Commercial Director - Functional Drinks

About the role

A well-funded, early-stage functional drinks business, with product developed, tested and launch planned for Q1 2027, is looking for a Commercial Director to define the UK go-to-market strategy, secure initial distribution and build the commercial team as the brand scales. The salary is market related, stated as 100,000 to 150,000 depending on experience, plus bonus and package. The role is home-based, ideally based in London or Manchester, with significant national customer travel expected.

Key responsibilities

• Own and execute the UK commercial and go-to-market strategy from launch.
• Lead initial expansion across Convenience, Forecourt, Travel and premium Impulse, then develop into wider channels.
• Build senior buyer relationships and secure significant new distribution.
• Use knowledge of retailer buying cycles to build the customer pipeline ahead of launch.
• Shape pricing, customer propositions, channel prioritisation and longer-term commercial strategy.
• Build the commercial team during Year 1, then focus on strategy, new business and senior negotiations.

Required profile

• Senior commercial experience in drinks, with strong exposure to Convenience, Forecourt, Impulse and/or Wholesale.
• Proven track record of personally winning new customers and building distribution.
• Experience launching or scaling a challenger brand, new proposition or early-stage business.
• Strong relationships with UK retailers and a detailed understanding of how and when they buy.
• Comfortable working without a large corporate infrastructure, alongside a founder.
• Challenger, SME and scale-up experience is essential.