Modern Trade Lead - Beauty/Wellness

Job Title: Modern Trade Lead

About the Company:

Our client is an upcoming D2C beauty brand preparing for its market launch in India. Backed by a strong vision and focused on delivering innovative beauty solutions, the brand is looking for a seasoned Modern Trade professional to build and scale its offline retail presence from the ground up.

Role Overview:

The Modern Trade Lead will be responsible for establishing and driving the brand's Modern Trade business. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong relationships across key retail chains, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to build the channel from inception.

Key Responsibilities:

- Develop and execute the Modern Trade strategy in line with the brand's business objectives.

- Build and manage relationships with key national and regional modern trade retailers.

- Lead commercial negotiations, annual business planning, and promotional initiatives.

- Drive new account acquisition and ensure successful onboarding of retail partners.

- Ensure product availability, distribution, visibility, and in-store execution across retail outlets.

- Collaborate with marketing, supply chain, finance, and demand planning teams to ensure seamless execution.

- Track sales performance, monitor KPIs, and identify opportunities for business growth.

- Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer insights to recommend growth strategies.

- Forecast sales, manage trade investments, and deliver revenue targets.

- Represent the brand with key retail partners and contribute to long-term channel expansion.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field. An MBA is preferred.

- 7-15 years of experience in Modern Trade Sales or Key Account Management.

- Experience in Beauty, Skincare, Personal Care, FMCG, Wellness, or Consumer Goods is preferred.

- Proven track record of managing key modern trade accounts and delivering sales growth.

- Strong relationships with leading retail chains will be an advantage.

- Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and analytical skills.

- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and sales reporting tools.

Desired Competencies:

- Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build a business from scratch.

- Strong commercial acumen and customer-first approach.

- Excellent communication and presentation skills.

- Highly organized, proactive, and results-driven.