Territory Development Manager

As Territory Development Manager, you will tactically guide multiple territories by leading and empowering your teams, identifying opportunities for growth, crafting impactful commercial business plans, and driving their successful execution. Your efforts will directly contribute to achieving sustained sales growth and establishing a positive trajectory across all territories.

Key Accountabilities

Collaborative Business Expansion and Development

• Lead in the negotiation, preparation and alignment of commercial business plans with customers to deliver sustainable business growth, both short term and the needed building blocks over a 3-year horizon.
• Develop plans with team members to deeper entrench and expand coverage and product distribution.
• Deliver consolidated forecasts on a periodic basis with adjustments to achieve results.
• Provide direction and negotiation support to team members in aligning commercial business plans with customers.
• Prioritize expansion opportunities between new or existing markets based on market size and team focus.

Channel & Category Development and Optimization

• Optimize portfolio across channels with tactical share management aligned with growth objectives.
• Develop and execute category plans that will support and grow the overall category with an NPD pipeline plan to engage consumers.
• Identify new initiatives and ways to build brands across channels and categories challenging market norms.
• Conduct interactive focus groups to interact with consumers and understand habits to better improve our products.

Customer Relationship Management and Negotiation

• Establish and maintain clear business parameters with new and existing customers across markets.
• Build and develop effective cross functional and senior customer relationships through regular interaction and visits.
• Coach, motivate and develop external customer teams to effectively execute and support growth objectives.
• Work closely with team members to develop tactical Key Account plans and negotiation tactics to drive trade buy in and support.

Manage financials, New Value Chains and Price Inflation

• Ensure customer accounts are reconciled, finances in place and financial disputes resolved in a timely manner.
• Manage and control budgets and return on investment on advertising and promotion, intervening where needed.
• Identify and take action to reduce potential customer credit risks and financial exposure.
• Optimize pricing structures and value chains to improve revenue and volume across market areas.
• Take necessary measures and action to circumvent challenges due to forex, inflation and macro-economic impacts.

Team Leadership and Development

• Responsible for the leadership, mentoring and engagement of fellow team members.
• Actively focused on developing plans to train and coach team members for personal progression.
• Maintain work routines and contribute to their future development and improvement.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Education

• Postgraduate or 4-year Degree in sales, marketing, business administration or relevant field. A master’s would be an advantage.

Experience

• A minimum of 8 years’ sales experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.
• Proven results in delivering sales targets over multiple markets or areas, developing new or existing customers and relationships across different levels.

Technical Skills

• Tactical customer business development
• Route to market network design and strategy
• Trade marketing
• Channel & category management
• Customer relationship & performance management
• Key account management
• Financial analysis & modelling
• Pricing strategy & competitiveness
• Business process improvement methodologies
• Team coaching and development
• Advanced computer skills

Key Competencies

• Analytical thinking and problem solving
• Assertiveness
• Relationship Building
• Influence and impact including conflict management
• Business Acumen
• Developing People
• Planning and Organizing
• Monitoring and Measuring

Travel

• Able to travel up to 90 nights or more a year.