- Executive Hiring is looking for a Head - Modern Trade Ops for an FMCG, based at Mumbai.

- Post Grad im Mktg with 10-12 years exp. of which at least 3-4 years in MT KAM role with solid understanding of the Ops. in an FMCG.

- The Modern Trade Operations Head will be a pivotal leader responsible for driving flawless execution of retail strategies and key business drivers across all modern trade outlets in India.

- This role demands a hands-on approach to translating strategic objectives into tangible in-store actions, ensuring optimal brand visibility, product availability, merchandising standards, and promotional execution. The successful candidate will be instrumental in enhancing the shopper experience, maximizing sales potential, and leadership in the Indian modern retail landscape through operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Execution & Planning:

- Translate national modern trade strategies and commercial plans into detailed, actionable in-store execution plans for various retail formats (e.g., hypermarkets, supermarkets, beauty chains).

- Develop and implement operational guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for in-store activities, including merchandising, planogram compliance, promotional setups, and inventory management.

- Collaborate with the sales, marketing, and supply chain teams to ensure seamless execution of product launches, promotions, and seasonal campaigns.

In-Store Excellence & Compliance:

- Oversee and ensure rigorous adherence to merchandising, planograms, and visual merchandising standards across all modern trade stores.

- Monitor and optimize product availability, freshness, and display quality, identifying and addressing any gaps promptly.

- Ensure perfect execution of all promotional activities, including display setups, pricing, and point-of-sale (POS) material deployment, ensuring maximum impact and ROI.

- Regularly conduct store visits and audits to assess execution quality, identify areas for improvement, and provide constructive feedback to field teams.

Team Leadership & Capability Building:

- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of regional area sales managers, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.

- Design and implement training programs for field teams on best practices in retail execution, merchandising, and customer engagement.

- Set clear performance targets for the operations team and conduct regular performance reviews.

Performance Monitoring & Analysis:

- Establish robust metrics and reporting systems to track key operational performance indicators (KPIs) such as planogram compliance, promotional execution rates, stock availability, and merchandising quality.

- Analyze performance data to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges, providing actionable insights to the Modern Trade Head and other stakeholders.

- Prepare regular reports and presentations on operational performance, highlighting successes and recommending corrective actions.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Relationship Management:

- Work closely with key modern trade account managers to align on execution priorities and resolve operational bottlenecks with retailers.

- Liaise with supply chain teams to ensure timely and accurate product delivery to stores.

- Collaborate with marketing teams to ensure effective deployment and utilization of POS materials and brand assets.

- Build strong working relationships with retail partners' store operations teams to facilitate smooth execution.

Innovation & Best Practices:

- Stay abreast of industry trends, retail technology, and best practices in modern trade operations.

- Proactively identify opportunities for process improvements, automation, and innovation to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of in-store execution.

Job Benefits:

- Opportunity to be a part of one of the most dynamic and fast evolving customer cluster

- Opportunity to engage internal and external leadership

- Opportunity to learn and gain knowledge of both online and offline levers which drive the business with the customer

- Accountability and ownership of all KPIs related to the accounts managed leading to incremental learning

- Chance to work with multiple stakeholders both within and outside the organization which will give the incumbent a full view of 'drivers' leading to business success