Overview
About YF
YF helps challenger food and drink brands land and grow in retail. We sit between founders with ambition and retailers with shelves - and we make the commercial side of that relationship actually work. That means getting brands listed, keeping them there, and helping them scale profitably. We do this through retained account management, commercial projects, and outsourced buying support for retailers.
The Role
This is not a typical National Account Manager role. You’ll sit across both sides of the table:
- Acting as a commercial lead for challenger brands
- Managing retailer relationships and accounts
- Supporting retailers with sourcing and onboarding new brands
Some weeks you’ll be rebuilding a pitch for a brand targeting Waitrose. Others you’ll be deep in a range review with a buyer, or sourcing brands for a retail partner.
If you’re used to owning accounts but want broader exposure, more variety, and real influence - this is that role.
What You’ll Do
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Lead commercial strategy for challenger brands
- Turn “we think we’re ready” into a clear route to listing
- Build sell-in decks, pricing, and proposition that buyers actually respond to
- Shape retail strategy across channels and categories
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Run national accounts
- Manage day-to-day relationships across retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, and others)
- Own JBPs, promotions, range reviews, and performance tracking
- Act as an extension of the brand’s commercial team
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Work on the retailer side
- Source and assess challenger brands for retail clients
- Support buying decisions, negotiations, and onboarding
- Bring a buyer mindset into everything you do
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Deliver high-impact commercial projects
- Pitch rebuilds, category reviews, pricing models, forecasting
- Work closely with the wider YF team to deliver outcomes, not just outputs
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Help shape what we sell
- Feed into how we package, price, and evolve our commercial services
- Bring insight from the frontline into how YF grows
What We’re Looking For
Non-negotiables
- Strong commercial experience in UK grocery (brand or retailer side)
- You understand how buyers think - and how to influence them
- Confident running accounts, building JBPs, and managing commercial performance
- Excellent written communication (decks, emails, proposals)
- Able to manage multiple clients without dropping the ball
- Genuine interest in challenger brands and early-stage growth
Nice to have
- Experience on both sides of the table (brand + retailer)
- Existing buyer relationships
- Category expertise (e.g. chilled, ambient, wellness, BWS, etc.)
How We Work
- Hybrid (London + flexibility)
- Small team, high ownership
- You’ll work closely with senior leadership and have real influence from day one
Package
Competitive, dependent on experience. We’ll be transparent early.
To Apply
Send your CV and a short note on:
Which part of this role you’d run at hardest - and why.
No cover letters. We want to see how you think.
jointheteam@weareyf.com
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