Business Developer

Action is one of the largest, fastest growing non-food discount retailers in Europe. It currently has stores in The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Austria and Poland. In 2017, Action opened their fifth distribution center near Toulouse and the opening of the next distribution centers will not be long. The rapid international expansion of Action brings many challenges and opportunities for the new Business Developer.

About Action

Action’s formula is crystal clear: low pricing and a fast-evolving range of products. Action knows how to score points on ‘price’ and ‘surprise’ and does so time and time again. That means customers love to come back – often several times a week. You’ll find premium brands such as Coca-Cola, Dove, Philips, Haribo and Bic on its shelves, but also private label brands such as Subliem, Blinq, Spectrum and Werckmann. The store is famous for its assortment in the categories decoration, personal care, toys and cleaning products, but it’s also growing in many other categories such as multimedia. This is a strategy that pays off because Action is growing exponentially across four axes:

• The baskets of loyal customers get fuller every time;
• Action taps into new audiences;
• There are more stores opening their doors within current markets;
• And new markets are entered as well.

About the Business Developer

It is expected that the responsibilities of the Business Developer will continue to expand with the growth of the business. But the Business Developer will also be able to make an impact from the get-go with the following responsibilities:

• Strategy – The Business Developer coordinates the annual strategic planning cycle and is actively involved in strategy development. Providing insights into the defined strategies and budgets, determining the potential consequences and reporting about it. In addition, the Business Developer will monitor and check progress on strategic priorities within the company.
• Advisory – The Business Developer will perform market research, competitive tracking and analyses. The goal is to gather insights and identify opportunities and new business concepts. This is vital information which the Business Developer uses to prepare reports and presentations.
• Leadership Support – The Business Developer will provide general support (performing analyses, preparing presentations) to CEO and/or CFO on specific projects on an as-needed basis.
• Key Project Management – As the Project Manager for multidisciplinary and complex project teams, the Business Developer will drive decision making and create plans of action (in conjunction with the business) for larger strategic initiatives and changes. This person will also follow the implementation of action plans, discuss progress amongst key players and report about it. Ultimately, the Business Developer ensure key projects are implemented and targeted results are delivered on time, in order to contribute to the overall growth and efficiency of the company.

Its rapid expansion and high growth rate make Action a successful and rapidly developing organization. This will continue to bring a host of new challenges and opportunities in terms of processes, projects and professionalization. The Business Developer is part of the Business Development team and reports to Marjolein Slappendel, Director of Business Development.

“You’ll be able to shape the future of Action and your own role within this fast-paced environment. A proactive attitude is key. For example, you’ll actively identify the wishes and needs of the internal customer, and translate topics from concept into action. You’re driven to speed up progress and achieve tangible results.” – Marjolein Slappendel, Director of Business Development

Candidate profile

Personality

• Well-organized, able to manage deadlines, budgets and other agreements
• Team-player
• Opportunity-driven
• Pragmatic and flexible

Experience

• Academic degree
• Minimum 5 years in Strategy Consulting, Private Equity or project positions within Retail
• Fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Excellent PowerPoint skills

Action works with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy. Contact Annelijn Nijhuis at annelijn@topofminds.com for more information.