Head of Sales: Modern Trade at Kellogg Company

Purpose of the Role:

The Head of Sales Modern Trade takes the responsibility to initiate, lead, develop and manage the strategy and plans necessary to provide a full business management service to KSA key customer(s) and channels, ensuring the achievement of KSA business objectives and the key customer KPI’s. To co-ordinate and lead the activities of the channel and account team and develop team member skills to effectively perform the job function at hand and ensure the achievement of business objectives. This is leadership role requiring the delivery of breakthrough strategy, explosive channel growth and exceptional execution across a broad and varied customer base. 

Financial

• Signatory power up to R50k in sales overhead transactions. (tbc)
• Responsible for achievement of SA turnover value of +R1Bn
• Responsible for a trade spend budget of R290mm and has transactional approval limit in terms of customer co-op up to R100k. (tbc)
• Responsible for managing overheads and expenses as per budgets set.
• Mandated deal price approval.
• Mandated customer claims approval up to R50k

People

• Line authority to approve employee leave.
• This role authorises and mandates the National Account Managers in terms of customer pricing and trade spend, and has the authority to appoint Account Managers and supporting roles.

Business Process

• This role is the custodian of all business processes that relate to customer and channel management and is responsible for listing the Company’s products with retailers. This role leads the customer and channel planning process which integrates the company, brand and customer strategies which visibly comes to fruition in-store at the Point of Purchase. Provides the vehicle for brand and company growth through customers.

Customer and Channel Management and Leadership

• Develop and implement a strategic business plan for the group that will drive the strategic customer and channel plans to deliver budgeted growth and mix targets in key customers, and the trade support programs devised to achieve these objectives within budgeted marketing allowances and targeted GMROI.
• Deliver on an annualised basis the company budgeted net sales and mix within the required marketing allowances.
• Incorporating Category and shopper insights and data into practises, and leveraging customer dynamics within the appropriate internal forum.
• Acts as Custodian of Customer and Channel relationships (and ensures regular, appropriate contact & review) and resource deployment.
• Ensure that Channel and Customer resource deployment meets the strategic needs of the customers’ ito culture, personality, time to manage customer and any other key customer requirements.
• A competent key account team aligned to business strategies with clear implementation plans and milestones and the capability to implement operationally at customer level.
• Ensure that sales plans reflect through-the-line activation of marketing and brand programs and are designed to maximise execution and turnover.
• Support the efforts of the debtor’s team in terms of customer cash collections and monitoring of DSO’s. Leading customer and channel intervention where DSO’s are not supporting company CWC objectives.
• Leading and controlling the customer and channel price administration within the SAP pricing modules which ensures accurate pricing reflected on customer invoices at all times. Pro-active corrective action planning and root-cause analysis where pricing claims do occur.

Sales Integration

• Initiate and develop an effective working relationship between National Field and the Channel team to ensure the successful implementation of all marketing and customer promotional activity at store level.
• Ensure clearly defined and maintained communication mechanisms between field sales and channel team on a consistent basis and proven ROI on channel activity at store level (improved share and presence at the POP).
• Ensure Customer Marketing involvement with key customer executives in order to drive the Category Strategy in an objective and effective manner – key outputs focussed on driving mutually profitable growth for both the customer and the company with the shopper at the forefront of initiatives.
• Work closely with the IBP and demand planning teams to ensure that business priorities are constantly communicated and actioned and that changes are communicated through the supply chain in order to ensure supply of product to customers in line with service requirements.
• Ensure sales practices in terms of pricing, trade spend and overhead are in line with S404 requirements and departmental controls.

Promotions management and brand support

• Effectively formulate and control marketing allowance spend budgets in a manner consistent with the company’s volume to value objectives, and to the maximum return of the company utilising pre and post promotional evaluation systems. Developing systems & programs to enhance effectiveness & controls.
• Marketing allowances in line or below budget levels and a clearly defined control mechanism. Utilisation of a promotional evaluation tool for all national promotions, with key learning’s shared within the team.
• Trade promotional planning on a 6 month rolling basis which ensures adequate brand support in a manner consistent with brand planning and customer promotional calendars.

Education & Experience

• A commercial 3 year degree (e.g. BComm), coupled with at least 10 years experience in FMCG Sales and/ or Marketing (i.e. Field sales, Key Accounting, Category Management or a combination of the three sales areas). A least 5 years experience at a management level. Experience in leading and managing teams directly. Breadth of customer management experience is required for this channel – i.e. multi-international to independent.

Dimensions, Skills and Knowlegde

• The incumbent is to be a leader, good administrator, skilled in handling people, excellent communicator and demonstrate the ability to make decisions and work under pressure, which will enable guidance and influence to be exercised over individuals within the Kellogg’s and the customer organisations serviced.
• Legislative knowledge on SARS requirements and INCO terms not negotiable.
• Strong negotiating skills and computer literacy are pre-requisites (sufficient proficiency in al MS office applications as well as SAP deal pricing modules).

Sufficient / in-depth, knowledge of:

• Microsoft Windows Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Finance policies and procedures.
• HR policies and procedures.