Commercial Director
French-American Chamber of Commerce - Texas, Houston, TX, United States
My client is looking for a Commercial Director USA
Report to: CEO North America
Employment Type: Full Time
Level: Director
Contract: Permanent
Management: Yes
Location: Houston
Market: USA
MISSION
Lead and accelerate the company’s retail distribution strategy across brick‑and‑mortar and delivering sustainable top‑line growth while improving profitability and execution excellence in a highly competitive and margin‑constrained environment.
This role is critical to converting strong brand momentum into disciplined market share gains in a slowing dermocosmetic market while navigating tariffs, margin pressure and retailer power dynamic.
Scope: All U.S. distribution channels excluding Medical Dispensing, E‑commerce (DTC), Amazon Pure Players, and TikTok Shop.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Commercial Strategy & Growth Acceleration
- Own annual sell‑in and sell‑out targets for all U.S. retail accounts (excluding Medical & Pure Ecom).
- Drive +15% growth trajectory aligned with 5‑year U.S. ambition to exceed $100M+.
- Prioritize high‑potential pillar clients (Ulta, Target, Costco, Walmart, Drug chains).
- Translate category dynamics into actionable commercial plans.
- Retail Negotiation & Joint Business Planning
- Lead annual negotiations (terms, trade spend, promotions, planograms, innovation listings).
- Protect margin in a high trade‑spend environment (20%+ Gross‑to‑Net).
- Reduce low‑ROI promotions and enforce pricing discipline in line with RGM.
- Manage retailer power dynamics in a concentrated U.S. landscape.
- Expand curated distribution footprint (~39% of relevant doors).
- Drive expansion in Travel Retail and Clubs.
- Ensure flawless execution of new product launches.
- Profitability & Cost Discipline
- Support local manufacturing transition.
- Improve working capital and forecast accuracy.
- Team Leadership & Capability Build
- Lead Key Account Managers, field teams, and sales analyst.
- Build a strong Houston‑based commercial culture.
- Increase accountability and performance rigor.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Supply, Finance, and Digital.
- Partner with Marketing on packaging, assets, and launches.
- Align forecasts with Supply to reduce out‑of‑stocks.
- Collaborate with Finance on margin improvement and RGM discipline.
EDUCATION AND COMPETENCIES
- 10–15+ years in U.S. beauty / dermocosmetics / CPG retail sales.
- 10+ years of commercial leadership experience.
- Proven success managing national accounts (Target, Ulta, Walmart, Drug).
- Strong RGM and trade spend discipline.
- Experience navigating high retailer power environments.
- Exposure to high‑growth brands scaling from $30M to $100M+.