Sales Manager Northern Region at Rainbow Chicken

The Epol Sales team is currently recruiting for a Skilled Sales Manager to join their team. The role will be based in Pretoria and reports to the Business Development Manager. The Sales Manager will be entrusted to manage the sales force strategically ensuring achievement of inland budget volumes and margins; customer service excellence and strong customer relationships.

Scope of the Role

• 50% of total external sales responsibility for Feed
• Candidate responsible for sales from Pretoria and Driehoek

Minimum Requirements    

• Relevant degree or diploma in Sales and Marketing, BSc Agriculture beneficial 
• Minimum 5 years relevant experience with preferably 3 years in a management role

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Budgeting (Sales Operational Budget)
• Sets inland sales budget for feed including sales volumes and margins with a view 
• to maximizing profitability
• Decides inland advertising and travelling (ta) budgets
• Sales Management and Benchmarking
• Manages the sales function in accordance with budgeted objectives, volumes, margins and customer service
• Performs planned visits to current and potential clients with the Technical/Sales Advisor
• Controls discounts given to customers in conjunction with the National Manager (Marketing & Sales)
• Analyses deviation in customer purchases
• Establishes sales areas and decides which area should be concentrated on
• Controls depot and agent sales
• Arranges and conducts sales meetings
• Monitors volumes and margins by customer sales report
• Checks discounts ensuring they have been issued accurately
• Ensures benchmarking is done per species/customer on a monthly basis

Service and Technical Back-up to Customers

• Ensures customer queries/claims received from Technical Advisors are resolved timeously
• Provides technical support/advice to customers
• Ensures that clientele is updated on the latest developments within the technical arena

Sales Co-ordination

• Ensures that proper communication between customers and the company is maintained
• Communicates with Sales Coordinators/ Orders Clerks regarding orders/delivery issues daily
• Ensures that carry - overs and late deliveries are managed effectively

Pricing

• Draws up a sales price list by considering the quarterly standard price list from the technical department
• Performs adjustments regarding price increases
• Manages margins
• Ensures cost effective transport is provided to external clientele

Market Research

• Establishes size of animal feed market
• Identifies type of clientele and product requirements in the animal feed market
• Sets up own market share & determines competitor market share
• Monitors opposition in concurrence with sales reps
• Establishes demand for specific products
• Plans and assists in the formulation of new products and product launch
• Handles complaints regarding packing material
• Advises management regarding new packing materials

Bad Debts and Credit Control

• Monitors credit control, debtor days and ensure timeous opening of accounts
• Ensures proper completion of all relevant documentation for new customers
• Makes sure representatives follow up on their customers’ monthly aged analysis and responds to problems

Staff Management and Training

• Completes travel and expense claims
• Manages weekly work plan of Technical Sales Advisors
• Establishes and sets performance goals and standards
• Ensures that Technical Sales Advisor key performance areas are kept up to date

Company Image

• Builds good customer relationships by attending shows and open days
• Arranges farmer days
• Integrated Management System (IMS)
• Takes responsibility for the total IMS and adherence to ISO 9001 and 22 000  standards and requirements

Operational Management

• Manages direct report on a daily basis to ensure that the team attains the KPI’s 
• Drive a culture of commitment to Key Performance Indicator’s (KPI’s) by creating awareness and providing recognition for attainment of KPI’s within the team
• Utilise regular communication channels and team meetings to promote continuous improvement and best practice 
• Measures and deliver on KPI’s in terms of procurement contracts and SLA’s and  motivate the team to surpass the standard to deliver overall functional strategic goals
• Participate in cross function team meetings to deliver on operational requirements and translate this into action items
• Information and Data Management
• Ensure assistant accurately and regularly captures data onto the information system to enable access to reliable data and reporting for trend analysis and  decision making
• Share relevant data with management teams to enable reliable business decision making

Technical Expertise

• Provide technical expertise and training to internal customers and colleagues 
• Provide expertise in management team meetings and recommend solutions based on findings
• Management of Safety Health Environment and Quality (SHEQ)
• Manages documentation relative to Quality Assurance and Conformance
• Updates and maintains the Approved Supplier List
• Upkeeps the contract register and pricing database as well as the stores catalogue for the region
• Completes all necessary documentation relating to ISO 2200 and “Supplier Assessment Towards Excellence”
• Supports the audit documentation conducted by YUM
• Ensure that the team implement all legislative standards and action is taken where required prevent areas of non-compliance
• Measure and manage sustainability practices within area of responsibility 
• Suggest amendments to policies and practices relating to packaging and raw material ingredients to the Group Procurement Manager
• Ensure that and documentation required within the Total Quality Management system, is maintained and applied consistently throughout the region
• Action any policy and procedure training required highlighted in the training needs analysis

Financial Management

• Manage costs to ensure the optimal utilization of assets and budgets
• Report to manager on a regular basis on actual KPI’s versus budget and work with team to address and areas of nonconformance or concern proactively and timeously 
•  Authorizes expenses within level of authority and monitor spending activity to ensure compliance to financial and ethical standards
• Implements and encourage cost management initiatives where these do not impact 
• on long term business sustainability