The CPG Career Landscape Has Shifted. Here’s Where the Opportunities Actually Are.

If you work in a CPG commercial function - whether that’s Sales Operations, Commercial Finance, RGM, Commercial Strategy or anything that touches pricing, margin, and go-to-market - you’re operating in a job market that looks fundamentally different from even two years ago.

Some roles that were considered “emerging” in 2023 are now non-negotiable hires. Some that were safe bets have been restructured into oblivion. And the skills that get you shortlisted have changed faster than most CVs have kept up with.

Here’s what we’re seeing from the inside.

The Roles That Are Growing Fastest

Revenue Growth Management continues to be the standout. What was once a function found mainly in the largest global CPG businesses is now being built in PE-backed scale-ups, mid-market brands and founder-led businesses that are feeling the squeeze on margin. The demand isn’t just for senior RGM leaders - it’s across the full spectrum, from analysts who can own the data to directors who can own the P&L conversation.

Commercial Excellence & Capability is the other area accelerating fast. As businesses invest in new tools, new ways of working and new commercial disciplines, they need people who can embed those capabilities into the organisation - not just design them on a slide. The best Commercial Excellence hires are part strategist, part coach, part change agent.

Commercial Finance business partnering - specifically, people who can bridge the gap between Finance rigour and commercial reality - remains one of the hardest roles to fill well. The demand is for people who can challenge commercial teams constructively, not just report the numbers.

The Skills That Actually Matter Right Now

Every CPG job spec in 2026 mentions “data-driven” and “cross-functional.” They’ve become so ubiquitous they’re almost meaningless. What hiring managers are actually looking for - what separates the shortlisted candidates from the rejected ones - is more specific than that.

Commercial storytelling. The ability to take complex data and turn it into a narrative that drives a decision. Not a 40-slide deck. A clear, compelling argument that a non-technical stakeholder can act on. If you can do this well, you will never struggle to find opportunities.

Comfortable with ambiguity. The businesses hiring most aggressively right now are the ones in transition - scaling, restructuring, entering new channels or maybe resetting their commercial model. They don’t need someone who requires a fully defined process to operate. They need people who can "build the plane while flying it".

Influence without authority. Particularly in RGM, Commercial Strategy and Commercial Excellence, the most impactful people aren’t the ones with the biggest team or the most senior title. They’re the ones who can get Sales, Marketing, Finance and Supply Chain purring and moving in the same direction through the quality of their thinking and the way they engage people.

What the Best Candidates Are Doing Differently

The candidates who are securing the most sought after opportunities right now share a few common traits and none of them are about having the “right” brand name on their CV.

• They quantify everything. Not wishy-washy “improved promotional effectiveness” but “redirected £1.5M in trade spend from bottom-quartile promotions, improving ROI by 22%.” Numbers are the universal language of commercial impact and the candidates who communicate it fluently stand out immediately.

• They’re proactive about their narrative. They don’t wait for a recruiter to interpret their CV - they frame their experience around the problems they’ve solved and the outcomes they’ve delivered. When they walk into an interview, the hiring manager already understands the value they bring.

• They’re selective. The strongest candidates aren’t applying to everything. They’re having targeted conversations with specialist recruiters who understand their market and they’re evaluating opportunities based on the business challenge, the team and the growth trajectory - not just the title and the package.

A Word on the Market for Hiring Managers

If you’re reading this from the other side of the table - as someone trying to hire into these functions - the talent market rewards speed, clarity and authenticity.

The best candidates have options. They will choose the business that articulates its challenge most clearly, moves decisively through the process and treats them as partners rather than applicants.

If your hiring process takes six weeks and four rounds of interviews to reach a decision, you’re losing people. Not because they’re impatient, but because someone else moved faster and made them feel valued.

How POET Can Help

Whether you’re a CPG commercial professional thinking about your next step, or a business leader trying to find the right person for a growth-critical role, POET specialises in exactly this space.

We’ve spent two decades building deep networks across RGM, Commercial Strategy, Sales Operations, Commercial Finance, MS&P and Commercial Excellence - and we assess candidates against real commercial challenges, not just CV keywords.

If you want a conversation about the market, your career or a specific hire, we’re here.

Book a Call with POET

POET is a specialist CPG recruitment partner focused on commercial growth and transformation roles. We help consumer goods businesses hire exceptional talent across Revenue Growth Management, Commercial Strategy, Sales Operations, Commercial Finance, MS&P and Commercial Excellence.