Commercial
Accountable for quality, standards, service and desired outputs within inter-related functional areas of responsibility. May be responsible for work of others. This role will work with various closely related concrete variables, requiring an understanding of the theory or practices underpinning inter-related functional processes.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this role is to provide and drive a differentiated service offering to Formal Retail Trade customersand outlets. The role will manage a portfolio of key accounts at a regional level, specifically within formal and independent retail and promote sales growth and customer satisfaction by successfully executing the national key accounts strategy and effectively managing relationships with key stakeholders. This role therefor builds competitiveness and sales penetration within clearly identified geographies, increasing brand equity, sales volume, market share, and corporate reputation.
Key Accountabilities and Outputs
Regional Key Accounts Management
- Collaborate with National Key Accounts on the implementation of the National Key Account plan with impact on regional volume performance.
- Design and manage sustainable, cost-effective route-to-market service methodologies for the Formal Retail and Independent Retail channels.
- Align and cascade national Key Account Plans into regional implementation plans by attending all National Key Account Meetings (in person/via Teams).
- Negotiate regional listing, grids and Key Account activities with Independents.
- Develop channel-specific regional campaigns (Jwayelani, HyperCheck, Save Group, SPAR Groups etc.)
- Coordinate with National Key Accounts (PnP; S/R; SPAR; Boxer etc.) in order to drive execution at regional level into formal retailers .
- Coordinate with Brand Managers in terms of regional implementation of brand plans, promotions, NPD launches etc.
- Consistently monitor and track sales performance and penetration into the formal and independent retail trade.
- Constantly be aware of and communicate competitor activities, pricing, products and promotions
- Provide timely feedback to the National Key Account Manager, regional sales managers and sales managers with regards to retailer and or market shifts that impact
- Actively adjust the operating plan to accommodate such changes (in conjunction with National Key Accounts).
- Support briefs to applicable 3rd parties to grow Formal Retail and Independent Retail accounts
- POP evaluation of 3rd party delivery of service level agreements to grow Formal Retail and Independent Retail accounts
- Build effective partnerships and resolves customer issues.
- Take responsibility for sales volume of allocated accounts.
General Business, Financial and People Management
- Actively participate in strategic planning and budgeting processes
- Drive continuous improvement through streamlining and optimising relevant operational practices, processes and systems
- Ensure adherence to financial frameworks of practices, processes, standards and controls
- Manage cost drivers and take the necessary action to mitigate financial risk and address variances and discrepancies
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelors Degree (3 years) / NQF level 7 (Essential)
- Up to 4 years experience (Operational Execution) Trade relationships
- Strong negotiation and collaborative skills
- Sales and Trade Execution skills
- Developing and leading teams
- Buying Group relationships
- Collaborate internally and externally to achieve favourable OTIF outcomes
- Robust IT Skills
Key Qualities
Communication
- Communication around escalated or difficult queries with customers or clients
Problem Solving
- Proactive identification of functional problems related to a specific process or policy, determine cause and impact, and choose the best alternative to solve the problem based on guidelines provided and an understanding of the theory or practices underpinning the problem.
Relationships Maintained
- Others outside the organisation
Behavioural Competencies
Accountability
- Accomplishes assigned tasks and goals: takes necessary actions to keep progress against objectives on track.
- Prepares a roadmap for success.
- Ensures that all who need to know, are clear about the plan.
- Takes full responsibility for own actions and outcomes, including mistakes.
- Always acts in the company’s best interest, regardless of whether it is difficult or unpopular.
- Ensures others are on track for achieving their goals.
Collaboration
- Helps others with their work.
- Meets commitments to team members or others in the organisation.
- Actively contributes to team discussions and the accomplishment of team work plans.
- Shares expertise and resources to help others address their needs.
- Seeks to include all those who can contribute to the most successful outcome and those who have a stake in the results.
- Actively keeps all stakeholders informed.
- Attempts to reinvigorate team processes when progress is lagging: stays engaged even when not in full agreement with the team’s direction.
Continuous Improvement
- Increases performance expectations when success has been achieved
- Seeks out sources of information, including trade associations, “best practice” companies, customers, peers, subordinates, etc.
- Finds ways to fast-adapt improvement ideas to work processes
- Proactively seeks out resources, alliances, etc., needed to quickly introduce improvements
Decision Making
- Organises information to make it easier to analyse or see trends.
- Anticipates consequences and formulates alternatives.
- Establishes clear decision criteria for making informed choices.
- Seeks relevant information to better understand situations and problems.
- Conducts appropriate analysis; neither makes snap decisions or over-analyses.
- Sees relationships between various facts, figures or other information.
Knowledge of Business
- Follows systematic, multi-source learning regiment designed to educate oneself quickly: keeps oneself current
- Describes the important impacts that one has on the success of one’s functional area and on company results; demonstrates a knowledge of the customers business
- Uses business understanding to make sound decisions and influence the decisions of others
