Head of Field Sales at Danone

ABOUT THE JOB

• The Head of Field Sales will develop the overall sales strategy to position the organisation for long term growth of core products and direct the overall execution of the Portfolio in the point of sales. This role will set and align the objectives, goals and plans for targeted revenue generation for the Field sales teams to Danone’s overall vision and objectives.

Planning for Sales Effectiveness

• Analyses the 3-year strategic plan and identifies growth levers and sales priorities
• Integrates the overall Commercial strategic plan into the construction of the sales growth plan
• Cascades the sales growth plan and priorities to Regional Managers, and consistently tracks the execution to ensure achievement of the objectives.
• Sets the sales targets.

Sales Execution

• Ensure that sales service packages deliver on the agreed objectives
• Consistently monitor progress against sales targets
• Manage the success of Field Sales throughout South Africa
• Through the Regional Managers, aligns the teams with brand priorities and in-store execution requirements
• Approve the execution of new product opportunities, promotions and point-of-sale solutions
• Communicate the performance of brands, pricing, promotions and launches
• Evaluate sales, promotion, competition and market information and distributes for the improvement of sales performance
• Formulate and administer sales incentives for the teams, working within prescribed budgets

Relationship Building

• Nurtures high-level relationships with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders
• Negotiate and manage large corporate accounts at a national level, ensuring that commercial agreements are in line with the sales policies
• Build and develop strong business relationships with new and existing channels
• Access the national marketing strategy and incorporate into sales plans to increase customer acquisition and retention

Management and Leadership

• Manage and motivate the team in the delivery of strategic objectives
• Conduct internal performance management and IDP processes fairly and consistently, resulting in transparent succession planning and specific development areas
• Mentor and coach Regional Managers, as required
• Own WISE Agenda for National Field Sales

Finance and Budget

• Direct the activities of the Regional Managers to stay within budget, but be accountable to the Commercial Director for the successful management of the budget
• Analyse the P&L of the brand, and drive profitability through the achievement of the short-term objectives and plans

ABOUT YOU

ACADEMIC AND TRADE QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3-year Sales, Marketing or Business-related qualification

WORK EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• 8 years in a sales environment, with a clear understanding and working knowledge of the pre-determined informal and formal channels of the FMCG environment.
• Strong sales management background in FMCG with a proven track record in growing market share and meeting and exceeding sales targets
• Demonstrated examples of developing and sustaining high performance teams
• Experienced negotiating skills
• Commercial acumen, and proven ability to maintain tight budget controls
• Strong customer relationship building skills
• Computer skills (MS Office, Powerpoint and Excel)
• Presentation skills
• Internal and external customer service skills

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS:

• Strategic thinking and problem solving abilities
• Flexible and adaptable to change
• Interpersonal skills
• Strong leadership abilities
• Goal-oriented, with a commitment to achieve targets
• Action-oriented
• Creative
• Analytical, with a high attention to detail
• Ambitious and driven to succeed
• Passionate about the product / product portfolio
• Ability to stay focused and clear-minded under pressure
• Resilient
• Professionalism in the execution of all outlined duties