National Spirits Sales Manager at East African Breweries Limited (EABL)

Context/Scope
EABL operates within a multi-cultural, multi-national, multi-currency environment. EABL comprises four business units: KBL, EAML, SBL and UBL. KBL is further categorised into Demand and Supply. The Supply business is involved in production of beer and spirits. The Demand business is involved in marketing and pushing the product to consumers.
This role is located within the Demand Sales business. The Spirits Sales Manager role is critical to continued growth of volumes and market share for the overall EABL Kenya Demand.
This position is 40% field based and 60% office based. The Spirits Sales Manager will work closely with NSM & RBMs to achieve regional team spirits volume objectives and retail outlet management and will work closely with the BAM’s to achieve distributor implementation of KPI’s per spirit contract and key trade to achieve objectives.

Purpose of the role
To provide spirits sales support link with Production, Marketing (Brand teams and Innovation), Trade Marketing, Distribution and Regional Field teams.

Market Complexity
EABL operates in a very competitive environment that has seen the entrant of new players in the total alcohol category. This necessitates the need for pro-active business approach. The national distribution structure within the Kenyan alcohol market is key to EABLs delivery of both volume growth and market share.
Market situation is changing rapidly due to the economic situation, declining disposable incomes and opening up of the economic trading blocks allowing in flow of products from other markets. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated.  This requires proactive selling to maximise company market share. Trade is evolving and being more sophisticated especially at retail level.  

Leadership Responsibilities 
To constantly monitor and evaluate the distributors, RTM (Route to Market) and team performance and propose deliverable actions, plans and initiatives for improvements and growth. To initiate and take leadership in implementing motivating incentives to the distributor sales crew to support new route to market for spirits to deliver exceptional results for spirits.

Top Accountabilities

·         Ensure implementation of the Spirits distribution contract KPIs (Key performance indicators) with distributors and design spirits centric RTM for each distributor.

·         Identify emerging trade trends and insights. 

·         Implement strategy to communicate anti competitor plans and activities. 

·         Gather relevant distributor information to assist the business in identifying business opportunities and track sales performance by distributor and advise DSMs/ABDMs on           expectations.

·         Coordinate stock order levels for sprits between production (at UDV) and warehouse

·         Coordinate order issues between field teams and NCD in respect of supply problems.

·         Training of Distributor sales force in knowledge of spirits brands and steps of a call in in-outlet spirits selling versus beer selling.

·         Ensure compliance with safety requirements at the work environment.

Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• At least 5 years’ experience with a Strong track record in People Management & / or commercial roles within a consumer goods environment esp. in the Alcohol industry.