UK or EU-based | Regular European travel | High-growth consumer brand
The Animal People Recruitment Company is partnering for the first time with a fast-growing, design-led brand in the pet space to appoint a European Wholesale Manager.
This is a newly created role with genuine ownership. The business has scaled rapidly through D2C and is now investing properly in European wholesale, with infrastructure already in place, existing partners live, and warm opportunities ready to be progressed.
If you enjoy building relationships, developing markets and being trusted to get on with it, without micromanagement or hard selling, this role is built for you.
Why This Role Exists
European wholesale has reached a point where it needs dedicated focus.
Until now, the region has been managed alongside other senior responsibilities. This hire will take ownership of Europe, nurturing existing partners, progressing live opportunities, and opening new markets across priority EU territories.
This is a relationship-led environment, not a pressure-sales culture. Success comes from credibility, organisation and long-term thinking.
You’ll be supported by an established in-house team across marketing, product, e-commerce and operations, with structured onboarding and warm opportunities already in place.
What You’ll Be Responsible For
- Owning and growing European wholesale revenue across retail and distribution
- Developing and expanding existing European partners
- Progressing warm distributor and multi-store retail opportunities already in motion
- Identifying and opening new wholesale partnerships across priority EU markets
- Representing the brand at key European trade shows
- Working closely with marketing, product, design and operations teams
- Becoming the internal and external “go-to” person for Europe
Who This Role Will Suit
This role is intentionally open to different backgrounds.
You may already be working in the pet industry, or you may come from FMCG, consumer goods, lifestyle, accessories, outdoor backgrounds. What matters most is how you work, not where you’ve worked.
You’re likely to be:
- Relationship-led and commercially aware
- Comfortable working autonomously with full ownership
- Confident managing international partners and cross-border accounts
- Proactive, organised and adaptable in a fast-moving environment
- Motivated by building something, not just maintaining it
Location & Working Style
- UK-based preferred, but EU-based candidates are also considered
- Regular European travel is part of the role and should be something you enjoy
- Head office is in Nottingham, with flexibility around office presence
- Working hours are flexible and outcomes-focused, built on trust and autonomy
- Salary: £40,000+ depending on experience
- Performance-based bonus (flexible and open to discussion)
- Private healthcare (post-probation)
- 3% pension contribution
- All travel expenses covered
- Quarterly team days / away days
- Laptop, phone and tools provided
This is an opportunity to build a European territory properly within a brand that already has momentum, infrastructure and demand behind it.
You’ll have autonomy, trust, visibility and as European wholesale scales, clear scope for this role to evolve into a more senior or leadership position.
