We are seeking a strategic and operationally excellent Sales Manager to lead our East Africa sales operations. This senior role demands exceptional East Africa business acumen, team leadership capabilities, and the ability to leverage regional knowledge for competitive advantage. The Sales Manager will set standards, manage budgets, coordinate cross-functional initiatives, and build strategic relationships with regulatory bodies and key stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
East Africa Market & Customer Intelligence
- Lead the sales team, planning territory coverage and delegating responsibilities to optimize market penetration.
- Set standards for customer segmentation methodologies and monitor performance against KPIs.
- Drive cross-functional coordination of competitive intelligence gathering with marketing, product, and strategy teams.
- Exercise budget responsibility with authority for local decision-making on market investments.
- Demonstrate deep East Africa market awareness including export opportunities and logistics optimization.
- Leverage regional knowledge for competitive advantage and manage relationships with regulatory bodies.
Packaging Technical Consultation & Sales Operations
- Lead and delegate lead generation and prospecting initiatives across the sales team.
- Establish standards for needs assessment and quotation processes; monitor quality and conversion rates.
- Coordinate cross-functionally with R&D, production, and quality teams on sampling and trial programs.
- Hold budget responsibility with authority for local pricing and negotiation decisions.
- Drive account retention and growth strategies informed by deep East Africa market awareness.
- Ensure technical consultation excellence across all customer touchpoints.
Commercial Acumen & Financial Management
- Lead and plan costing and estimating functions, delegating work to optimize team productivity.
- Set pricing strategy standards and monitor margin performance across accounts and product lines.
- Coordinate cross-functionally with finance and operations on margin management initiatives.
- Exercise budget responsibility and local decision-making authority for credit and collections policies.
- Oversee tender and contract management with comprehensive East Africa market awareness.
- Drive profitable growth while maintaining healthy cash flow and minimizing credit risk.
Digital Systems & Process Excellence
- Serve as system administrator for ERP, MIS, and digital sales tools.
- Lead workflow design and process optimization initiatives.
- Manage integration of sales systems with finance, operations, and supply chain platforms.
- Act as primary vendor liaison for CRM, BI, and sales technology providers.
- Drive data-driven decision making across the sales organization.
Communication & Stakeholder Management
- Deliver clear communication across diverse stakeholders in multicultural East African environments.
- Excel at cross-functional communication, aligning sales objectives with company-wide priorities.
- Manage complex stakeholder relationships with enterprise clients, distributors, and partners.
- Lead high-stakes negotiations and influence internal and external decision-makers.
- Represent the company in industry forums and regulatory engagements.
Problem Solving & Strategic Decision Making
- Analyze complex issues and make sound decisions in resource-constrained environments.
- Apply complex problem-solving methodologies to market challenges and operational constraints.
- Drive data-driven decisions using analytics and market intelligence.
- Effectively manage uncertainty in volatile markets and supply chain disruptions.
- Coach others in decision-making frameworks and critical thinking.
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Engineering, or related field; MBA preferred.
- 6+ years of B2B sales experience, with minimum 3 years in sales leadership within packaging, printing, FMCG, or manufacturing sectors.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams, planning and delegating work, and setting performance standards.
- Proven budget responsibility with P&L or cost center management experience.
- Deep East Africa market awareness including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.
- Experience managing regulatory relationships and navigating complex business environments.
- Strong ERP and digital systems proficiency; experience as system administrator or workflow designer preferred.
- Exceptional cross-functional coordination and stakeholder management skills.
- Track record of coaching others and developing high-performing sales teams.
Preferred:
- Experience in flexible packaging, labels, folding cartons, corrugated, or rigid packaging.
- Knowledge of export markets and regional logistics optimization.
- Familiarity with tender processes and large contract negotiations in East Africa.
- Multilingual capabilities (English + Swahili; French or Arabic advantageous).
- Professional certifications in sales management, supply chain, or packaging technology.
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