Jobs at Unilever

JOB PURPOSE

• Find your purpose at Unilever.
• You will lead innovations, big and small, that will make our business win and grow.
• You will learn from brilliant business leaders and colleagues in a truly global and diverse culture to ultimately become a better you. 
• The Customer Business Development Director is responsible for development and execution of the customers and channels strategy and customer business plan, to achieve short and long-term business results. 
• He/she owns contacts with the customer and is the custodian of Customer and Channel understanding within the Go-to-Market unit.
• He/she is responsible for development of CD excellence and market competitiveness within his team of account management.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• To develop and manage the long and short-term plan for the relevant account(s)/channels in line with the agreed targets set in the strategic plan.
• To develop and deliver the Annual Plan, both in terms of topline growth and gross margin. 
• To manage the strategic interface between Unilever and the relevant Customer and set the strategic priorities for the Customer Business Plan.
• This involves developing excellent relationships with contacts in Supply Chain, Marketing and Finance.

Achieve substantial business results on the Customer P&L

• To work closely with the Category Strategy and Planning Teams to deliver category growth opportunities and champion the Category strategies within the account.
• To provide strong leadership of the account team. In particular, to provide ongoing coaching and development to ensure that the team members have the opportunity to realise their full potential.
• To establish and continuously develop the customer team framework for delivery of the long- and short-term plan. 
• To work closely with relevant stakeholders to develop and execute the overall Customer Development strategy and to contribute to the overall company strategy.

Responsible for delivering the total annual sales plan.

• Responsible for the development of Customer Development capabilities for the future.
• As a member of the Leadership Team, jointly responsible for operations, communication and the leadership of organisational and behavioural change
• To lead the development of the account managers in his team
• To build CD excellence and market competitiveness within his team
• To lead for the equity, diversity and inclusion ambition of the Customer Development function
• Provide strong people leadership and coaching to his account management team.
• To work closely with the Unilever Field Sales execution team, and CBD team to drive. key metrics in-store to drive growth

Experiences & Qualifications

• 12+ years of Sales experience, preferably cross-functional
• Strong customer facing experience and proven track record is a must  
• Strong Category management experience
• Proven people management capabilities

Desirable:

• Cross functional experience in Customer Marketing
• Trade Category Management
• Shopper Marketing and Field Sales operations.

Skills

• Developing the Customer / Channel Business Plan
• Customer Management and Selling Essentials
• Optimising Promotion Sell-out
• Implementing the Customer / Channel Business Plan
• Leveraging Strategic Customers
• Developing Customer Relationships
• Business Planning (S&OP)
• Developing the Customer Service Strategy & Segmentation
• PoP Execution and Monitoring
• Business Strategy and Formulation
• Business Planning and Implementation

Leadership

• You are now a Leader of Change.
• People look to you to provide safety in a storm, and you also appropriately challenge to get even better results. 0
• You role model resilience and care.
• You navigate these uncertain times by flexing plans and your leadership style, always with authenticity.
• You are still responsible for delivering to the highest standards.
• You must be resilient so you can lead others to deliver with passion through uncertainty and create opportunities through the core and beyond.
• You must be able to flex your style and your plans to guide others through difficult times.

Critical Unilever Behaviours

CARE DEEPLY:  

• About how consumers & shoppers experience our brands everyday and about our people’s development and our impact on the planet.
• We care about our performance, to a point where it hurts when we don’t win. 

FOCUS ON WHAT COUNTS:    

• Ruthless prioritisation on what really, really matters, allowing us to do better on fewer things.
• We set clear and stretching goals and recognise maximum performance impact.

STAY THREE STEPS AHEAD:  

• We think boldly and creatively to make breakthroughs in performance.
• We are always curious and confident ─ anticipating and staying ahead of consumer needs and external trends to beat the competition.

DELIVER WITH EXCELLENCE:

• We deliver everything we do with excellence and pace.  
• We take personal ownership and hold each other to account – always finding a way to do what we’ve said we will do.

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JOB PURPOSE

• Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. 
• To lead and coordinate the integration of Security, Safety, Health, and Environmental (SSHE) practices across the Go to Market (GTM) segment of the Ice Cream business in South Africa.
• This includes oversight of manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, refrigerated transport, and office environments.
• The role ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements while proactively managing physical and operational risks, with a strong emphasis on security and business continuity.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• Act as the primary SSHE representative across GTM operations in South Africa.
• Drive the SSHE agenda aligned with the company’s Zero Harm and environmental goals.
• Develop and enforce SSHE and security policies in line with South African legislation and global standards (e.g., ISO 45001, ISO 31000).
• Lead business continuity planning and maintain risk registers.
• Provide security expertise across manufacturing, logistics, transport, and office environments.
• Manage relationships with private security providers and law enforcement.
• Monitor regional security risks (e.g., crime, civil unrest, load-shedding) and implement mitigation strategies.
• Support office security planning, including new site selection and setup.
• Conduct risk assessments, audits, and incident investigations.
• Ensure compliance with SSHE regulations and internal standards.
• Deliver SSHE training and awareness programs.
• Analyze SSHE data to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Implement and monitor transport safety initiatives.
• Ensure safety of refrigeration systems and warehouse operations.
• Conduct safety assessments for events and office environments.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Security, Risk Management, or related field. Military/police academy or international security certifications (e.g., ASIS PSP/CPP) are advantageous.
• Experience: 7–10 years in SSHE roles, with demonstrable experience in at least two SSHE functions including security.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of South African SSHE legislation and risk landscape.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and leadership skills.
• Proficiency in SSHE systems, reporting, and data analysis.

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results.
• You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience.
• You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.
• As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work.
• You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need.
• You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors

• FOCUS ON WHAT COUNTS
• CARE DEEPLY
• STAY THREE STEPS AHEAD
• DELIVER WITH EXCELLENCE