Director of Business Development

Business Development Director – Türkiye

Functional Beverages, Energy Drinks & Healthy Snacks

Location: Istanbul, European Side

Working Model: Hybrid, with regular field engagement and travel

Reporting Line: Türkiye Leadership Team and European Headquarters

About the Role

We are looking for an accomplished Business Development Director to lead the market entry and commercial growth of a portfolio of internationally recognised functional beverage, energy drink and healthy snack brands in Türkiye.

This role will be responsible for developing the commercial strategy, establishing priority sales channels, building strategic customer relationships and creating the foundations of a scalable sales organisation.

This is not a position focused solely on managing an existing customer portfolio. The successful candidate will be expected to identify market opportunities, build commercial relationships from the ground up, secure strategic listings and translate the brands’ international positioning into sustainable local growth.

The role is designed for an entrepreneurial commercial leader who can combine the discipline of a structured FMCG organisation with the agility required to build a new business in an emerging market. The scope has been adapted from the original Country Manager brief to focus primarily on business development, commercial growth, channel expansion and organisational build-up.

Key Responsibilities

Market Development and Growth Strategy

• Develop and execute the short-, medium- and long-term business development strategy for Türkiye.
• Define differentiated channel and customer strategies for functional beverages, energy drinks and healthy snack categories.
• Analyse market size, consumer trends, competitive activity, pricing structures and category dynamics.
• Identify and develop new customer, distributor, channel and strategic partnership opportunities.
• Drive market penetration, brand visibility, distribution reach and point-of-sale expansion.
• Translate international brand strategies into locally relevant and commercially viable growth plans.

Channel and Customer Development

• Build and develop commercial relationships with leading national retail chains, including Migros, Macrocenter, CarrefourSA, Metro, A101, Şok and other relevant accounts.
• Lead listing, pricing, shelf positioning, promotional planning and annual commercial agreement negotiations.
• Develop alternative and high-growth channels, including premium gyms, fitness chains, HoReCa, e-commerce, marketplaces and quick-commerce platforms.
• Evaluate and establish suitable distributor, wholesaler and route-to-market partnerships.
• Build long-term, profitable relationships with strategic customers and business partners.
• Personally lead negotiations with key decision-makers and senior category management stakeholders.

Brand Launch and Commercial Execution

• Lead the commercial workstream of the brands’ market-entry and launch plans in collaboration with marketing and international headquarters.
• Determine the most appropriate channels, customer segments and consumer touchpoints for each brand.
• Manage commercial launch timelines, distribution targets, channel priorities and activation plans.
• Contribute to the development of channel-specific portfolio, SKU, pricing and promotional architecture.
• Ensure that in-store and field execution is consistent with the positioning and standards of each brand.
• Identify opportunities to accelerate trial, repeat purchase and consumer adoption.

Commercial Planning and Performance Management

• Prepare annual sales targets, channel budgets and commercial growth plans.
• Monitor revenue, gross margin, trade investment, distribution reach, sell-through and stock rotation.
• Analyse profitability by channel, customer, product and SKU.
• Provide commercial input into demand forecasting, inventory planning and supply-chain decisions.
• Establish and monitor clear commercial KPIs and performance dashboards.
• Prepare and present weekly and monthly performance reports to the Türkiye leadership team and European headquarters.
• Recommend corrective actions where commercial performance differs from agreed targets.

Organisation and Team Build-Up

• Design and establish the Key Account, field sales and merchandising organisation in line with the growth plan.
• Define priority positions, recruitment needs, responsibilities and reporting structures.
• Recruit and develop the initial commercial team.
• Establish sales targets, performance indicators, accountabilities and review mechanisms.
• Strengthen the team’s capabilities in customer management, channel development and commercial negotiation.
• Build an entrepreneurial, fast-moving and performance-oriented commercial culture.

Headquarters and Stakeholder Management

• Maintain regular communication with the European headquarters regarding market developments, commercial performance and growth priorities.
• Present local market realities, opportunities and risks in a clear and commercially compelling manner.
• Adapt global brand and commercial principles to the specific dynamics of the Turkish market.
• Work closely with marketing, finance, supply chain, regulatory, import and operations teams.
• Ensure effective alignment between headquarters’ expectations and local market requirements.
• Represent the Türkiye market in regional business planning and performance discussions.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 10–12 years of experience in the FMCG sector.
• At least five years of leadership experience in business development, sales, channel management or commercial management.
• Proven experience in at least one of the following categories:
• Beverages or energy drinks
• Functional food and beverages
• Healthy snacks
• Sports nutrition
• Impulse or single-serve products
• Demonstrated success in launching a new brand, product portfolio or commercial channel in Türkiye.
• Proven experience in building a customer portfolio, sales channel or commercial organisation from the ground up.
• Hands-on experience leading listing negotiations and annual commercial agreements with national retail chains.
• Strong and active relationships with category management, procurement and commercial decision-makers in the modern trade channel.
• Solid knowledge of sales budgeting, pricing, gross margin, trade investment and channel profitability.
• Experience in recruiting, building and leading commercial teams.
• Previous experience reporting to an international or regional headquarters.
• Full professional proficiency in English, with the ability to independently lead meetings, negotiations and presentations.
• Valid driving licence and willingness to travel regularly and remain closely engaged with the market.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional or personal affinity with functional beverages, wellness, sports nutrition, fitness or healthy living.
• Experience gained in both:
• A large, structured FMCG organisation; and
• A smaller, entrepreneurial or high-growth business.
• Experience in distributor management and route-to-market development.
• Exposure to e-commerce, quick-commerce, HoReCa, fitness or premium lifestyle channels.
• Knowledge of imported products, customs procedures, product registration, food labelling or relevant regulatory requirements.
• Previous ownership of a commercial budget or direct P&L responsibility.
• Experience operating in a business with limited initial resources and significant growth expectations.

The Leadership Profile We Are Seeking

The ideal candidate will not be someone who has only managed well-established systems within large corporations.

We are looking for a leader who has acquired strong commercial discipline in a structured FMCG environment and has subsequently demonstrated the ability to build a market, customer portfolio, team or business model within a smaller, faster-moving organisation.

The successful candidate must be comfortable operating with ambiguity, prioritising limited resources, remaining close to customers and the field, and taking direct accountability for measurable commercial outcomes.

Why Join?

• Play a leading role in launching and building international brands in Türkiye.
• Shape the local commercial and market-entry strategy from the outset.
• Build the sales channels, customer portfolio and commercial team from the ground up.
• Work closely with an international headquarters and senior regional stakeholders.
• Operate in fast-growing functional beverage, wellness and healthy lifestyle categories.
• Create a visible and measurable impact on the long-term success of the Türkiye business.