Job Description
Our Client
Our client is a global name in the consumer goods industry with an established presence in Saudi Arabia. The business operates through a lean local structure supported by a large third-party distribution network and is looking for an experienced Country Manager to lead its next phase of commercial growth.
Role Overview
This is a hands-on country leadership role for someone who has grown through sales and distribution management, understands the Saudi market at street level, and has progressed to managing the broader business economics, channel strategy, distributor partnerships, and P&L.
You will lead the Saudi business with accountability for revenue, gross margin, trade spend, forecasting, and overall commercial performance. A critical part of the mandate will be managing a substantial distributor relationship while balancing the objectives of the principal with the economics and priorities of the distributor.
You will lead performance across both modern and traditional trade, ensuring strong strategic direction while remaining close enough to the market to understand what is happening at customer, channel, and execution level.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the Saudi business P&L with accountability for revenue, gross margin, trade spend, forecasting, and profitable growth
- Develop and execute the country commercial strategy across modern trade, traditional trade, wholesale, and other relevant channels
- Lead and manage the strategic relationship with the company’s third-party distributor
- Balance principal growth objectives with distributor economics, capabilities, and commercial priorities
- Drive route-to-market effectiveness, distribution expansion, retail execution, and channel productivity
- Lead commercial performance across modern and traditional trade through the local team and distributor organisation
- Maintain strong visibility of market execution, customer performance, pricing, competition, and channel developments
- Build senior-level relationships with distributor leadership, key customers, and other strategic stakeholders
- Lead commercial negotiations covering annual plans, investments, trade terms, pricing, and growth priorities
- Translate market opportunities into clear commercial plans with measurable revenue and profitability outcomes
- Strengthen forecasting, commercial discipline, and performance management across the business
- Provide leadership and direction to a lean local team while leveraging the scale and capabilities of the distribution partner
Must-Have
- 15+ years of progressive commercial and sales experience within the consumer goods industry
- Strong Saudi Arabia market experience with deep knowledge of local route-to-market dynamics
- Career foundation in sales and distribution management with progression into broader commercial or country leadership
- Proven P&L ownership covering revenue, gross margin, trade spend, and forecasting
- Significant experience managing a large third-party distributor relationship
- Strong understanding of distributor economics and the ability to balance principal and distributor objectives
- Deep exposure to both modern trade and traditional trade, including wholesale and retail execution
- Strong senior-level negotiation and stakeholder management capability
- Hands-on leadership style with the ability to combine strategic decision-making with strong visibility of market execution
- An ideal background will combine experience on both the principal and distributor sides of the consumer goods industry
Next Steps
Upload your resume via our ATS platform and ensure all form details are complete. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted within 5–7 working days for a more detailed discussion about the role. Please note, due to high application volumes, we will only respond to shortlisted profiles.