Just Russel sells directly to customers through events, fairs, and activations across Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. It works. Now we're scaling it.

As Direct Sales Manager, you own this channel. You build the structure that's missing, strengthen the team that's already there, and lay the foundation for growth in new markets. This is not a role where everything is figured out. You get a channel with proven potential and the freedom to make it something solid.

You combine strategic thinking with operational precision. You know how to coach a team, negotiate with event partners, and design a sales process that scales. You work independently, take ownership without being asked, and hold yourself to a high standard. If your idea of success is keeping things running smoothly, this is not the right role. If it's building something that didn't exist before, keep reading.

What you’ll do in your first 6 weeks

• You join events before you have all the answers. You observe, you ask hard questions, and you form your own view of what's actually going on, not what people tell you is going on. There's a difference, and you know how to find it.

• You run a full audit of the channel: team capability, partner quality, process maturity, sales performance per market. You document what you find and you are honest about it, even when the picture is messier than expected.

• You don't wait for a green light to start improving things. If you spot a structural problem in week two, you flag it and propose a fix. Ownership starts on day one, not after onboarding.

• You take the wheel on day-to-day operations: staffing, event planning, partner communication. Not to delegate it immediately, but to understand it deeply enough to know what should change.

• By week six, you sit down with management and present not just what you found, but what you're going to do about it. A clear diagnosis, a prioritized plan, and the conviction to defend it. We will push back. That's part of it.

What you’ll own

• The performance, strategy and operations of our direct sales channel across Belgium & the Netherlands

• The future expansion into France and Germany. You take what works, figure out what doesn't, translate and build something that scales across markets without losing quality.

• An internal team who keep the channel running day-to-day. You set the direction, remove the blockers, and make sure their work adds up to something that scales.

• A portfolio of event partnerships that you manage and grow — negotiating terms, maintaining relationships, and making the call when something isn't working.

What you bring to the table

• 3+ years of experience in a commercial, consulting or project management role where you were responsible for outcomes. You've taken something from messy to structured before — a process, a market, a project, a channel.

• A structured way of working. You're comfortable breaking down complexity, building simple systems around it, and using data to make better decisions.

• A proactive, hands-on mindset. You spot gaps and move to fix them without waiting to be asked

• Fluency in Dutch and English

• Comfort with weekend availability for urgent operational matters or occasional event presence. This role runs Monday to Friday, but the channel doesn't stop on Friday afternoon.

What we offer

• Ownership of key growth channel at Just Russel

• A competitive salary package

• Health insurance via Alan

• Learning and development opportunities to support your personal and professional growth

• Fun team-building, social and sports activities throughout the year

• Employee discount for your pet, because they're part of the family too

• Fresh fruit and energising drinks at the office.

Who we are

Just Russel is on a mission to change the way people care for their pets, through convenience, preventive health, and data-driven decisions. We are building the leading D2C pet care company in Europe, and direct sales is one of the channels that gets us there.

We are not looking for someone to maintain what exists. We are looking for someone who looks at what exists and immediately sees what it could become. If that is how you think, we want to hear from you.