Area Sales Manager - Western Cape at RCL Foods

Job Description    
RCL FOODS is seeking to employ experienced Area Sales Managers who will be responsible for effectively driving the profitable growth of Route-to-Market Partner National Accounts within the Region, ensuring effective accounts management and professional customer relationship management that achieve customer and Channel objectives, KPIs and targets. RCL FOODS expects the suitable incumbents to lead the Brand Consultants Teams in the specified territory to deliver RCL Chicken portfolio listing and ensure quality prepared product at an outlet level through infield coaching. To ensure Standard Operating Procedures are met; that when trained at a unit level; result in lasting quality production of our chicken products and drive repeat consumer business and through Leadership of the infield team, drive and ensure increase in strike rate of chicken conversions. The roles will be responsible for covering the Western Cape Region and, will report into the National Operations Manager.

Minimum Requirements    

• Completed Degree in management, business administration and/or marketing.
• Valid Code EB drivers’ license.
• 5-10 years' experience in a Foodservice function that includes managing complex and/or significant customer relationships and management of team’s experience, with at least 5 years in a management role.
• FMCG experience would be considered but Foodservice definitely preferred.
• Strong Verbal and written communication is required to team members and managers.
• Effectively communicate, interact and influence at all levels of the organization including external stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively summarise and interpret data on project deliverables and communicate findings to internal and external stake holders.

Duties & Responsibilities    
Regional Strategy Implementation:

• Distributor & Outlet: Implement short and medium term distributor & outlet relationship customer strategies to deliver sustainable, profitable growth by key customers in your Region. Participate in the S&OP product forecast process to drive improved forecast accuracy for the business in line with the National Operations Manager / National Account Manager for route-to-market partners. Participate in the Foodservice commercial planning process through the development of an annual customer business plan in conjunction with the National Operations Manager that supports brand and channel plans in the assigned accounts. Penetrate National and Regional accounts at their Regional Depots at all levels, develop senior and junior level relationships that enable the achievement of customer plans. Implement short and medium term outlet customer strategies/ activity per quarter to deliver sustainable, profitable growth by targeted outlets in your region.

Manage Regional Distributor Account Relationships:

• Grow business by delivering the Regional elements of the growth account plans.
• Ensure that all accounts are profitably serviced in order for the company to achieve sales and revenue goals by working cohesively with the Brand Consultant, Channel National Account, Marketing Teams and the Sales Teams of your Route to market partners.
• Ensure availability to key account end users via agreed route to market partners and/or free trade outlets, at depot and outlet level by working closely with Sales Teams of our Route to market partners and personally controlling all depot orders and forecasting across categories.
• Processing your own orders.
• Execute all Depot sales force communications and briefings; supported by the Brand Consultant allocated to the Region. Lead the Support required for your customers from the associated Internal Teams – Operations, Channel Marketing and Supply Chain and External Teams – Bidfoods Sales Teams, Teams and Vector Sales Teams;
• Ensure combined team delivers improved availability of complete Chicken portfolio by ensuring best practice is designed and followed for your accounts and information provided is timeous and accurate.

Manage Area Jewel site account relationships:

• Execute the territory SIA growth objectives by delivering the strike rate requirement by either yourself or assigned Brand Consultant that allows the addition of SKUs at an Outlet level. Then; intern deliver on National Account, Channel and Regional Plans. Ensure new product distribution targets are always met by your teams, by helping to devise and personally imparting training.
• Build and maintain a reputation as RCL Chicken BU Culinary Expert on your Regional Customers’ outlets processes and their operational needs. Review territory performance, deliver targets and develop joint business plans to improve effectiveness.
• Maintain and expand the customer base by building and maintaining good relationships with key customers and recognising new customer opportunities.
• Develop site strategies to deliver SIA target in conjunction with National Operations Manager Maintain your key customer (Ranked) callage within a specified call cycle and delivery on quarterly activities as briefed. Gather area market information in key regional accounts. Coordinate area resources in line with customer plans to achieve strategic objectives (pre-call planners; survey compliance etc).
• Resolve escalated customer queries and issues professionally and in the best interest of all parties.
• Ensure Brand Consultant team deliver improved On-Shelf Preparation Quality of the Chicken portfolio by ensuring best practice is designed and followed for your territory and information provided is timeous and accurate.

Lead the Brand Consultant Team in your Region:

• Execute the territory sales strategy as aligned to the Chicken SIA/ BU strategy. Generate leads regarding prospective contract opportunities and, together with the National Operations Manager, drive deal closure. Implement and manage Quarterly Focus areas; as well as deliver on annual SIA targets. Ensure Brand Consultant team deliver improved On-Shelf preparation Quality of the Chicken portfolio by ensuring best practice is designed and followed for your territory and information provided is timeous and accurate. Maintain the Outlet Targeting Model (OTM) for your territory that ensures the required deliverables for Channel National/ Regional Accounts so that the overall revenue objectives are met for the region. Ensure new product distribution targets are always met by your teams, by helping to devise and personally imparting training on both sales and culinary methodologies to ensure an increasing strike rate from your team. The route planning for your team’s territories will be a significant part of your role as it must be coordinated in line with the requirements and priorities of the contact strategy (Outlet Targeting Model – OTM). Time will be spent with one-on-one training, coaching and advising your team with the goal of increasing their strike rates and adding value to our customers (make money / save money)

Marketing Management:

• Launch New product Development Input into Foodservice division decision making process around new product launches. Key area of input: Local distributor and outlet considerations.

Marketing and Promotion:

• Effectively planning and implementing regional promotions with route to market partner’s sales team. The key is to ensure that your team deliver against the briefs and are timeous with their placement and training. Market and customer insight maintenance. Pricing guidelines management in line with the CPA requirements
• Manage Point of Sale Material Deployment through your Region / Brand Consultant via coordination with local and national service providers such as Vector and allocated distributors, ensuring local availability and deployment e.g: POS Drive and assess trade promotions/ outlet investment in your customers to ensure maximum profitable growth = ROI Market and Customer Insight Maintenance Analyse and track market, customer and channel trends and in-market measures at the customer and channel level, such as distribution, share, price, and merchandising performance. Identify business implications and make recommendations. Act as the Distributor/ customer and free trade foodservice expert for your region, understanding what drives purchase needs and customer behavior.

Pricing Guidelines Management:

• Manage the local pricing and promotion pricing in your Region in line with the National Operations Manager to extract maximum value for the business. Ensuring adherence to the CPA requirements Supply Chain Distribution Management: Provide the distribution link between RCL Chicken supply chain and customer’s outlet ensuring full availability to the customer in your region. Financial Management: Participate in the formulation of RCL Foods growth targets for your Region. Manage and control the customer expenditure budget for your Region.

Budget Management:

• Drive the achievement of the area sales targets in terms of volume and promotional execution targets Manage advertising budgets in line with Account guidelines Control area sales costs Manage asset use – Company vehicle in line with car policy

People Management:

• Manage staff activities, ensuring service levels are met and protocols are adhered to. Lead the Brand Consultant Teams in your Region Lead Personal Development and training processes for your team and external teams

Closing Date: 4th, April 2022