Job Description
AVI Ltd. is known for its leading household brands across many categories including hot beverages, sweet and savoury biscuits, and snacks, frozen convenience foods, personal care products, cosmetics, shoes, accessories, and fashion apparel.
AVI Field Marketing, a division of AVI Limited, handles the sales and merchandising for the beverages, snacking, and cosmetic business units to ensure improved execution at the store level.
An exciting opportunity exists for a Wholesale Specialist / Field Sales Manager for the Inland East region servicing areas from Edenvale to Nelspruit. The successful incumbent will be required to manage people (Sales Reps and Field staff), achieve sales targets and operational management. We are looking for a person who can make a difference. This role will report to the Regional Operations Manager.
Line Manager: Regional Operations Manager
Job Specification:
Key Performance Areas:
- Manage sales targets and operational objectives
- Monitor store ordering process in area of responsibility and take corrective action if and when required
- Monitor returns according to target, monitor stock levels in area of responsibility
- Monitor pricing and ensure mandate adherence
- Negotiate promotional activity if and when required
- Monitor POP implementation, monitor target achievement and implement action plans when required
- Monitor sell in stock and expiry dates
- Address pricing and delivery issues
- Negotiate ad hoc displays and space
- Monitor forward share in relation to market share as well as rate of sale
- Provide assistance to Sales Representatives and Field Marketers where required
- Ensure shelf health standards are maintained
- Manage sell in pre price increases
- Manage promotional activities
- Facilitate the implementation of promotional grids
- Ensure staff and customers are informed about time frames of promotions
- Communicate promotional activities to field staff
- Ensure understanding of objectives of various promotions
- Ensure prompt delivery of POS material to stores
- Ensure sufficient stock has been ordered
- Ensure promotional activities have been implemented and maintained
- Provide feedback to relevant stakeholders
- Effective customer and BU relationships
- Ensure a good working relationship is maintained with buyers, management and floor staff in stores.
- Communicate all issues and provide solutions where possible.
- Ensure staff follow call cycles and communicate any changes to customers.
- Handle all queries in a professional and effective manner.
- Adhere to store policies and procedures at all times.
- Effective management and training of Sales Representatives and staff
- Conduct floor walks with Sales Representatives and Merchandisers
- Brief staff of all cycle priorities
- Ensure a clear understanding of objectives
- Provide on the job coaching if required
- Keep Regional Operations manager up to date on all conduct issues
- Manage staff in line with company policy and procedures
- Manage and develop staff
- Conduct appraisals
- Ensure all call cycles are accurate and in place
- Set targets for subordinates by store by category in line with BU objectives and strategy
- Accompany Sales Representatives on trade visits and provide assistance and training as and when required
5.Control expenses
- Expense within budget parameters (self and Sales Representatives)
- Cell phone expenses
- 3 G expenses
- Monitor and control fuel expenses
- Monitor and control travel expenses
- Monitor and control overtime
- Manage company credit card /corporate card. Process expense claims timeously on a monthly basis to ensure debit orders go off. This must be used according to the company corporate card policy and only be used for business purposes
6. Effective administration
Minimum Requirements:
Experience:
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in the FMCG industry at management level
- Must have experience within FMCG dealing with wholesale customers (Masscash, Independent wholesalers, etc.)
- Must have exposure negotiating directly with buyers in the trade
- Knowledge of HR-related processes and procedures
Qualifications:
- Grade 12 / Matric
- A completed business-related tertiary qualification in Business / Sales / Marketing / Operations
Additional Requirements:
- A background in the wholesale experience and the sales and merchandising industry
- Strong staff management expertise
- Proficient with MS Excel
Competencies:
- Goal oriented
- Attention to Detail
- Analytical
- Communication
- Creative
- Pro-active
- Stress Tolerance
- Inspirational leadership ability
