About the position
Introduction
To develop and execute strategic retail channel trade and marketing initiatives to drive sales growth, enhance market share and optimise profitability. Apply deep FMCG industry expertise, market insights and customer relationships to strengthen partnerships with key retailers, wholesalers and distributors. Identify opportunities for innovative product introductions in collaboration with the New Product Development team. Ensure seamless execution of trade marketing strategies, maximise brand equity and deliver exceptional value to consumers across national retail channels.
Duties & Responsibilities
Strategy and Planning:
- Analyse market trends, competitor activities and customer needs to inform data-driven go-to-market retail channel strategies aligned with the overall business objectives.
- Develop comprehensive retail channel marketing strategies in collaboration with the Group Executive: Supply Chain ensuring alignment with manufacturing, sales, profitability and brand growth goals.
- Identify opportunities to expand market share, enhance product distribution and recommend new retail products to meet evolving consumer demands.
- Collaborate with the Logistics and Supply Chain teams to ensure efficient execution of retail channel marketing initiatives, optimising product delivery across national channels.
Customer Management:
- Build and maintain strong relationships with customers (key retail partners, wholesalers and distributors) to drive sales and brand visibility.
- Negotiate competitive trade agreements, joint business plans and promotional programmes with retailers, wholesalers and redistributors to maximise profitability and market reach.
- Manage customer expectations, resolve issues, and deliver exceptional customer service in collaboration with Key Accounts Managers to strengthen long-term partnerships.
Trade Marketing Execution:
- Develop and implement annual trade marketing and promotional plans tailored to key customers, ensuring alignment with the national marketing strategies and budget targets.
- Engage with retailers on planned promotions and approve associated cost.
- Plan and execute impactful in-store promotions, displays and point-of-sale materials to optimise sales performance and return on investment (ROI) across retail channels.
- Develop and manage trade promotions, including pricing, discounts, and loyalty programmes to drive sales volumes and achieve rebate targets.
- Oversee trading terms and rebates, sign off monthly volume rebates to retailers.
- Manage and oversee the ordering process.
- Monitor national promotional campaigns, adjusting strategies proactively to meet budgeted goals and identify opportunities for further sales growth.
- Manage the trade marketing budget ensuring cost efficiency and ROI.
Collaboration and Communication:
- Work closely with Manufacturing, Logistics and Brand teams to ensure seamless execution of trade marketing plans aligned with operational capabilities.
- Communicate trade marketing plans, performance metrics and opportunities, fostering cross functional collaboration to drive business results.
Performance Measurement and Analysis:
- Track and analyse sales data, market share and customer metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of trade marketing initiatives.
- Provide actionable insights and recommendations to refine future trade marketing efforts, driving continuous improvement in ROI and competitiveness.
- Oversee and participate in key negotiations to achieve performance metrics e.g. pricing, shelf space, ranging and the successful launching of new products into retail.
Agents:
- Draft and negotiate service levels with agents.
- Oversee the performance of third-party agents (e.g. Smollan, Daymon), ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and alignment with trade marketing objectives.
- Brief agents, field sales and merchandising teams on promotional plans, ensure commitment to the strategic placement of Famous Brands' products and monitor the successful execution of in-store merchandising and promotional activities
- Leverage Smollan's merchandising teams and data tools to optimise in-store activations, product visibility and sales performance.
- Utilise Daymon's private brand capabilities for category optimisation and product placement.
- Collaborate with the Debtors team to maintain a healthy Debtors book.
- Collaborate with Vektor to support frozen distribution to retailers.
Redistributors:
- Negotiate trading terms and pricing agreements with key redistributors and independent wholesalers to maximise profitability.
- Drive effective promotions across diverse channels (e.g. Informal, Independents, wholesalers and Retail Channels.
Brands:
- Identify and communicate product opportunities by channel, and provide input into new product development based on customer insights.
- Promote the introduction of new ranges under existing brands to drive satisfaction, market share and sales.
- Provide input on packaging whilst adhering to packaging constraints to ensure compliance, consumer appeal and marketing effectiveness.
- Develop annual promotional plans for mainstream brands, review performance and identify new sales opportunities.
- Leverage Famous Brands' equity to increase awareness, loyalty and strategic retail partnerships.
- Harness market and consumer insights to identify innovative retail products (e.g. Debonairs Frozen Pizza) in collaboration with the New Product Development team.
- Co-ordinate the compilation the Bill of Material in collaboration with the Manufacturing, Logistics and Finance teams and set competitive commercial pricing for new products.
Asset Base Control/Authorisation/Allocation:
- Monitor asset allocation (e.g. Wimpy juice machines) to support retail operations and ensure the efficient use of resources.
- Authorise purchase orders for repairs, asset movements and promotional stands in line with budget.
- Approve repair costs and sign off all purchase orders.
Desired Experience & Qualification
Formal Education
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Management or related field.
Experience
- 7 to 10+ years' sales or marketing experience in a corporate environment, experience in developing and implementing FMCG business related strategies.
- Experience in leading Retail price, channel, category, field operations and key accounts management.
