Job Description

Job Summary:An operational leader who ensures growth for clients, customers and Smollan by proactively influencing and managing relationships between the client, customers and employees; spotting opportunities and providing insights; managing the resources required to ensure efficient and effective day-to-day operations; and acting as a Smollan people custodian, leader and people manager.Key Responsibilities and Deliverables:Manage promotional activity

• Facilitate the implementation of promotion grids
• Ensure informed about time frames for promotions
• Communicate promotional activities to field force
• Ensure understanding of objectives of various promotions
• Ensure POS material to stores
• Ensure sufficient stock has been ordered within required timeframes
• Ensure promotional activities have been implemented and maintained
• Provide feedback to relevant stakeholders
• Monitor competitors new innovations
• Analyses and manage data integrity (Field comms)

Achieve POP objectives

• Ensure generic Planograms are implemented
• Ensure store-specific planograms and category flows are implemented and maintained
• Provide feedback to Clients with regards to forward share changes
• Ensure forward share is reflected on shelf as per rate of sale
• Ensure market share is reflected in the category
• Ensure shelf health is implemented and maintained

Effective and efficient achievement of targets

• Communicate sales targets to the Field Force
• Increase volumes in stores
• Identify in-store cross-merchandising opportunities
• Ensure stock pressure is applied
• Ensure forward share is a reflection of ROS
• Monitor in-store pricing
• Ensure out-of-stocks are limited
• Ensure sufficient ordering of stock on NOD
• Ensure delivery of stock as per NDD
• Minimise credit notes
• Monitor sales to ensure sales targets are achieved
• Drive ad-hoc promotions to increase sales
• Develop alternative strategies to increase sales
• Ensure timeous promotional activities implemented

Control expenses

• Control cell phone/telephone expenses
• Monitor and control:

• fuel expenses
• vehicle expenses
• training expenses
• travel expenses of staff
• overtime
• stationary expenses

Pro-active operational excellence

• Managing the resources required to ensure efficient and effective day-to-day operations of store execution including flexible people and resource allocation
• Continuous monitoring of service delivery
• Ensure implementation of systems to promote efficiency
• Implementation of sales initiatives and value-adding store operations
• Ensure all company assets are maintained according to company policy
• Manage staff in-store book communication and feedback

Highly effective business insights and execution

• Identify and act on new business opportunities
• Share information with relevant stakeholders
• Effective data collection and analysis
• Provide insights for improvements and new ways of driving sales
• Plan and implement sales operations for clients and customers based on the analysis of sales data
• Monitor and evaluate new innovations
• Monitor competitors new innovations

Stakeholder engagement

• Pro-actively influencing and managing relationships between the client, customers and operational staff to ensure growth for clients and customers
• Provide continuous feedback as per client requirements
• Compile regular reports to relevant stakeholders
• Provide continuous feedback as per client requirements (competitor activities, promotions, ROS, product recalls, innovations, pricing, planograms, urgent deliveries)
• Liaise with customers and depots (stock pressure, stock holdings, new innovations, deliveries, credit notes, special deliveries, staff, ROS, price, reviews, category flows, planograms)
• Compile trade visit reports
• Compile trade contact reports
• Compile regular reports to Regional Managers
• Conduct review meetings with client
• Provide feedback via feedback platform (e.g. IVR/Grapevine/Field Comms/Manual tracking)

Monitor new innovations

• Inform field force of new innovations
• Monitor speed to market
• Monitor stock in DC
• Negotiate new or existing listings in stores with store managers
• Distribute trade presenters to Field Force and customers
• Provide feedback to clients
• Monitor sales
• Manage staff in-store book comm. and feedback

Effective people management

• Take full responsibility for performance management of all direct reports, managing their performance in relation to quality standards and agreed benchmarks and objectives, focusing on all aspects of sound people management:
• Recruitment and selection, induction and orientation, training and development, rewards and remuneration, succession planning and performance management
• Ensure compliance with regards to leave, adherence to dress code, management of health and safety and adherence to staff welfare
• Ensure accurate in-store administration, provide updated stocking files and support staff with in-store conflict/issues
• Manage Employment Equity targets
• Ensure appropriate levels of management and accountability
• Motivate, delegate and empower appropriately, enabling direct reports to take responsibility and display creativity and initiative
• Ensure effective knowledge sharing

Effective teamwork and self-management

• Follow through to ensure that personal quality and productivity standards are consistently and accurately maintained
• Demonstrate consistent application of internal procedures
• Plan and prioritise, demonstrating abilities to manage competing demands
• Demonstrate abilities to anticipate and manage change
• Demonstrate flexibility in balancing achievement of own objectives with abilities to understand and respond to organisational needs
• Manage own career development by staying abreast of any technical and industry changes

Key CompetenciesSales orientationSystemic thinkingCoaching & development of othersTeam leadershipImpact & influenceEmotional maturityChange leadershipJudgement & decision makingPlanning & prioritisationPerformance & results drivenQuality & detail excellenceOrganisational commitmentRelationship buildingService excellenceResilience & stress managementMinimum Qualifications:

• Relevant Diploma/Degree at NQF level 6 or 7
• Code 8 Drivers license

Minimum Experience:

• 3-4 years sales experience in FMCG environment at a managerial/ supervisory level

Smollan