Pidilite - Zonal Head - Sales & Marketing

1. Role Purpose

The Zonal Head will lead the sales, field marketing, people development, distribution expansion and business growth agenda for the STITAO zone. The role requires a strong commercial mindset, deep market understanding of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, and proven leadership capability to drive scale, productivity and market share gains.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Sales & Field Marketing Leadership

1. Sales & Distribution Planning

- Identify growth opportunities and chronic underperformance at zone/region/cluster levels and drive improvement initiatives.

- Lead distribution expansion through penetration index and periphery expansion modules.

2. Field Marketing Planning

- Build annual/quarterly BTL plans with RBDM & Category teams.

- Drive activities targeted at market development, share gain, focused products, low base markets & dealer classes.

- Strengthen engagement with users, influencers & applicators.

3. Product Mix Management

- Ensure healthy product mix through range selling, A-category product focus & boosting new/young SKUs.

B. Market Development, Share Gain & New Product Launch

- Identify market share gain opportunities and lead competitive interventions.

- Guide field teams in implementing category & competition-fighting strategies.

- Lead new product launches (PUL & YP) across targeted dealers, influencers & markets.

C. People Leadership & Capability Building

- Induct & coach BMs, RBDMs, ASEs and front-line teams on R&R, SPPBMs, WSS, Dealer & User Engagement.

- Drive performance assessment, career planning and capability development.

- Reduce unhealthy attrition; ensure timely hiring of TSIs/CMDIs/BDEs.

- Build a culture of disciplined reviews, coaching, performance management, and continuous improvement.

D. Reviews & Governance

- Conduct Zonal Review Meetings (ZRMs) and oversee cluster-level performance reviews.

- Review RCA, CWP exceptions, OAAP preparation and key operational KPIs.

- Attend MRMs, BTL activities & market visits to enhance process quality & feedback capture.

E. Distribution, Dealer & WSS Management

- Drive dealer/distribution initiatives, network expansion and trade relationship programs.

Monitor distribution KPIs such as:

- Unique billed outlets

- Range selling multiple

- Penetration index

- TSI/TSR productivity & DRCP compliance

- Review WSS performance, address chronic exceptions, manage stock losses, and ensure adherence to commercial policies.

F. Scheme & Inventory Management

- Plan and execute zonal/regional schemes effectively; monitor execution and ROI.

- Resolve unsettled scheme issues and collaborate with HO teams for timely closures.

- Manage liquidation of ageing inventory and support demand forecasting.

G. Market Connect & Business Insights

- Build strong relationships with key dealers, WSS partners and users.

Provide regular insights to divisional leadership on:

- Market trends

- Competition activities

- Pricing, packaging & product quality feedback

- Scheme effectiveness & channel sentiments

H. Key Initiatives

- Drive all Key Initiatives (KIs) assigned by Divisional Leadership.

- Define and cascade measurable KIs to BMs/RBDMs.

- Review execution every 15 days and guide teams on course corrections.

3. Qualifications & Experience

Education: Graduate / MBA Tier 1& 2 preferred

Experience:

- 12+ years of sales leadership experience in FMCG / Building Materials / Construction Chemical sector.

- Prior zonal/large-region handling experience preferred.

- Proven capabilities in managing large teams and high-performance ecosystems.

Language Skills:

- Fluency in Telugu is mandatory (spoken & reading).

- Strong command over English and Hindi desirable.

4. Key Competencies

Functional

- Sales & distribution management

- Market share strategy execution

- Field marketing & BTL excellence

- Channel management & retail activation

- New product launch management

- Data-driven planning & execution

Leadership

- Team development & coaching

- Business acumen & decision-making

- Strategic thinking & problem-solving

- Stakeholder management

- Execution excellence

- High accountability & ownership

5. Travel Requirements

- Extensive travel within Telangana & Andhra Pradesh (approx. 12-15 days per month).