Marketing Manager – Trade & Brand at Aspen Pharma Group

OBJECTIVE

• Drive national sustainable, profitable growth of the product portfolios/ therapeutic categories with appropriate strategic direction, brand stewardship and commercial acumen via direct business to business customer needs and shopper insights, across all channels. Coach, Lead, Direct, Motivate and inspire a team of trade & brand marketers based on their specific product & channel needs and requirements to achieve objectives. Responsible for the development and execution of the strategic and tactical trade and brand plans within the Consumer division for key focus brands as well as established brands within the, by increasing share of voice, routes to market, maximize commercial trade and marketing opportunities to ensure the required return on investment and attaining financial objectives of the P&L.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Objectives:

• Achieve annual fiscal revenue targets for each channel via trade marketing efforts
• Achieve annual fiscal revenue targets for each brand and portfolio.
• Achieve GP Margin Target for portfolio
• Manage OPEX (cost centres, profit centres, Advertising TT, allocated A&P) for the portfolio
• Align with Commercial Head on setting Brand & Channel objectives

Stock & Supply:

• Tight inventory management and tracking
• Manage supply of products across value chain into each channel based on needs
• Ensure optimal margin mix
• Ensure forecast accuracy working with brand management

Operational Excellence via leading a team of Trade Marketers in delivering and achieving the below:

• Detailed understanding of shopper insights & Customer Propositions
• Bridges gaps between sales and marketing (brand and trade)
• NPD Launch & Relaunch into trade – ensuring the correct market share uptake at a store level, collaborating with Channel Ops. Managers and Merchandizing teams
• Ensure that appropriate time is allocated in field with sales managers and reps to understand customer insights
• Assisting with Trade Decks for KAM from a channel marketing perspective
• Understand and analysing category insights and providing recommendations and opportunities to the commercial teams
• To provide guidance on in-store POS development (assessing customer and market needs)
• Assessing Distribution Must Have Lists based on timing of promotions
• Understanding and provide updates on pricing information
• Promotion Mix and Strategy (aligning channel needs to brand plan)
• Providing Demand Forecasting insights based on market dynamics
• Agency Management (execution on store level)
• Cycle Decks for Ops
• Developing Merchandising Flow Strategy
• Providing input to Planogram Reviews & Sign Off
• Monitor and review in-store @ point of purchase and cross-merchandising Strategy
• Operational Excellence via leading a team of Brand Managers in delivering and achieving the below:

Brand & Trade Budget Management

• To provide ongoing support and development of marketing team
• Drive cross functional efficiencies and collaboration with key stakeholders to deliver on quantitative and qualitative targets to achieve brand/portfolio priorities through engagements
• Sense of urgency in resolution of customer queries
• Quality assessments of portfolio/ brand strategy and tactical implementation through infield visits to obtain required intelligence and insights
• Optimize Training department engagements to ensure field force is fully equipped and aligned with strategic and execution requirements
• Operational Effectiveness – achieve all Brand Manager OE expectations on a monthly and quarterly basis

People & Culture:

• Coach and develop team to exceed on objectives
• Individual development plans for team
• Succession planning – ensure succession plan for all key strategic roles
• Competency Development – develop key competencies and capabilities across the marketing personnel to drive the right behaviour and business objectives/ outcomes

Value Creation:

• Management of short-dated stock and OOS management
• Balance between strategy and execution – identify key risk areas/ products with action plans and implementation thereof
• Monthly Risk & Opportunities Analysis

Compliance & Ethics:

• Ensure all purchases transacted are compliant with company policies and procedures and procurement requirements, including the SA Code of Marketing

Requirements
SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Planning skills
• Time management
• Problem solving
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Analysing trends
• Service orientation
• Decision making skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Strong Customer Relationship Management
• Communication skills
• Self-Motivated
• Negotiation skills
• Leadership skills

Attributes

• Initiative
• Accuracy
• Confidentiality
• Customer focused
• Interpersonal sensitivity
• Logical thinking
• Information seeking
• Enquiring mind
• Self-development orientation
• Cultural sensitivity
• Vision
• Integrity
• Planning and organizing
• Analytical
• Decision making
• Commercial astuteness
• Ability to handle pressure
• Negotiation skills
• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Persuasive
• Ability to delegate
• Flexible and strategic thinker

KNOWLEDGE

• Trade Marketing Strategies
• Product Marketing Strategies
• Knowledge of FMCG landscape across various key account channels
• Customer Store Universe
• Customer Data Portals
• Customer data mining & analytics
• Category Reviews Development & Story telling
• Demand Forecasting
• Shopper Marketing Strategy
• Category Management
• Finance -PnL
• Trade Marketing Strategy
• Pricing Strategy
• Promotion Strategy
• Distribution Strategy
• Planogram Development
• Merchandising principles
• Agency Management
• Pharmaceutical Laws i.e. Pricing / Marketing
• Budget Recon
• EAN PDC
• NPD
• Trade Presenter Development
• ROI -Promotions

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Matric
• Tertiary Qualification: Marketing/Health Science Related Degree
• 5+ years Consumer FMCG and / or Marketing industry experience
• Successful track record and experience specifically in FMCG and consumer shopper environment
• 5+ years demonstrated trade marketing experience in FMCG environment essential
• 3-5 years of demonstrated strategy implementation across Trade and Marketing functions
• Financial literacy
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Word
• Ability to work on Qlikview models is advantageous.