FMCG Recruitment Agency in Belgium

Archetype recruits sales, marketing and leadership roles for manufacturers and distributors of fast-moving consumer goods in Belgium: key account managers facing retailers, sales directors, trade marketing, country managers. Our core business is sales, marketing and management profiles, which account for over 90% of our assignments. We work in French, Dutch and English, on a retainer, with an average of 12 weeks to the candidate’s signature and a 6-month replacement guarantee. Founded in 1993.

Key account manager presenting a category plan to two retail buyers — Belgium's food industry employed 100,527 people in 2024, according to Eurostat.

A dense food industry facing concentrated buyers

According to Eurostat structural business statistics, Belgium’s food industry had 6,031 enterprises and 100,527 persons employed in 2024, one in five manufacturing jobs. On the other side of the table, a small number of retailers and buying groups decide on listings for much of the volume. A manufacturer’s year rests on a handful of negotiation meetings, and the key account managers who have led them are few, known to every competitor and sometimes bound by a non-compete clause.

What an FMCG salesperson has to manage

The cycle follows the annual negotiation calendar, then execution: promotional plans, shelf presence, sales tracking. The key account deals with the retailer’s buyer and category manager; internally, marketing, supply chain and finance judge each deal on real margin. A sales director also arbitrates between large retail, convenience, food service and export.

Archetype grid

Commercial challenge, role to hire, KOAN competencies to check first

Commercial challenge	Role	Priority KOAN competencies
Annual negotiation with a buying group	Key account manager, national account manager	Influencing Strategies, Perseverance, Results-Orientated Approach
Category recommendations and promotional plans	Trade marketing manager, supplier-side category manager	Methods, Customer Orientation, Communicating and Networking
Field team covering stores and food service	Sales manager	Example to Others, Positive Attitude, Responsiveness
Belgian subsidiary of an international group	Country manager, sales director	Commitment to Organization, Influencing Strategies, Example to Others

All 10 competencies of the KOAN Sales model are assessed for every candidate; the grid shows the ones we look at first.

We’ve been using the KOAN tool for 30 years. Thirty years isn’t a detail: it’s what lets you read a test beyond ticked boxes. A KOAN properly interpreted doesn’t just say “this candidate is extroverted”. It tells you what drives them, what blocks them, how they react under pressure, and whether those dynamics fit your team’s culture. That’s rare, and it’s what turns a psychometric test into a business decision tool.
The Archetype method, since 1993

Roles and languages

We recruit key account managers, national account managers, sales directors, marketing managers, brand and trade marketing managers, and country managers. A national key account needs French and Dutch; international subsidiaries add English. Our recruitment team works in all three. If you run a store network rather than sell to retailers, see our retail recruitment page.

An example and a testimonial in consumer goods

For an FMCG multinational, we first assessed the management team, then recruited the commercial leadership. Starting with an assessment defines the role from the gaps observed rather than from a job title. On the training side, one participant in our management training at Meroso Foods put it as “Insightful, practical, and transformative.”

Method, timing and fees

FMCG and distribution is one of our nine sectors. Briefing, sourcing strategy, structured screening, detailed presentation, follow-up before, during and after the hire, with a scorecard, interview transcripts and a KOAN profile for each candidate. Proposal within 48 to 72 hours of the first call. Fees are set before the assignment starts, in a written proposal, on a retainer basis: never a success fee. 6-month replacement guarantee.

About Archetype

Archetype is a Belgian family business founded in 1993 by Marc Diamant and now co-managed with Davy Diamant and Steve Diamant. A member of Federgon, it won Talent Business Innovation of the Year 2025 for its ethical and structured use of AI.

FMCG recruitment: frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to hire an FMCG key account manager?

Fees are set before the assignment starts, in a written proposal, on a retainer basis: never a success fee. 6-month replacement guarantee.

How long does it take?

12 weeks on average from signing the assignment to the candidate signing.

Do you also recruit production, quality or R&D profiles?

No. We recruit sales, marketing and leadership roles. For technical profiles, use a firm specialised in those fields or post your vacancy through Forem, VDAB or Actiris.