a long-standing and highly successful period of leadership, Food Force Ireland is now seeking to appoint a new Commercial Director to help shape the next chapter of the organisation’s development. This is a unique appointment and substantially broader than a traditional buying or trading role.

The successful candidate will operate at the centre of a highly relationship-driven organisation, balancing supplier negotiations, retailer engagement, promotional strategy and commercial administration across a network of independent businesses. The role requires an individual capable of building trust and credibility with both suppliers and member retailers, while also working closely with an experienced and commercially astute Board.

The successful individual will lead supplier negotiations and annual trading agreements, manage promotional calendars and commercial trading activity, coordinate trade shows and supplier events, oversee rebate structures and financial reconciliations, and continue to strengthen the organisation’s commercial relationships across the wider retail and supplier community.

This position will suit a commercially capable and relationship-led individual who enjoys operating within entrepreneurial environments and who understands the importance of diplomacy, credibility and long-term stakeholder engagement.

Candidates may come from a variety of backgrounds including:

• wholesale or symbol group operations,
• FMCG or food supply,
• supplier relationship management,
• buying or category management,
• independent retail,
• or wider membership/trade association environments.

What matters most is the ability to combine commercial judgement with strong relationship management and organisational credibility. The successful candidate is likely to demonstrate:

• strong commercial and negotiation capability,
• experience managing supplier relationships,
• financial and analytical competence,
• strong organisational skills,
• resilience and pragmatism,
• and the ability to influence across a diverse stakeholder group.

This is a full-time hybrid position operating across Northern Ireland, combining home working with regular engagement across member stores, suppliers and events. Food Force Ireland offers the opportunity to join a highly respected organisation operating at the heart of Northern Ireland’s independent retail sector, with genuine influence across a large and commercially significant membership network.

For a confidential discussion, please contact one of the team at May Consulting.

May Consulting Ltd

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