Supports the CEO with executive coordination, project execution, client and business development activities, regulatory and scientific initiatives, marketing, finance, internal operations, and HR coordination. Responsibilities include managing schedules, tracking deadlines, preparing presentations and reports, coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, organizing regulatory documentation, researching markets, supporting customer proposals, and managing onboarding and offboarding activities.
The Opportunity
Our client, a pioneering biotechnology company based at Western Research Parks in London, Ontario, is hiring an experienced Business Development Manager – Retail & Distribution to lead the growth of our retail, wholesale, e-commerce and distribution business across North America.
The successful candidate will take ownership of our registered product portfolio in the US, CA, UK, and EU - including Rootmax, Tricho Pro, Super Microbes and Universal Microbes - and build a scalable commercial platform covering:
- Direct online sales
- Amazon and other online marketplaces
- Independent garden centres and nurseries
- Agricultural and horticultural retailers
- Wholesale and distributor partnerships
- Commercial customer accounts
- Business-to-business sales through our Partner Portal
This is a senior, hands-on commercial leadership role for someone who has previously built and grown a retail or distribution business, developed reseller networks, managed digital sales channels and created systems for repeatable revenue growth.
Employment Type: Permanent Full-Time
Location: London, Ontario (onsite)
What You'll Do
1. Retail and Distribution Strategy
- Develop and execute the overall retail, wholesale and distribution strategy for the company.
- Build a multi-channel commercial plan covering e-commerce, Amazon, direct retail, wholesale, distributors and commercial accounts.
- Identify priority markets, customer segments, product categories and geographic regions.
- Establish annual revenue, margin, account acquisition and distribution targets.
- Develop a clear market-entry strategy for garden centres, nurseries and agricultural retailers.
2. Offline Distribution Development
- Build a network of retailers, distributors, wholesalers and commercial resellers.
- Develop relationships with independent garden centres, nursery groups, hydroponic retailers, farm stores and horticultural suppliers.
- Negotiate commercial terms, pricing, margins, minimum order quantities and promotional programs.
- Create retailer onboarding, merchandising and sales-support programs.
- Develop regional and national distribution partnerships.
- Build a sales pipeline for case-quantity and pallet-quantity customers.
- Travel across Canada and the United States, and occasionally internationally, to meet with retailers, distributors and commercial partners, attend trade shows and support market development activities.
3. eCommerce and Digital Growth
- Lead the continued growth of Amazon and direct-to-consumer business.
- Improve product visibility, conversion rates, advertising performance and customer retention.
- Develop strategies for the company website, online marketplaces and digital sales campaigns.
- Coordinate search advertising, social media, email marketing, content marketing and marketplace promotions.
- Use customer and sales data to improve targeting, product positioning and marketing return on investment.
- Ensure consistency between online pricing, retail pricing and distributor pricing.
4. Partner Portal and B2B Customer Acquisition
- Lead the commercial development of US Partner Portal.
- Build campaigns to attract commercial growers, landscapers, retailers, resellers and agricultural businesses.
- Develop a structured process for business-account registration, qualification, onboarding and conversion.
- Create wholesale pricing tiers for case, pallet and recurring-volume customers.
- Establish account-development programs to increase repeat orders and customer lifetime value.
- Coordinate with the operations team to ensure accurate inventory, fulfilment and customer support.
5. Sales and CRM Leadership
- Implement and manage a structured CRM system for retail, wholesale and commercial accounts.
- Build sales funnels, account stages, follow-up processes and performance dashboards.
- Track leads, conversion rates, average order values, repeat purchases and account activity.
- Develop sales forecasts and monthly business reviews.
- Recruit, train and manage sales, customer service, digital marketing and channel-development personnel as the business grows.
- Establish clear targets, incentives and accountability across the commercial team.
6. Product and Market Development
- Develop channel-specific positioning for biological products.
- Work with the technical and regulatory teams to ensure product claims, labels and marketing materials remain compliant.
- Recommend pack sizes, bundles, pricing and promotional programs for different customer segments.
- Gather feedback from retailers, distributors and end users to guide product development.
- Identify opportunities for new products, private-label programs and channel partnerships.
- Develop educational materials that help retailers and customers understand microbial and biological products.
7. Commercial and Financial Management
- Take ownership of revenue growth, gross margins and commercial operating expenses for the division.
- Prepare annual business plans, budgets and forecasts.
- Evaluate channel profitability and customer acquisition costs.
- Develop pricing structures that protect margins while remaining attractive to retailers and distributors.
- Manage promotional spending, retailer incentives and digital marketing budgets.
- Provide regular reporting to the CEO and leadership team.
Requirements
What You'll Bring
- 7+ years of experience in retail, wholesale, distribution, e-commerce or commercial sales leadership.
- Experience in one or more of the following sectors: Lawn and garden, Horticulture, Agricultural inputs, Fertilizers and soil amendments, Biological products, Plant nutrition, Hydroponics, Home-growing products, Nursery or garden-centre distribution, etc.
- Demonstrated experience building or significantly expanding a retail or distribution network.
- Strong knowledge of digital marketing, online marketplaces, CRM systems and sales management.
- Experience working with physical retailers, distributors, wholesalers or reseller networks.
- A proven record of delivering revenue growth and developing new commercial channels.
- Experience managing Amazon or other major e-commerce marketplaces.
- Strong commercial negotiation, pricing and account-management skills.
- Experience developing and managing sales teams.
- Strong understanding of inventory, fulfilment, retail margins and channel economics.
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining directly involved in execution.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly for business across Canada, with occasional international travel, as required.
Benefits
- Opportunity to be part of the founding members of a fast-growing team in a promising industry.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
- Mental health and wellness support programs.
- Virtual healthcare access.
- Travel emergency medical coverage.
- Life and accident insurance protection.
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We proudly support and partner with organizations that lift people up so everyone can succeed and thrive, and honour our candidates' experiences, perspectives and unique identity.
We are committed to continuing to make diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do – from how we work with our talented candidates to how we support our clients in building their diverse workforce.
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