Country Manager at Abbott

Primary Objective Of Position

The Country Manager is responsible for both driving new business acquisition for the Molecular business in the assigned territory as well as retention and value expansion with current clients whilst ensuring economic profitability of operations. This role leads and manages a commercial team in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and will continuously enhance the team performance and capabilities by providing coaching, feedback, and establishing a robust management cadence.

Major Responsibilities

• Full revenue responsibility including forecasting and target performance achievement.
• Management of a team of a Commercial team including Sales executives, Abbott Ambassadors.
• Responsible for determining the execution of the sales plan to achieve revenue target, higher profitability, higher win-rates, and a higher share of wallet for existing customers
• Assist Ambassadors and Value Sales Executives with contract negotiations, particularly with pricing/profitability policies.
• Act as a trusted partner and advisor as main contact to customers
• Responsible for managing first line support and escalation through to resolution
• Ensure adherence to customer contractual obligations
• Territory management and strategic planning for targeted accounts.
• Assure availability and proper use of salesforce management systems e.g. Sales Incentive Plan supervising its utilization

Customer Focus

• Build and maintain a strong relationship with KOLs
• Determine long term engagement plans with marketing
• Visit top KOLs and C suite at agreed frequency
• Determine a monitoring mechanism for KOL engagement and ensure its implementation
• Build and maintain strong networks with other line function and across organization and region.

People Management

• Manage a team of commercial staff and ensure that performance targets are achieved
• Develop, motivate and challenge staff so as to achieve top performance
• Identify HIPO staff and support employees for development plan.
• Establish & maintain succession plan and address future staffing issues in a proactive manner.
• Develop people in current as well as for future roles by active coaching.
• Coaches, develops and manages field force and sales managers through sales force automation system including establishment of appropriate KPIs.
• Drive appropriate rewards and recognition schemes.

Education And Experience

• University degree, ideally in one of the following fields: Medical Technology, biochemistry, biomedical Or related.
• Additional qualification would be advantageous.

Background

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience within a similar role having worked as a people manager for at least 4-5 years.
• Proven sales track record and commercial operational management in Healthcare – preferably within IVD / Diagnostics or Molecular or Related markets and in business of at least $20MM revenue.
• The ideal candidate has a collaborative management style and disposition and is capable of working in a networked organization with a strong culture of virtual working teams.
• Candidate should be service-oriented – i.e. achieves exceptionally high levels of customer satisfaction by carefully analyzing customer requirements and overcoming all hurdles to adapting product and service delivery to those requirements.
• Self-motivated, self- starter, decisive decision-maker. Able to work in an agile, fast-paced environment and within a lean structure.
• International experience preferred, cultural awareness.