Highlands Drinks Limited is a Kenyan company manufacturing and marketing non-alcoholic beverages, with a history spanning 69 years. As a pioneer of the East African beverages industry, Highlands has been transformed from a small family factory to a category leader with an "own-brand" portfolio that spans the major beverage categories and consumer segments of the market.
Job Purpose
The Sales Excellence Manager (Nyeri) is responsible for driving sales excellence, distribution strategy, and market execution within the assigned territory. The role involves managing Route-to-Market (RTM) processes, distributor relationships, and territory sales performance to maximize product availability, brand visibility, and commercial growth.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Distribution Management
Drive numeric and weighted distribution to maximize product availability and market penetration across the assigned territory.
Monitor product availability and inventory levels to minimize out-of-stock situations and improve on-shelf availability.
Identify distribution gaps and implement corrective action plans to expand outlet coverage and improve service levels.
Support the implementation and continuous improvement of Route-to-Market (RTM) strategies to enhance sales productivity and operational efficiency.
Monitor route productivity, call frequency, outlet coverage, and route compliance to ensure efficient territory execution.
Analyze sales, distribution, and market performance data to identify opportunities for growth, optimize territory performance, and improve customer reach.
Work closely with distributors and sales teams to ensure consistent product availability, effective territory management, and achievement of distribution targets.
Market Execution
Drive excellence in the execution of trade promotions, commercial initiatives, and in-market activation programs to maximize sales performance.
Monitor and enforce compliance with the Company's visibility standards, merchandising guidelines, and execution requirements across all outlets.
Ensure the effective placement, utilization, and maintenance of Point of Sale Materials (POSM) to maximize brand visibility and shopper engagement.
Monitor retail pricing compliance and promptly identify and address pricing deviations that may impact competitiveness and brand positioning.
Conduct regular market audits to assess execution quality, promotional compliance, merchandising standards, and overall customer experience.
Monitor route compliance and field execution to ensure sales representatives adhere to approved route plans, outlet call cycles, and service standards.
Identify execution gaps, conduct root cause analysis, and implement corrective action plans in collaboration with distributors and sales teams.
Monitor competitor activities, trade initiatives, and in-market execution to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and competitive advantage.
Distributor Relationship Management
Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with assigned distributors to drive sustainable business growth and operational excellence.
Partner with distributors to improve sales execution, market coverage, product availability, and overall commercial performance.
Monitor distributor inventory levels, stock rotation, and replenishment planning to ensure optimal stock availability and minimize stock-outs.
Support effective credit management by monitoring collections, following up on overdue accounts, and working with distributors to improve payment performance.
Align distributor sales teams with the Company's commercial objectives, execution standards, and performance expectations.
Conduct regular distributor business reviews to evaluate sales performance, service levels, operational effectiveness, and compliance with agreed performance targets.
Identify capability gaps within distributor operations and implement initiatives to improve execution, productivity, and customer service.
Provide market insights and performance feedback to distributors to support continuous improvement and achievement of territory objectives.
Sales Performance & Territory Management
Monitor territory sales performance against agreed targets and identify opportunities to drive sustainable sales growth.
Analyze sales trends, market intelligence, competitor activities, and customer insights to support informed commercial decision-making.
Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans in collaboration with Regional Sales Managers, distributors, and sales teams.
Monitor and report on key sales execution KPIs, including distribution, product availability, route compliance, visibility, strike rate, and sales productivity.
Coach, support, and develop distributor sales teams to improve execution capability, customer service, and overall commercial performance.
Conduct regular market visits to validate sales performance, identify business opportunities, and strengthen customer and distributor relationships.
Track the effectiveness of commercial initiatives and recommend improvements to maximize return on investment and sales performance.
Prepare accurate and timely sales and execution reports to support business reviews and performance management.
Reporting Systems & Data Integrity
Prepare accurate and timely weekly and monthly sales, distribution, and execution performance reports to support business reviews and decision-making.
Maintain accurate market intelligence, execution records, and territory performance data to support commercial planning and continuous improvement.
Monitor compliance with Company sales policies, Route-to-Market standards, trade execution guidelines, and operational procedures.
Identify, escalate, and support the resolution of operational, commercial, and execution risks that may impact sales performance or customer service.
Monitor the implementation of agreed corrective actions and provide regular updates on execution performance and improvement initiatives.
Ensure the accuracy, integrity, and timely submission of sales and execution data in line with Company reporting requirements.
Responsibility for Finances and Physical Assets
The role is responsible for supporting the effective utilization of Company resources by monitoring sales execution, distributor performance, product availability, and trade execution activities within the assigned territory.
Accountable for safeguarding the accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality of sales, distribution, and market execution information, including sales reports, market intelligence, and other commercial data used to support business decision-making.
Supports the effective management of trade investments by monitoring the execution of promotional activities, POSM, and other commercial initiatives to ensure compliance with approved Company standards.
Responsible for the proper use, care, and safekeeping of Company-issued equipment, sales tools, POSM assets, and other operational resources assigned.
Identify opportunities to improve resource utilization, minimize wastage, and support cost-effective commercial execution.
Decision-Making
Exercises judgment within established commercial policies, RTM strategies, sales procedures, and trade execution standards.
Responsible for daily operational decisions that improve market execution, distribution, and territory performance.
Recommends initiatives to improve distributor performance, market coverage, and outlet execution.
Working Conditions
Environment: Field-based role requiring frequent travel within Nyeri territory to support sales execution, distributor management, and customer engagement. Regular interaction is required with Commercial, Sales, Supply Chain, Finance, and distributor teams.
Hours: Operations are within a fast-paced FMCG environment; the job holder may be required to work outside normal business hours during promotional campaigns, product launches, or month-end activities.
Travel: Extensive travel within Nyeri, with occasional travel outside the territory to attend meetings or training programs.
Job Hazards
Exposure to road travel risks, varying weather conditions, and physical fatigue during extensive field visits.
Visits to warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing facilities where safety compliance is required.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the Highlands Drinks Limited application page at MyJobMag or directly through their recruitment portal at recruitment.highlandske.com.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the Highlands Drinks Limited application page at MyJobMag or directly through their recruitment portal at recruitment.highlandske.com.
