Distributor Manager at Nestle

Position Summary

With a history spanning over 150 years, Nestlé didn’t become the world’s leading food and beverages brand by chance. Perfection is at the heart of what we do, and our people are always looking for the next big idea to cement our status. We’re now looking for a Distributor Manager based in Polokwane, Limpopo. The purpose of the role is to build Business Partner (Distributor) and Distributor Sales team capability to drive business performance and deliver growth in the traditional trade specifically in the last mile (spazas) in accordance with Nestlé ZAR defined standards.

A day in the life of a Distributor Manager:

Manage and strengthen the business partnership with Distributors:

• Ensure Distributors’ operations are efficient and effective
• Manage Top to Top relationships between the distributor and key Nestlé senior managers
• Works cross functionally to identify, prioritise and develop commercial initiatives that meet the need of consumer, shoppers, distributors and Nestle

Effective Business Planning:

• Support in development of Field Sales and Category channel Plans
• Develops Distributor's plan by setting clear objectives and tactics that are aligned to ICP
• Implement, follow up and update Field Sales Plan for the assigned Distributor (s)
• Aligns Distributor's plan with relevant stakeholders internally and obtains needed functional support for execution

Drives sustainable profitable growth:

• Understands and uses the different sales and profit levers (e.g., product mix, pricing, promotional strategy, channel mix and differentiation) to drive sustainable profitable growth for both Nestlé and the distributor
• Understands the impact of trade spend investments on sales and profitability and optimises them utilising simulation scenarios and ROI analysis in both Nestle and distributors (e.g., postpromo evaluation).
• Optimises, in alignment with the respective function, the overall cost of doing business (e.g., warehousing, distribution, selling and bad goods costs), whilst being aware of the impact on the total service delivered.

Drive excellence in execution:

• Identify relevant and actionable measures to track excellence in execution
• Liaise with internal (CCSD, Supply Chain) and external (Customer, 3rd party) stakeholders to ensure timely execution of agreed Customer/Channel/Shopper related activities
• Creates and effectively communicates actions needed for superior outlet execution, by defining clear ownership and deadlines for all people involved in both Nestle and the distributor.
• Runs regular reviews to track progress by identifying issues and implements corrective actions

Effective Selling:

• Sets and agree with distributors, clear selling goals using SMART objectives for the selling agenda of any topic (e.g., category growth projects, pricing, promotion, placing initiatives, new product launches and in-store communication)
• Drives commercial initiatives that are beneficial to Nestlé and that deliver measured category growth and/or efficiencies for the channels and distributors

Drive Channel and Customer Knowledge:

• Develops an understanding of the distributor (strategy, business plans, cost structures, KPIs and key personnel)
• Acquires solid knowledge of the distributor's customers operations

People Development:

• Ensure development and coaching of Distributor sales team

What Will Make You Successful

• Grade 12 certificate mandatory
• 3-year Tertiary Qualification would be advantageous
• A minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience (including Customer and Field based exposure)
• Experience as a CAM advantageous
• Understanding informal trade and township shopper
• SAP knowledge