Country Manager HR

Good Job! Good Life!

The HeadHunter Group is an innovative Staffing and Recruiting Company with HQ in Dover, Delaware (USA), operating in Canada, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Cyprus, Greece, and Bulgaria. We offer the newest mentality in the staffing industry — our core business is focused on Candidates and Clients.

Country Manager – Croatia

Zagreb | FMCG / Beverage Sector

On behalf of a well-established regional Food & Beverage group, we are conducting a confidential search for a Country Manager – Croatia.

This mandate is designed for a senior commercial leader with strong FMCG credentials, proven P&L ownership experience, and the ability to drive sustainable market growth in a competitive environment.

About the Role

The Country Manager – Croatia will be responsible for leading and managing all aspects of the company's operations in the Croatian market. The role focuses on strategic business growth, operational excellence, and effective leadership of the local team. The successful candidate will drive sales performance, oversee distribution channels, and ensure strong collaboration across departments to deliver outstanding market results.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall management of the Croatian operations, ensuring revenue, volume, and market share targets are achieved.
• Develop and execute annual business and sales plans aligned with corporate objectives.
• Drive efficient sales, distribution, and trade marketing strategies to support market expansion.
• Build strong relationships with key clients, sub-distributors, and business partners.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting with accuracy and accountability.
• Provide market insights, monitor competition, and identify growth opportunities.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the local team to achieve excellence in performance and collaboration.
• Ensure compliance with local legislation, internal policies, and company standards.
• Represent the company before local authorities, clients, and stakeholders.

The Mandate

The Country Manager will assume full strategic and operational responsibility for the Croatian business, with direct accountability for revenue growth, profitability, distribution excellence, and team performance.

This is not a maintenance role — it is a growth mandate.

The successful candidate will:

Own full P&L responsibility for Croatia
Define and execute long-term market expansion strategy
Strengthen modern trade, traditional trade, and HoReCa channels
Optimize distribution partnerships and commercial agreements
Elevate trade marketing and brand positioning
Drive performance culture and leadership development within the local team
Represent the company at executive level with key partners and stakeholders

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

10+ years of FMCG leadership experience
Minimum 5 years in General Management / Country / Business Unit leadership
Strong background in Beverage and/or Food categories
Experience in the coffee business is a distinct advantage
Demonstrated success in scaling revenue and improving profitability
Deep understanding of the Croatian retail and distribution landscape
Strong financial acumen and strategic planning capability
High-level negotiation and stakeholder management skills
Fluent English

Leadership Expectations

We are seeking a commercially sharp, strategically minded executive who combines operational discipline with entrepreneurial drive.

The ideal candidate demonstrates:

Strategic vision with hands-on execution capability
Strong decision-making under pressure
Ability to lead through influence and build high-performance teams
Clear communication at regional and group level

What Makes This Opportunity Attractive

Strategic impact within a respected international group
Significant autonomy and decision-making authority
Long-term growth potential within the regional structure
Competitive executive compensation package

Note: Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.

Our client offers equal opportunity for everyone, and no person shall be discriminated against on the grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, ethnic background, race, skin color, religion or ideology, political persuasion, social background or marital status.