Head of Sales - Italy

ZURU is one of the world's fastest-growing consumer goods companies — recognised for agility, creativity, and next-generation manufacturing. We're looking for an exceptional Head of Sales to lead ZURU EDGE's consumer goods business in Italy 📈

About ZURU 🚀

📍 ZURU is on a mission to disrupt industries, challenge the status quo, and catalyze change through radical innovation and advances in automation. This is in play in different pillars of the company: ZURU Toys are re-imagining what it means to play; ZURU Tech is shaping a better future by leading the next building revolution; and ZURU Edge is pioneering new-generation FMCG brands to better serve modern consumers.

📍 Founded in 2003 by EY Entrepreneur of the Year and World Entrepreneur Hall of Fame brothers Nick and Mat Mowbray, ZURU has quickly grown to a team of over 5,000 direct and indirect members across more than 30 international locations.

One of the largest toy companies in the world, our globally recognized and award-winning brands include Bunch O Balloons, Mini Brands, XSHOT, Rainbocorns, and Smashers. Our global FMCG brands include MONDAY Haircare, Millie Moon, RASCALS, BONKERS Pet Treats, DAISE Beauty, and GUMI YUM Surprise and more!

📊 YOUR ROLE

• 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.

🛠️ HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

Develop the commercial strategy for all markets, then leverage to build strategic relationships with retailers/distributors ensuring delivery of market share & profitability growth across all EDGE verticals. You will lead the EDGE team to ensure ZURU is capturing or over-indexing its Share of Shelf vs competitors, working closely with commercial, marketing & supply teams to achieve distribution goals and maximize performance at shelf. You will be able to work and deliver results while working as part of a cross-functional team across different time zones.

📌 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.

💡 SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• 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 & 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 are a must

• Please note: this is a full-time position based in Milan

🔍 LIFE@ZURU

At ZURU, we have cultivated a high-performing culture that encourages excellence. Our team works towards ambitious goals, learning, performing, and improving together, all while having fun. We empower talented individuals to do their best work every day.

At ZURU, you get out what you put in. You are responsible for driving your own career and we provide the platform to achieve it. As ZURU is on such a fast growth trajectory, there are opportunities here that you won’t find anywhere else.

We recognise that ZURU’s success stems from our people and you can only be at your best when you are looking after yourself. ZURU encourages all our team members to invest in their wellbeing by providing an array of benefits and tools.

ZURU – Tomorrow Reimagined

🚀ZURU.com

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