National Sales Manager - Branded Marketers at Astron Energy (Pty) Ltd.

• The purpose of this role is to provide strategic leadership and oversight required to optimize the value contribution of Retail’s Branded Marketer (BM) portfolio. Optimize value chain and profitability of the BM channel.
• Responsible for overall profit and loss in the Sales & Marketing - Branded Marketer business with primary focus on competitive ROCE and earnings delivered through focus on gross margin.
• Responsible for combined channel volume and net operation income (NOI) across the branded marketer (BM) channel.
• Executes the go to market model to simplify and drive efficiency for growth.
• Leads the development and deployment of the channel value proposition. Works with internal stakeholders like EVCO, Logistics etc to ensure service level agreements are in place and met to sustain and grow the business.
• Works across the value chain and service groups to optimise performance and maximize earnings in a collaborative manner.
• Works in collaboration with Retail & Marketing cross functional teams, PMO, Branded Marketers and Partners to execute projects timeously and on budget.

Financial Perspective     

• Responsible for growing the branded marketer channel across the markets balancing materiality with margin.  
•  Bears direct responsibility for managing and monitoring and takes necessary action to manage individual customer profitability metrics and manages associated operating expenses and CAPEX budgeting.  
• P&L and Financial Responsibility (Ownership and management of the Retail P&L) for the BM area
• Accountable for achieving key business operational and financial targets including NOI & ROCE through an agreed set of performance measures (MOS).  
•  Ensure strong discipline in building synergies and leveraging efficiencies across the branded marketer and indirect channel. The objective is to ensure we maximize efficiency in our go to market plans. 
•  Responsible for new business development within the channels and driving relationships to procuring a win-win situation for Astron Energy and the customer.  
• Aids Gross Margin optimization and value chain profitability by leveraging tools and processes.
• Monitors monthly performance and agreed action plans to ensure NOI targets are achieved.
• Evaluates and analyses local competitive market trends and tactics and makes recommendations to the respective functional teams including Pricing and EVCO
• In conjunction with the demand forecasting team ensures high forecast efficiency for the business.
• Manages allocated Capex expeditiously and within Budgets. 
• Applies effective cost control to effectively manage activities within the assigned Opex budget.  
• Coordinates reporting on and provides analysis of group performance.
• Monitors actual performance versus projections and approved projects and arranges look backs and analysis.   
• Communicates performance to team and identifies corrective actions for areas of concern.

Customer Perspective    

• Manages a professional relationship between Astron Energy and Branded Marketers whilst responsible for ensuring compliance with the contractual agreements with Astron Energy as well as Government regulations.  
• Ensure all contractual commitments are tracked during the course of the year – specifically volume commitment, USTS program, Fresh Stop, U Count growth targets in the network.
• Plans, manages and leads Astron Energy staff in the execution of retailing strategies, processes, programs, standards and operations across the Branded Marketer class of trade for fuels consistent with the Business Plan and the Astron Energy Way. 
• Provides and builds leadership, professional development, organizational excellence, and functional capabilities in an environment that promotes diversity within the Marketer group.
•  Accountable for achievement of financial and operational goals including Image, Customer First, HES, Credit, government Regulations etc.
•  Monitors and benchmarks external trends including competitors, regulations, industry trends and structure, as well as new business opportunities and keeps informed of competitive acquisition activity.
• Recommends changes in markets to the organization leveraging forums like L3 meetings as well as PCP.
• Business Excellence    Participates as a cross-functional leader to set strategy and tactics, OE and compliance expectations, competitive financial performance expectations and people strategy.
• Ensure strong enterprise mindset while driving for business results and working across different functions.
• Role models leadership behaviours for the new Downstream.
• Builds organizational capability and creates capacity for change for the organisation.
• Ensures all employees understand and fulfil their compliance obligations.
• Implements and monitors safety programs for the network including interfacing with OE/HES and any other related regulatory requirements.
• Implements and monitors Corporate OE safety standards and programs for all customers.  
• Complies with the OE/HES Corporate standards and incorporates into daily guidelines.  
• Ensures full compliance with company policies/SOX as it relates the Marketing.

People Management    

• Ensures that all employees under his/her responsibility understand and fulfill their compliance obligations to deliver results
• Drive Competency development for Retail Enterprise Sales Managers and for the BM support team
• Monitor Progress against Individual Development plans.
• Active performance management of underperformance of both sales staff and BMs
• Responsible for nurturing and developing a culture of operational excellence and teamwork to ensure targets are met and exceeded

Professional Qualification and Certifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in business & / Sales and Marketing Management
• A Post Graduate qualification is an added advantage specializing in Commercial Sales and Marketing

Work Experience:

• 15 years + of business operations and sales experience at a senior level
• Leading large and successful sales teams
• Demonstrated performance in growing the bottom- and top-line performance of a sales organisation

Knowledge and skills:

• Strong business, commercial and financial acumen
• Excellent negotiation and contract management skills
• Team Leadership
• Track record of operational excellence delivery and ensures that all employees under his/her responsibility understand and fulfil their compliance obligations
• Builds organizational capability and creates capacity for change for the organization. .
• Conflict resolution, creative and critical problem-solving skills
• Numerical and analytical thinking skills
• Exceptional verbal, written, and visual communication skills adapting content to different audiences.
• High levels of personal integrity
• Visionary focused on consistently delivering results.