Head of Direct Sales (Gauteng) at Aspen Pharma Group

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Development of key growth sales strategies, tactics and the successful execution of these strategies, to achieve the company’s financial targets:

• Develop a comprehensive sales and distribution strategy to maximize sales opportunities.
• Analyze organization’s external operating environment.
• Give purpose to the shared strategic intent of the division.
• Develop divisional business plan according to company values.
• Define values and policies to guide the work of the division.
• Analyses patterns in industry and market behavior, and subsequently defines data-driven action strategies to consistently optimize the business's commercial performance.
• Develop measures and criteria to evaluate organization performance.

Direct the Sales team in activities & processes that deliver on customer satisfaction and revenue growth.

• Guide, lead and direct a Regional Sales Management team to optimize sales opportunities & maintain sustainable customer relationships.
• Motivate and ensure a highly effective team of sales managers through clear communication of expectations.
• Implementation & Management of Sales Strategy for respective territories, ensuring continuous growth of market share, customer base, and sales targets. Ensure sales team is aligned and communicated with timeously.
• Establish customer relationship management (CRM) systems and guidelines to manage customer relationships.
• Implement, monitor, review and report on special sales initiatives aimed at growing sales in focused areas.
• Commercial Reviews conducted to review performance.
• Maximize productivity and sales effectiveness within a territory by executing sales and marketing plans and promotional activities.
• Lead and direct sales team to ensure optimal performance levels are reached.
• Forecast accuracy, monthly sales vs budget to be achieved. Accomplish and advance sales budgets, create opportunities to achieve the budgets set on a Wholesaler and Pharmacy level.
• Provide input on sales incentive structure and key performance indicators to help monitor targets.
• Individual goals are developed and aligned to team goals and roles are clearly defined as per role profile.
• Performance discussions are held regularly to identify learning requirements.

Cross functional engagement

• Market the organizational strategy to ensure collaboration, support, and alignment across the business.

Explore, understand & respond to category-specific landscapes and trends.

• Environmental scanning, organizational effectiveness, competitor, and market analysis is conducted.
• Monitor changes in the industry and leverage them for business opportunities.
• Customer needs are assessed.
• Improvements in services and products are implemented.
• Best practice operations are implemented and modified on an ongoing basis.
• Feedback from team, customers and suppliers is accessed and communicated regularly.
• Lead and guide Sales Managers to manage their territories effectively and provide market and industry insights.
• Leverage innovations to maximize revenue of total portfolio.

Review and refine processes & procedures.

• Business Plan related information required for operations/projects is researched, collected, and documented.
• Contingency measures are developed and adopted to ensure output satisfaction/quality/productivity excellence.
• Work processes are evaluated in terms of business objectives.

Financial

• Annual & Monthly Budgets prepared according to operational requirements.
• Establish sales objectives by forecasting and developing annual sales targets for regions and territories, projecting expected sales growth and targets for product portfolios. Budget accountability.
• Proposals for expenditure are evaluated and annual budget prepared.
• Manpower requirements are identified for maximum productivity.
• Expenditure is controlled / reviewed against budgets.
• Monthly reporting on budgets.
• Review of Generation and allocation of available resources 

Performance Management & HR Related

• Performance issues are accurately identified, and action is instituted.
• Potential conflict is resolved according to IR procedures.
• Disciplinary action is taken according to the IR policy – in cases of extreme poor performance and inappropriate behavior by staff.
• Leading and carefully evaluating restructures within the division to ensure the changes will create success. 

Reporting to key business stakeholders

• Reporting of business performance to key business stakeholders
• Evidence / results of success are presented and measured against the business plan.

Requirements

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Ability to communicate, present and influence all levels of the organization, including executive level.
• Proven ability to drive the sales process from plan to close.
• Demonstrable experience as head of sales, developing client-focused, differentiated, and achievable solutions.
• Highly numerate
• Excellent analytical skills
• Strong capabilities in logical reasoning
• Results driven.
• Effective problem solving and decision making.
• Commercial and strategic awareness
• Independent and self-directed individual that can drive execution.
• Influencing capabilities
• Effective interpersonal skills
• The ability to communicate effectively (written and verbal) is essential.
• Ability to think strategically and innovatively around total rewards. 

KNOWLEDGE

• Computer skills on an advanced level - MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint
• A solid understanding of pharmaceutical industry, market channels and trends
• Deep working knowledge of different data sources
• Ability to interpret financial modelling.
• Vast experience on managing and leading a big team of sales managers, and sales representatives.
• In-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical processes.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of current marketing and compliance legislation.
• Knowledge of finance and budget handling.
• Knowledge and understanding of current marketing legislation product marketing strategy.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Matric
• Relevant Medical Science or Commercial degree
• MBA or post degree qualification an advantage
• Min 5 years Sales Management experience
• Second line sales management experience an added advantage.
• Experience in setting and strategizing of departmental budgets including Forecasting
• Experience in customer negotiations i.e., Trade / Contracts
• Computer literate (MS Office, Word, PowerPoint)