Business Development Manager, UI - East Africa at Unilever

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

You’ll be responsible for identifying potential whitespace opportunities, collaborating with distributors to execute market entry and launching products in East Africa. You’ll be responsible for brand building activities in East Africa and the end-to-end P&L of various seeding initiatives in UI.

Prospecting

• Leading, mapping, and developing business and seeding opportunities in East Africa through data and insight activation from idea to launch
• Screening and recommending potential businesses through market analysis, deal requirements, potential and financial analysis.
• Conducting end-to-end market opportunity assessment with customers

Customer Selection and Appointment

• Conducting comprehensive research and checks to identify suitable business distributors.

Establishing and Executing Business Plans

• Developing and managing business plans internally and externally, to craft end-to-end launch plans to drive route-to-market for new product development (NPD)
• Establishing networks for new product launches with supply chain team and alignment with Category team on launches

Tracking and Monitoring Performance

• Tracking and managing of key business metrics and KPIs across marketing and trade activities
• Conducting reviews on broad spectrum of topics

Stakeholder Management

• Leading and aligning cross functional teams to effectively manage projects.
• Collaborating with local OpCo for synergies

YOU’LL WORK CLOSELY WITH:

• UI Business Development, Finance, Supply Chain and Marketing teams
• External distributors

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum 8 years’ experience in Customer Development in FMCG industry – preferably in key account management and/or marketing
• A bachelor’s degree in any discipline
• Experience in international trade and capability building.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams within a matrix environment both F2F and virtually.
• Be a strategic, highly adaptable, and entrepreneurial person.
• Embrace a high growth mindset, with strong love for consumers, shoppers and customers.
• Have strong financial acumen and analytical skills.
• Have strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills with senior stakeholders.
• Have experience working and leading in cross-functional teams.