Channel Activation Manager - E-commerce

Functional Reporting: Head - E-commerce

Administrative Reporting: Head - E-commerce

Location: Mumbai

Role Purpose:

The Channel Activation Manager is a pivotal role that will help drive business for the E-commerce channel. The individual will work closely with the entire E-commerce team, supporting them in achieving business objectives through strong business fundamentals.

The role requires close collaboration with both internal stakeholders (Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance) and external stakeholders (Agencies, Retail Partners) to ensure successful business outcomes.

This position involves a combination of strategy and execution, with equal emphasis on both aspects. As the business and channel requirements continue to evolve, the individual will be expected to drive changes in processes and approaches to ensure channel success. This requires the ability to think both strategically and innovatively, along with strong execution capabilities.

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities:

1. Financial:

- Drive New Product Development (NPD) business growth within the E-commerce channel.

- Increase the share of business through E-commerce-exclusive SKUs.

- Own the trade and visibility budgets, ensuring ROI delivery as per channel plans.

- Develop effective content for the channel to drive conversions, including banners, videos, and images.

2. Process:

- Establish mechanisms for budgeting, execution, and review of trade and marketing spends to optimise ROI.

- Develop a playbook for successful NPD launches and E-commerce-exclusive packs.

- Ensure best-in-class, updated, and relevant content across all retail platforms, while establishing learnings on content effectiveness.

- Build Business Intelligence (BI) systems to ensure timely reporting of key business metrics.

3. Customer:

- Collaborate with E-commerce National Key Account Managers (NKAMs) to drive business objectives across their respective accounts.

- Build strong relationships with the Category and Central Marketing teams of online retailers.

- Work closely with Brand teams on content, launches, and driving brand objectives for the E-commerce channel.

4. People:

- Build, develop, and groom talent to enable horizontal and vertical career growth within the organisation.

- Ensure continuous learning and development of E-commerce team members on industry best practices.

- Act as a flag bearer for the E-commerce channel, effectively communicating and aligning internal stakeholders with the channel's needs and requirements.

Key Interactions:

- Internal: E-commerce Team, Sales (NKAM), Marketing / Brand, Supply Chain, Finance, and Management.

- External: E-commerce Platform Partners, Agencies, Analytics and Business Intelligence Partners.

Role Requirements:

Educational Qualifications:

- MBA from a premier B-school.

- Strong proficiency in MS Excel is mandatory.

- Exposure to Power BI, Tableau, or SQL is preferred.

Experience (Type & Nature):

- 4 - 7 years of experience in Category Development within the FMCG industry, preferably with strong exposure to category management.

- Deep understanding of E-commerce unit economics, including Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), and Contribution Margin.

- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable briefs for Sales and Marketing teams.

- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with evolving business priorities.

Behavioural Competencies:

- Strong ownership mindset with an execution-first approach.

- High agility and ability to operate in a fast-paced, evolving E-commerce environment.

- Structured thinking coupled with strong problem-solving capabilities.

- Ability to collaborate, influence, and negotiate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.

- Entrepreneurial mindset with a high degree of result orientation.