Senior Key Account Manager – Modern Trade & UAE Market Development

Senior Key Account Manager – Modern Trade & UAE Market Development

Company: Amalfi Foods

Location: United Arab Emirates

Reporting to: CEO / Commercial Leadership

Industry: FMCG / Bakery / Food Manufacturing

Role Overview

Amalfi Foods is looking for a highly experienced and commercially driven Senior Key Account Manager – Modern Trade & UAE Market Development to lead the development of our business in the UAE.

This is a strategic, hands-on role for someone who understands the UAE FMCG market deeply and has strong relationships within Modern Trade.

The successful candidate will be responsible not only for managing key retail accounts, but also for helping establish and grow Amalfi Foods’ presence in the UAE from the ground up.

We are looking for someone entrepreneurial, independent, commercially sharp, and highly focused on execution and results.

Key ResponsibilitiesModern Trade Account Development

• Open, develop, and manage strategic Modern Trade accounts across the UAE.
• Build strong relationships with buyers, category managers, and commercial teams.
• Lead negotiations for:
• Product listings
• Pricing
• Trade terms
• Rebates
• Promotions
• Shelf visibility
• Display opportunities
• Annual agreements
• Expand Amalfi Foods’ presence across key retail groups and stores.
• Increase the number of listed SKUs and improve distribution depth within existing accounts.

UAE Market Development

• Support the establishment and development of Amalfi Foods’ UAE commercial operation.
• Identify new retail, distribution, and channel opportunities.
• Build a clear market-entry and expansion roadmap for the UAE.
• Recommend priority accounts, products, pricing, and market positioning.
• Provide continuous feedback to management on market opportunities and risks.

Sales Growth & Commercial Performance

• Develop and deliver monthly and annual sales targets by customer and SKU.
• Monitor sales performance, sell-in, sell-out, and customer profitability.
• Identify underperforming accounts and implement corrective action.
• Build account-specific growth plans and promotional calendars.
• Protect gross margin while driving sustainable sales growth.
• Monitor trade spend and ensure promotions generate measurable returns.

In-Store Execution

• Ensure strong product availability and shelf presence.
• Monitor:
• On-shelf availability
• Facings
• Shelf position
• Pricing
• Promotional execution
• Expiry dates
• Returns
• Work closely with merchandisers and retail teams to improve execution.
• Conduct frequent store visits and competitor checks.

Forecasting & Supply Coordination

• Prepare accurate sales forecasts by customer and SKU.
• Coordinate closely with the Bahrain head office on production, stock availability, and shipments.
• Monitor inventory levels to minimize both stock-outs and excess stock.
• Support the coordination of UAE warehousing, logistics, and customer deliveries.
• Monitor returns and expiry risk.

Market Intelligence

• Maintain strong knowledge of the UAE FMCG and bakery market.
• Regularly benchmark competitors across:
• Pricing
• Packaging
• Promotions
• Shelf positioning
• Product assortment
• New launches
• Identify emerging consumer and category trends.
• Provide management with regular market intelligence and recommendations.

Financial & Commercial Control

• Monitor account profitability and commercial terms.
• Support collections and ensure receivables are kept within agreed terms.
• Track customer deductions, claims, rebates, and promotional expenses.
• Ensure all commercial agreements are properly documented and approved.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly experienced in UAE Modern Trade.
• Commercially aggressive but disciplined.
• Strong in negotiation and relationship building.
• Independent and able to work with limited supervision.
• Entrepreneurial and comfortable building a market from an early stage.
• Analytical and financially aware.
• Hands-on and willing to spend significant time in the market.
• Focused on results, not only activity.
• Capable of developing strategy and executing it personally.

Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum 5–8 years of FMCG sales / key account experience in the UAE .
• Strong experience managing Modern Trade accounts.
• Existing relationships with major UAE retailers would be a significant advantage.
• Experience in bakery, snacks, dairy, confectionery, breakfast products, or related FMCG categories is preferred.
• Strong understanding of UAE retail structures, commercial terms, and promotional practices.
• Strong negotiation and presentation skills.
• Good financial and commercial understanding.
• Strong Excel and reporting capabilities.
• Fluent English required; Arabic is an advantage.
• UAE driving license preferred.

Priority Retail Experience

Experience working with major UAE retail groups such as:

• Carrefour
• Lulu Hypermarket
• Nesto
• Union Coop
• Spinneys
• Waitrose
• Choithrams
• Grandiose
• Abu Dhabi Coop
• Sharjah Coop

would be highly valuable.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be measured through:

• Monthly sales vs target
• Number of strategic accounts opened
• Number of active stores
• Number of SKUs listed per account
• Sales per store
• Gross margin after trade spend
• Distribution growth
• On-shelf availability
• Promotional performance and ROI
• Returns and expiry levels
• Receivables performance
• Forecast accuracy
• Account profitability

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to play a key role in building Amalfi Foods’ UAE business from the ground up .

We are looking for someone who can go beyond maintaining existing relationships — someone who can open doors, build strong accounts, create opportunities, and establish Amalfi Foods as a serious FMCG player in the UAE market.