Freelance Country Manager France- Retail (All Genders)

YOU & AHEAD

Greenfield. From the ground up.

France is a true greenfield market for ahead. No listings. No distribution. No local sales structure. You'll build our retail presence from the very first conversations with the major buying groups through to scalable distribution across the market. The reality: French grocery retail is highly centralized. Carrefour, Leclerc, Intermarché, Casino and others make national decisions that determine success or failure.

Your mission: establish ahead in French retail, build strong partnerships, and create the structures that will enable our growth in one of Europe's most important markets.

You'll report directly to the Sales Director (Hamburg) and work closely with Trade Marketing, Key Account Management and Category Management.

YOUR TASKS

Retail & Key Account Development

• Build and develop strategic relationships with national buying groups (including Carrefour, Leclerc, Intermarché, Casino)

• Take ownership of listing negotiations, annual trade terms, conditions and distribution

• Develop and scale long-term retail partnerships from first contact through to sustainable collaboration

• Identify and develop relevant retail and drugstore channels, and build strategic partnerships with national and regional trade partners

Market Development & Go-to-Market

• Analyze the French retail landscape and develop the go-to-market strategy for France

• Define pricing positioning, assortment and channel strategy

• Plan and execute local promotions and trade marketing activities

• Conduct competitor monitoring and regular market reporting

Field Sales & Scaling

• Build a local field sales structure - in-house or through external partners

• Develop territory planning, KPIs and performance management structures

• Select and manage merchandising/broker partners

• Ensure distribution, shelf share and strong execution at point of sale

Business Ownership

• Take full ownership of France business development, including P&L

• Drive demand planning, forecasting and performance management

• Collaborate closely with Marketing, Product, Operations and Sales

YOUR PROFILE

• Several years of FMCG sales experience in France

• Deep understanding of French grocery retail (centraizedl purchasing, trading terms, listings, promotions)

• Experience building a market or a new category within a start-up or scale-up environment

• A strong network within French retail, including buyers and category managers

• Experience negotiating at decision-maker level

• An entrepreneurial mindset: you build structures rather than just manage them

• Fluent French and very good English

WHAT MAKES YOUR PROFILE COMPLETE

• Experience in the better-for-you, health food or confectionery segment

• Experience in the parapharmacy/drugstore channel

• Background in category management or shopper marketing

WHAT WE OFFER

AND WHY AHEAD?

Working at ahead is more than just a job - it’s your opportunity to develop as a professional and as a person, while shaping the future of snacking. Our mission is to make low sugar the new standard, and we pour that ambition into every product we create. You’ll become part of a team where international talent, startup drive, real impact, and true ownership come together.

• Hypergrowth Environment: If you're looking for greenfield, creative freedom, and real impact, you're in the right place. We're a team that is scaling fast - with purpose
• Amazing Team: Young, international, ambitious - inspiring colleagues who collaborate, support each other, and genuinely enjoy working together
• Career Growth: Develop through cross-functional projects, structured feedback cycles, and a steep learning curve in a dynamic, high growth environment. We offer a fair, attractive salary with role-dependent bonus opportunities
• Great Benefits: Fuel yourself with ahead snacks, drinks, and merch - we’ve got you covered. On top: a €50 monthly allowance to spend as you like - Urban Sports Club, mobility options, or vouchers from your favorite brands (IKEA, MediaMarkt, Lego and more)
• Vacation Days: Enjoy 28 vacation days plus two extra days off on December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve)
• Events & Offsites: Regular after-work hangouts and legendary annual team offsites you won’t forget

For this role, you can work remotely from France. If this sounds like a good fit, we're excited to go ahead with you!

YOUR NEXT STEPS WITH US

Disclaimer

ahead GmbH is an equal opportunity workplace and is devoted to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity.

About us

At ahead, we’re building the snack brand for a new generation – one that loves chocolate, cookies & gummies, but doesn’t love what sugar does to their bodies.
We use cutting-edge food tech to reinvent childhood favorites: no added sugar, no empty carbs – just full taste, better ingredients, and zero compromise.
The result? Everyday indulgence that actually fits your lifestyle.
Let’s make low-sugar the new normal. And fun again.
We’re growing fast, expanding across Europe, and looking for smart, driven, curious minds to join us.
If you’re ready to change how millions of people snack – for good – we’d love to meet you.