Sales Manager (Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast)

As Sales Manager reporting to the Head of Sales, you will relentlessly pursue the growth and development your control by creating, selling and executing join business plans aligned with our customers. Travel will be an essential part of the role in building knowledge, monitoring trade activity and nurturing the key relationships required to successfully support and grow our joint business.

Key Accountabilities

Joint Business Planning and Negotiation

• Achieve annual sales targets by ensuring customer orders are placed and shipped on time.
• Joint preparation and agreement of annual business plans with customers to deliver sustainable business growth.
• Update forecasts periodically based on market performance and adjust plans to achieve results.
• Continuously optimize pricing structures relative to changes in competitive positioning.
• Prepare, monitor and execute advertising and promotions plans within approved budget.
• Prepare and follow through on channel and category plans to effectively defend and grow revenue.

Finance and Control

• Ensure all necessary financial instruments are in place ahead of order placement and shipment.
• Follow up rigorously for on time payment against customer invoices and the reconciliation of accounts.
• Follow up, process and settle all customer debit notes in a timely manner.

Trade and Category Development

• Provide customers with the required materials and guidelines including planograms, point of sale and new product launch briefs for excellent trade execution across our products and categories.
• Work closely with customers to build effective coverage and product distribution across key trade channels.
• Effectively grow our categories by identifying, planning and effectively executing new product and revenue driving opportunities.
• Ensure stock guidelines are adhered to both trade level and customer level applying continuous stock pressure.
• Bring back knowledge of competitor activity, trade insights and market intelligence to help develop plans to win.
• Work closely with our customers to create effective category, product and execution plans with key trade customers.

Customer Relationship Management

• Establish and maintain clear business parameters existing customers across markets.
• Build and develop effective customer relationships through frequent contact and market visits.
• Act both internally and externally as the face of the customer working cross functionally to execute effectively.
• Keep abreast and highlight the impact of any legal, regulatory or trade barriers that may arise.
• Coordinate, coach and train internal and customer teams to effectively execute agreed plans.
• Report back to the company on any significant customer or consumer queries requiring support in resolution.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Education

• A Bachelor’s Degree in sales, marketing, business administration, finance or relevant field.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.
• Proven results in delivering sales targets, working with distributors and the management of supply chain or export will be essential.

Technical Skills

• Customer Relationship Management
• Export Management
• Category and Channel Management
• Advertising & Promotion Planning
• Value Chain Pricing
• Commercial Business Planning
• Route to Market
• Financial Instruments & Reconciliation
• Negotiation
• Trade Marketing
• Advanced computer skills

Key Competencies

• Attention to detail
• Drive for results
• Action Orientated
• Relationship Building
• Influence and impact including conflict management
• Building the brand
• Planning and Organizing
• Monitoring and Measuring

Travel

• Able to travel a minimum of 35% of total time or 100 nights in a year.

Location

• Overseas based