National Sales Manager - General Trade
Key Responsibilities
Go-to-Market Strategy & Planning
Design and implement the GT strategy and execution roadmap.
Identify key market opportunities across regions and build route-to-market plans to expand numeric and weighted distribution.
Lead annual and monthly business planning, including sales forecasting and target setting.
Sales Team Leadership
Recruit, lead, and coach a team of Regional Sales Managers, Area Sales Managers, and Sales Supervisors.
Establish a high-performance culture through structured training, performance management, and clear KPIs.
Distributor Network Management
Appoint and manage GT distributors, ensuring optimal coverage, inventory control, and ROI.
Implement distributor scorecards to track and improve performance metrics.
Market Execution Excellence
Ensure strong on-ground execution of availability, visibility, and product freshness.
Drive off-take through well-orchestrated trade initiatives, promotions, and regional activations.
Monitor market activities and competitor performance to refine field strategies.
Cross-functional Collaboration
Collaborate with marketing, trade marketing, supply chain, and finance teams to align on GT priorities.
Provide market intelligence to support decisions on pricing, packaging, and commercial innovations.
Qualifications & Experience
8-10 years of progressive experience in FMCG sales, with 3-5 years in a leadership capacity managing General Trade operations.
Proven track record of setting up or significantly scaling GT operations.
Strong network of local distributors and a deep understanding of trade structures.
Experience in building scalable processes, SOPs, and training systems to drive sales effectiveness.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial setting with high levels of ownership.
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