Product Specialist and Marketing | Hardware | Cape Town at Salesworx Recruitment (Pty) Ltd

Job Description

• Our client is seeking a hands-on, energetic Product Specialist & Marketing Coordinator to drive growth, enhance visibility, and elevate product excellence for the iconic WD-40 brand.

Responsibilities:

Product Expertise & Support

• Develop a deep and comprehensive understanding of all WD-40 products, including features, benefits, applications, and technical specifications.
• Act as the organisation’s primary product knowledge expert for internal teams,distributors, and external customers.
• Conduct formal training sessions for the sales team, key accounts, and customers to enhance product knowledge and application expertise.
• Provide technical support by answering product-related inquiries,troubleshooting issues, and offering professional usage recommendations.

Brand Management & Execution

• Ensure all marketing materials, packaging updates, POS elements, and communications are fully aligned with WD-40’s global brand guidelines.
• Manage brand assets including logos, imagery, content libraries, and approved marketing elements.
• Liaise closely with the WD-40 Regional Marketing Manager to ensure correct rollout and localization of global campaigns.

Marketing Campaigns

• Coordinate national promotions, in-store activations, tactical campaigns, and retailer-specific programs (Builders, Makro, BUCO, etc.).
• Assist in compiling promotional calendars and collaborate with the sales team to identify growth opportunities.
• Evaluate promotion effectiveness, monitor ROI, and prepare post-campaign performance reports.

Digital Marketing & Social Media Collaboration

• Support the development and management of digital assets including social media posts, website updates, and digital campaign materials.
• Provide product-accurate content for retailers’ online listings and distributor platforms.
• Analyse digital engagement metrics and recommend improvements to enhance online presence.
• Collaborate daily with the Digital Marketing team to generate targeted, product-driven content that supports brand visibility and customer education.

Trade Marketing & Merchandising

• Develop and maintain planograms, merchandising guidelines, and shelf layout documents.
• Coordinate the rollout of POS materials such as wobblers, shelf-talkers,banners, gondola ends, and activation kits.
• Provide sales representatives with product knowledge sheets, technical documentation, and sales enablement tools.
• Ensure brand visibility and compliance across key retail stores through photos, feedback, and regular trade visits.

Market Analysis & Insights

• Monitor industry trends, competitor activity, pricing changes, packaging developments, and innovation within the FMCG/DIY category.
• Gather customer and distributor insights to support product positioning, new product development, and strategic decision making.
• Analyse sell-in vs sell-out data and identify opportunities for improved distribution or range optimisation.
• Present insights and strategic recommendations to the internal leadership team and WD-40 Europe.

Sales Team Support

• Provide the sales team with up-to-date product information, technical guidance, and promotional tools to assist in closing deals.
• Help create impactful product presentations and sales collateral.
• Identify opportunities for product enhancements or potential new product introductions based on customer feedback and market needs.

Customer Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with distributors, retailers, and key customers to ensure satisfaction and resolve technical concerns.
• Prepare and deliver professional product demonstrations at trade shows, client meetings, and marketing events.
• Support customer education through training, structured feedback sessions, and follow-up on product quality issues where required.

Budget Management

• Maintain and update the marketing budget tracker to reflect spend on campaigns, POS materials, digital assets, events, and agencies.
• Process supplier invoices and ensure compliance with WD-40’s financial and procurement guidelines.
• Monitor spend versus budget and highlight cost efficiencies or overruns.

Reporting & Documentation

• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, product inquiries, trade visits, and market observations.
• Produce comprehensive monthly market intelligence reports including:Sales data and trends, Competitor analysis and pricing reviews, Market observations and photographic evidence, Trade day promotions and activity summaries
• Participate in regular Teams feedback sessions with WD-40 Europe and provide detailed product and market insights

Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in marketing, trade marketing and product support.
• Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills
• Confidence working with retailers, distributors, and cross-functional teams
• Must have a valid motor vehicle driver’s license.
• A criminal background check will be done on all candidates. Clear criminal background required.