Role Purpose
Lead the commercial performance, trading strategy and local sourcing agenda of the M&S Food business across Ireland ensuring the business delivers against sales, profit, customer, availability and strategic growth objectives.
As the senior commercial leader for Ireland, translating local market dynamics, regulation (inc SPS transition), customer trends and competitor activity into trading decisions, whilst representing the Irish business with suppliers, external stakeholders and GB functions.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Leadership & Trading Performance
- Own overall Food commercial performance across ROI
- Set the Irish market trading agenda across buying, pricing, promotions and insight
- Deliver sales, profit, margin, market share and availability targets.
- Lead seasonal planning and event trading (with additional oversite of NI)
- Review category performance and identify commercial opportunities and risks
- Provide recommendations on ranging, pricing, promotions and category investment
- Translate competitor activity and market trends into commercial actions
Local Sourcing & Supplier Strategy
- Lead M&S Ireland's local sourcing agenda and supplier strategy. .
- Build strategic partnerships with Irish food suppliers, working to develop a growth resilience plan.
- Identify opportunities to increase Irish provenance and local relevance within the range.
- Maintain executive relationships with major suppliers and industry bodies.
- Manage supplier risk, continuity and contingency planning.
- Lead supplier engagement events and forums.
Pricing, Promotions & Commercial Insight
- Sponsor the Ireland pricing strategy.
- Oversee promotional planning and execution.
- Maintain market competitiveness against Irish retailers.
- Review KVI performance and competitive price positioning.
- Govern ROI-specific and NI-specific pricing requirements.
- Ensure insights are translated into commercial action
- Lead post-investment reviews and event performance analysis
Regulation, Legislation & Market Representation
Act as the senior commercial owner for Irish market requirements including:
- DRS
- MUP
- SPS
- Windsor Framework implications
- Food labelling requirements
- Cross-border trading considerations
- Irish regulatory changes
- Industry consultations
Supply Chain & Availability
- Oversee Irish food supply chain performance, govern forecasting and demand planning processes.
- Manage availability, waste and stock flow.
- Escalate supply risks affecting ROI and NI.
- Support major logistics programmes and regulatory transitions.
- Ensure launch readiness and event readiness across categories.
Team Leadership
Led a multifunctional commercial organisation comprising:
- Buyers
- Pricing & Promotions
- Trade Planning
- Commercial Insight
- Technical and Agronomy support/ Product Development (dotted line engagement)
Strategic Planning & Growth
- Define the commercial growth strategy for Food Ireland.
- Build business cases for investment.
- Lead transformation initiatives.
- Influence long-term estate, channel and franchise plans.
- Support Board and ExCo discussions.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Acted as the commercial interface between:
- GB Food Commercial
- Marketing
- Retail Operations
- Supply Chain/ Logistics
- Finance
- Product Development/ Technical
What We Do
At M&S, we're dedicated to being the most trusted retailer, prioritising quality and delivering value. Every day, we bring the magic of M&S to our customers, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us. For over a century, we've set the standard, doing the right thing and embracing innovation. Today, with over 65,000 colleagues serving 32 million customers globally, we're putting quality products at the heart of everything we do. Tomorrow holds boundless opportunities with us. We're pioneering digital innovation and shaping the future of retail where our values drive every action. We stay close to customers and colleagues, always curious and connected. Our decisions are bold, our actions ambitious. Transparency is paramount, with straightforward, honest communication. We're constantly innovating, always striving for the best. Our focus is on aiming higher and winning together, combined with wise financial decisions to secure our future. Join us at M&S to shape the future of retail.
