Sales Operations Manager

Business Area: Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages (NW&PB)

Sales Operations Manager

Location: Gatwick (Hybrid working – min. 2 flexible days a week in our office)

Attractive Salary

Some of our other fantastic benefits

• Car Allowance


• Potential, discretionary annual bonus


• Generous pension scheme


• 12 flexible days on top of 25 days annual holiday entitlement pro rata


• 2 paid volunteering days


• A focus on personal development and growth

Although this is a full-time permanent opportunity, please speak to us about what flexibility means to you as we are always open to discuss individual’s flexible working needs, don’t let this stop you from applying.

Position Summary

Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages is the world leader in the bottled water market and we’re committed to bottling the very best waters from the source, straight to our customers, via the most advanced and sustainable techniques currently employed. We are also proud to produce some of the UK’s best-loved brands including Buxton, SanPellegrino, Perrier and Nestlé Pure Life.  We have a genuine passion for Water and Healthy Beverages a fabulous portfolio of brands, a clear strategy and a determination to win in the marketplace of both consumers and customers

We have a great opportunity for a Sales Operations Manager to join our Commercial Development Team (CDT) to help deliver the triple win for the needs of the retailer, the shopper and Nestlé Waters.  

As Sales Operations Manager, you will coach and develop the Sales team on ‘Sophisticated Category Based Selling’ and embedding ‘Negotiation Frameworks’ into our joint business plans (JBP’s).   You will also coach and develop the wider GD and End to End Team on Customer & Channel best practice and insights.

Your impact
In this fast paced, challenging environment, you will be a trusted category partner. Key responsibilities of this role will include:

• Lead the Monthly Business Planning (MBP) process & key meetings for NW&PB e.g Scenario Planning, Dynamic Forecast (DF), Commercial Reviews, Weekly Sales Meeting


• Lead the JBP sign off process ensuring mandatory compliance to process and sign off of KPI’s to be included within GD PDP’s


• Drive forecast accuracy and lead the application, and continued optimization of commercial planning tools, ensuring their effectiveness, relevance, accuracy and consistent use.


• Lead cross functionally across all GD functions, Finance and Supply Chain to coordinate the delivery of the full year commercial plan and commitments through monthly Corporate Submission


• Prepare for up-coming execution by ensuring the plans for the coming months (M+1 – 3) reflect the latest information and decisions, aligning on the projected outcome and confirm commitment for the coming month


• Orchestrate current execution & react with agility to immediate issues and opportunities, owning the R&O tracker for the business

Your ingredients for success

To be successful, you will have developed critical experiences in Customer Management across a variety of channels. You will have spent time in the Sales function and possibly CDT. In these roles, you will have shown a talent to lead without authority.

With strong communication and influencing skills, you’ll have the ability to coach and lead a wide range of stakeholders both internally and externally. We’re looking for an experienced Sales / Category professional with the following skills and experience:

• Proven track record of leading, collaborating, challenging cross functionally and influencing across all organisational levels


• Deep understanding and experience of the MBP process


• Numerically experienced with an ability to understand, challenge and create opportunities within all levels of the P&L


• Strategic mindset to create value by executing the Strategic Revenue Management strategy and leading with a more sophisticated category based selling approach

• Passionate about the category and what is right for the shopper with the ability to see the bigger picture and connect dots between Internal/ External

• Experience of leading/ executing JBP/CPI process essential


• Marketing and/or Category Management experience would be beneficial

• Self-starter with strong focus on results and high integrity


• Empowers others and creates an environment encouraging diversity of thought and constructive challenge/debate


• Creative thinking outside of the box to solve problems and drive simplicity and efficiency

• Understand the importance of working towards a triple win – Customer, Shopper, Nestlé.

What you need to know

Advert closing date: 24/07/2026

We will be considering candidates as they apply and we will occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don’t delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect and we believe that embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment allows everyone to reach their full potential and drives innovative thinking. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all gender identities, ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, parents, carers and members of the LGBT+ community. Please let us know if we can provide accommodations to ensure your full participation in the application process.

We take pride in championing inclusion and diversity. We proudly signed the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter, are committed to Disability Confidence, and have been recognised as a Times Top 50 Employer for gender equality for three consecutive years. Additionally, we are a headline partner of Diversity and Inclusion in grocery.

To find out more about Nestle’s commitment to DEI: Nestlé's Commitment to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

To find out more about your recruitment journey with Nestle: Recruitment Journey | Nestlé UK & Ireland