Area Sales Manager Subequatorial Africa, Lab Products at Thermo Fisher Scientific

Job description
Job Description

Emerging Markets Area Sales Manager Sub-Equatorial Africa & Geographic Lead, East Africa (Lab Products Division)

Location: Johannesburg / Pretoria Areas

As a key member of the LPD Emerging Market Africa Team, the Area Manager (ASM) will be responsible for the strategic leadership, direction and development of the LPD business in the Southern and Eastern African Geography. The ASM will be in charge for identifying new commercial opportunities and driving growth across LPGs business activities in the Region.

Through a strategic approach to market and business development, the ASM will significantly shape the future development of LPDs Region strategy by analyzing the market and advising LPD of development opportunities. He/she will be committed to customer service excellence and will take the lead role in developing and managing channel and distributor partnerships (Tier 1 and Tier 2) as well as Direct and Global Account relationships in implementing the Company’s goals.

Key Duties And Responsibilities

• Create and implement Divisional business development strategies and plans. This will involve working closely with colleagues and teams to ensure business development strategies meet and exceed the demands of the market.
• Evaluate LPD’s position in the Market and identify barriers to growth. Make recommendations for necessary changes to the regional LPD business tactics and define support resources necessary to drive the Division’s growth in the market place.
• Create and develop commercial opportunities to increase sales volumes across all LPD product lines. This will apply to both existing and new clients with whom the ASM will target, initiate and develop business relationships.
• Works to meet Business goals, such as budget set by Management for each segment of the Thermo LPD product portfolio.
• Responsible for capturing opportunities in the CRM system, establish reliable sales forecasts, MBR/QBR reports.
• Monitor competitor’s activities and develop measures to counteract threats from competition.
• Support dealer and distributor network including organizing product trainings, price positioning, and product offerings up to contract negotiations. Take the lead on constructing robust and successful proposals that secure new businesses and long term client relationships for LPD.
• Facilitating communication between the various external and internal stakeholders, ensuring compliance with the procedures established by the company, optimizing the administrative routines and feasibility analysis for effective decision making.
• Ensure that Management and Colleagues regularly receive inputs on market opportunities, trends, desired features and functionality needed by customers to ensure these are considered in product design and customer service enhancements.
• Take active role on behalf of LPD in promoting the overall Company’s value proposition; closely interact cross divisionally in the Thermo Fisher Scientific African Leadership Team to leverage the full company capabilities.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Coach, lead and develop one Area Manager based in Nairobi, Kenya, covering Eastern Africa

Required Experience:

• The ASM will be able to act in the capacity of a Business Development Manager and Senior Sales Manager on behalf of LPD in relationships with distributors, project integrators, private and public institutes as well as key account customers.
• Familiarity with customer base in Life Sciences, Healthcare, Academia and Material Sciences and experience of the LPD product line.
• Influencing skills as they relate to senior purchasing executives and other key decision makers and the demonstrated ability to close orders.
• Ability to plan, gain consensus and execute projects to successful completion.
• Track record in negotiation and persuasion of internal & external stake holders.
• Ability to operate effectively and independently in a matrixed, multi-site environment.
• Capacity to understand financial statements and produce key market reports related to the Region.
• Experience in Distribution Contract Agreements.
• Excellent inter-personal skills and ability to make presentations across the board.
• Knowledge of EU/US commercial terms and practices, experienced in export business procedures including compliance
• Hands on style of working

Educational & Experience Qualifications

• Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, Scientific or the equivalent University Degree is Required.
• Detailed commercial skills covering also all aspects being relevant in export trade business, distribution contract know-how. Demonstrated excellence in English oral and written communication skills; additional languages skills a plus
• Microsoft Office applications & competency in using software tools
• Minimum 5 years working in Sales in Africa, minimum 2 years supervising personnel.

Other Job Requirements

• Some 50% of time estimated traveling in the territory
• IND-EMEA