Area Sales Manager – Trade at RCL Foods

Job Description    

• RCL FOODS is on the hunt for an Area Sales Manager to join the Food Partners Division. This individual will need to effectively drive the profitable growth of TRADE DISTRIBUTOR Accounts in the Region, ensuring effective accounts management and professional customer relationship management that achieve customer and Channel objectives, KPIs and targets and maintain and grow the commercial and supply relationships with the Regional Independent Distributor, Bidfood Regional Branches, Super Group Regional Branches and Regional Key Accounts that translate into increased sales volumes and expanded product lines. Service the strategy of the development of the Customers in line with company and Channel Objectives.
• The successful incumbent will need to Provide the link between RCL Trade Team, RCL supply chain and the Customer Procurement Department, Sales Team and Customer outlet ensuring full availability to the customer/consumer in your region. Leverage internal and external relationships to delivery Customer Service Excellence (CSE)requirements end user customer and added volume growth to the distributor network.

Minimum Requirements    

• Degree in management, business administration and/or marketing
• Valid Code EB drivers’ licence
• 5 years' experience in a Foodservice/Distributor function that includes managing complex and/or significant customer relationships and management of team’s experience, with at least 5 years in a management role
• Excellent Knowledge of Sales and marketing principles and methodologies
• The Foodservice / HORECA market (including customers and competitors)
• Computer Literacy with intermediate/Advanced Excel proficiency
• Decision maker and problem solver
• Independent individual who works with minimum supervision
• Travel is required

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Regional Strategy Formulation and Implementation
• Formulate short and medium-term trade relationship customer strategies to deliver sustainable, profitable growth by key customers in your Region.
• Ensure alignment across plans and with National key accounts and Regional Operational Strategy in your Region.
• Participate in the S&OP product forecast process to drive improved forecast accuracy for the business in line with the National Trade Account Managers.
• Drive the achievement of targeted sales growth for all your Route-to-market partners.
• Evaluate and monitor competitors and their activities and formulate proactive responses when required.
• Perform rigorous investment analysis and allocate budget accordingly.
• Participate in the Food Partners commercial planning process through the development of an annual customer business plan in conjunction with the National Trade Account Managers that supports brand and channel plans in the assigned accounts.
• Penetrate Regional accounts at all levels, develop senior and junior level relationships that enable the achievement of customer plans.

Manage Regional Trade Account Relationships

• Grow business by delivering the joint business planning process (JBP) agreed agenda with key regional partners that delivers clear achievable plans to service end use key accounts.
• Ensure that all accounts are profitably serviced for the company to achieve sales and revenue goals by working cohesively with the Outlet Operations, Channel National Account and Marketing Teams
• Ensure availability to key account end users via agreed route to market partners and/or free trade outlets, at depo and outlet level by working closely with Distributor Telesales and Key Accounts Teams and personally controlling all depot orders.
• Execute all Depot sales force communications and briefings.
• Source data from all partners to best feed RCL data insight needs
• Build and maintain a reputation as RCL Foods’s leading expert on your Regional Account Customers and their operational needs.
• Analyse sales statistics and market trends to determine business growth potential and opportunities.
• Coordinate internal and external teams to ensure smooth and efficient operations and delivery of all services to our Channel and National Account Team’s customers. This includes Advertising/Activity Plans, delivery and availability.
• Review key account performance, set targets and develop joint business plans to improve effectiveness and set maximum profit margins in line with National Trade Account managers for National Accounts and alone for Regional partners.
• Plot the annual and long-term objectives for responsible accounts and ensure all volume, distribution and profit target are met working with sole responsibility on free trade outlets and joint responsibility for Channel National Account Managers for their customers.
• TRADE DISTRIBUTOR customers often have strong Operations Teams and Sales Teams and you will need to leverage their strength to deliver your Regional Account objectives, providing all necessary communication and tools as required.

New product Development

• Input into Food Partners division decision making process around new product launches. Key area of input: Local Trade considerations

Marketing and Promotion

• Manage Point of Sale Material Deployment through your Region via coordination with local and national service providers such as Super Group and Regional depots, ensuring local availability and deployment, POS and bags for pies as an example.
• Manage the Regional requirements for, deployment, recording, maintenance and servicing of Pie Warmers or other merchandising hardware.
• Drive and assess trade promotions investment in your customers to ensure maximum profitable growth.

Market and Customer Insight Maintenance

• Analyse and track market, customer and channel trends and in-market measures at the customer and channel level, such as distribution, share, price, and merchandising performance.
• Identify business implications and make recommendations.
• Act as the TRADE DISTRIBUTOR customer and free trade, HORECA expert for your region, understanding what drives purchase needs and customer behaviour.

Pricing Guidelines Management

• Manage the local pricing and promotion pricing in your Region to extract maximum value for RCL Foods and key account customers.
• Track RCL brand and competitive prices across customers. All pricing tracking to be in line with the Competitions Act. Where applicable direct competitor pricing to be recorded line with the legal requirement.

SUPPLY CHAIN DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT

• Provide the management of the distribution link between RCL supply chain and the Customer’s outlet ensuring full availability to the consumer in your region.
• Provide holistic forecasting information to the necessary Demand Planning team via the National Trade Managers for national account or direct for your local account; by sourcing timeous input from relevant Channel Nation Account Managers to build a bottom up forecast for your account and regional depots as required. A national picture must be validated regionally.
• Conduct regular reviews of distribution and product delivery efficiency by the different Distribution partners for your accounts.
• Ensure that there are regular meetings with the Distributor’s management team to discuss customer service measures and resolve problems arising (complaints, on time delivery and order fill).

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Participate in the formulation of RCL Foods growth targets for your Region.
• Manage and control the customer expenditure budget.

ORGANISATIONAL EFFICIENCY

• Drive efficient working relationship with the other Food Partners Teams namely; Customer Outlet Operations, Channel teams and Marketing to ensure effective delivery of your regional trade strategy through their teams.
• Implement and simplify appropriate business processes to increase organisational effectiveness and efficiency.
• very close relationship will also be required with the Trade National Account Managers who are responsible for managing National Relationships of your Regional.
• Managing and aligning people without line reporting will be a key to success in this role as the Depot partner Sales forces will drive free trade sales on your behalf