Role Overview:

The role is responsible for leading the sales operations function, driving revenue growth and profitability, strengthening business partnerships, and ensuring operational excellence across the sales organisation.

The individual will be accountable for achieving budgeted sales and profit targets through effective business planning, channel management, strategic negotiations, inventory control, and team leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Sales Strategy & Business Performance:

- Lead the sales operations team to achieve budgeted revenue, volume, gross margin and profitability targets.

- Drive implementation of key sales fundamentals, including Market Share Leadership (MSL), Lines per Person per Customer (LPPC), planogram compliance, channel profitability, and trade negotiations.

- Identify new business opportunities, develop strategic growth initiatives and expand the organisation's market presence.

- Conduct periodic business reviews, evaluate performance against budgets and revise forecasts based on market dynamics and business requirements.

2. Business Planning & Financial Management:

- Develop and manage annual business budgets, including sales volumes, manpower requirements, operating expenses, overheads and capital expenditure.

- Ensure optimal utilisation of resources while maintaining strong control over operating costs and working capital.

- Monitor and manage key financial parameters, including inventory, stock levels, receivables, payables and exceptional customer transactions.

- Drive the sales organisation towards delivering both top-line growth and bottom-line profitability.

3. Channel & Customer Management:

- Lead strategic negotiations with business partners on gross margins, pricing structures, advertising spends, promotional investments and commercial agreements.

- Develop customer-specific category strategies and business plans covering category assessment, product rationalisation, assortment optimisation and promotional effectiveness.

- Strengthen key account relationships and improve channel performance through effective commercial planning and execution.

4. Inventory & Supply Chain Management:

- Oversee inventory planning, forecasting and replenishment to ensure optimal stock availability.

- Drive effective ordering and inventory management, considering lead times, demand fluctuations, stockholding requirements and payment terms.

- Establish processes to minimise excess inventory, avoid stock-outs and optimise working capital.

5. Team Leadership & Organisation Development:

- Build and lead a high-performing sales organisation, including defining the appropriate organisation structure and ensuring effective manpower deployment.

- Drive recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management and career development across the sales division.

- Conduct regular team reviews to track performance, communicate business priorities, establish objectives and cascade organisational updates.

- Lead performance appraisals, succession planning and talent development initiatives, identifying capability gaps and implementing relevant development plans.

- Coach and develop team members on Key Account Management (KAM) principles, strategic planning, negotiation, commercial analysis and P&L management.