National Sales Manager - Retail Business Vertical - FMCG

Position Overview:

The NSM position opportunity is for a senior executive role in driving our vision for the Retail business vertical. The role is reporting into a Director of the Company.

The incumbent will be responsible for driving sales objectives with focus on expansion by targeting current as well as new high potential customers (B2B) in MT and rapidly expanding the reach of the Company's products in the premium GT stores, thus increasing market volumes and sales. The person selected for this role will work closely with and lead a team of Regional / Sales Managers across India and guide and help them drive their sales and strategic objectives through their respective sales & merchandising teams.

This role will require a good mix of functional and leadership capabilities and a strong ability for cross functional collaborative working with some of the key functions in the company viz. Marketing, Supply Chain / Operations and Finance. The incumbent needs to ensure that the business strategies are implemented in a way that meets the Company's short- and long-term business development goals and keep the Company's products and service with a leading edge in the new market dynamics.

The base location is Mumbai. Incumbent is expected to travel exhaustively to meet above objectives.

An incumbent who surpasses revenue & distribution objectives, builds and manages a top class sales organization across all major markets and demonstrates y-o-y profitable growth and leads with Fortune's values of passion, integrity and empathy could be offered higher role as Business Head - Retail.

Scope of Work:

- Formulate and lead sales plan for retail market and drive its execution through the team. The role will need to provide hands on and strategic leadership for all aspects of the sales function and build and execute a top class Go To Market Plan

- Drive sales performance through implementation of sales and on-ground marketing initiatives by leveraging on the business affiliations with all retail trade partners and instill in the team a culture of continuously surpassing sales targets

- While reporting to the Director, the NSM will work closely and collaborate with the functional heads for Marketing, Supply Chain / Operations and Finance and with any other member of the Board, as may be called, from time to time depending on the needs of the business

- Ensure to plan the product pricing & in-store promotion expenses such that they optimize profitability in the short term within established market share gain / loss parameters and maximize the profitability from the 2nd year onwards

- Expert in rightfully addressing trade aspirations & managing relationships across value chains

- Provide Inputs for the Marketing calendar for the year (BTL Activations, Merchandising, Trade Promotions, etc.) that will be drafted and post inputs finally signed off by Mktg head / Director

- Personally ensure bespoke customer contacts with major Distributors in the top 20 metros, while ensuring superior execution of sales & service processes /activities as per prescribed SOPs

- Study the market potential for our products through hands on market survey with key customers and identify scope for rapidly opening new Retail Accounts and strengthen our capability to address this with a robust distribution network by appointing appropriate distributors to service indirect markets with relevant product portfolio and compliance to Company's Credit Policy

- Build and maintain effective relationship with key and potential B : B customers in MT, interacting with them as business partners, undertaking strategic trade marketing and tactical joint marketing programs, provide expert knowledge and support to ensure operational excellence

- Monitor key accounts performance trends and determine appropriate actions to address any issues to optimize the business and deliver best-in-class customer service

- Ability for gathering, on dynamic basis timely market intelligence & reporting same to H.O., such that it helps the Company anticipate and proactively act vs. competitive moves. This also can offer opportunities where incumbent could leverage a first mover advantage over competition.

Operational & People Management:

Lead the people agenda to ensure :

- Selection & recruitment of excellent quality of sale personnel

- Designing T&D programs for sales team development - both selling skills & attitude training

- Talent management of Sales & Key Account Managers

- Effectively communicate Company's goals, objectives & values to the sales team and verify that they comprehend and commit to the same

- Support for new business development activities (benchmarking, competitive intelligence), Competitor and market analysis

- Establish strong rapport with team members, and provide supporting practices that drive employee engagement and productivity

- Maintain pipeline of new partnership opportunities that are designed to drive revenue, new customers and increasing the brand visibility across the relevant markets for Fortune products

- Expand, review and strengthen the Distribution Network

- Ensure efficiency, quality, service and cost-effective management of resources

- To recommend Sales innovation campaigns, Sales Promotions and Incentive Schemes

- Be accessible to sales team, as much as to a Director and Leadership team members

Job Requirements :

- Excellent communication, interpersonal, influencing and persuasion skills; hands on knowledge of using PowerPoint/excel for basic analytics

- A passionate exec, who inspires and motivates his team and cross functional colleagues

- 15+ years of FMCG / Dairy / Chocolates preferably with premium packaged food products in Dairy / Chocolates and other gourmet foods; of which experience with 5+ years in handling Metro cities

- National level experience will be preferred, however, Company is willing to assess applicants who have strong Zonal experience in at least two regions of India and have managed Modern Trade, top end GT stores, and senior role in Trade Marketing and Key Account Management