Trade Quality Manager at Diageo

Job Description :

Reports To: Head Of Commercial Operations

Purpose

The Trade Quality Manager provides the technical quality assurance, problem solving and troubleshooting service in the market place. There is a need for timely availability of feedback for Operations and Sales teams to respond to quality issues.

Market Context

• The Trade Quality Manager is positioned within the Commercial Operations team in KBL. The role acts as the link between commercial and the supply functions, bringing a greater understanding of the market to the team.
• The purpose of this Commercially Facing role is to lead the continuing end to end quality improvement agenda with a special focus to connect quality to the end customer and consumer.
• The role will define requirements for the customer facing part of quality process and based on it a fit for purpose end to end process
• The jobholder handles all consumer/customer complaints in Kenya and Exports to safeguard KBL market share and protect company and brand image, which are likely to suffer due to complaints.
• Review current process vs above and highlight gaps, define solution for these gaps
• Implement and embed new process based on above, and lead continuous improvement agenda within the scope of this role
• Own operational quality issue management e.g. lead any quality concern resolution raised by customers, lead FACTS process if required, coordinate information gathering, engage/inform the right stakeholders, coordinate communication (incl. CR, legal and commercial when customer/consumer communication required)
• Own recall process from consumer to distributor and to NCD
• The role would also be part of the track & trace super user group with a key responsibility to ensure all stokeholds maintain traceability along the supply chain.
• The role takes a step closer to the external customer by facilitating much stronger relationships between the commercial team and supply to understand present and emerging issues at customer facing parts of the supply chain through regular connections with this stakeholder group.
• The roles takes the ownership to validate/verify and understand the key issues and external customer needs and drives the outcomes by holding the relevant people and teams within the KBL i.e. production sites to account for the delivery of actions with pace. 
• The role is key, to the KBL significantly reducing the leading KPI’s number of concerns received from our customers and finished product quality (ppm Defects), as measured from Diageo external customers/consumers
• The role focuses on identifying and driving improvements across KBL through Root Cause Problem Solving which leads to robust short to long term Continuous Improvement Plans being implemented.
• This post holder will work closely with the other members of the Quality and innovations team to deliver the end to end Quality strategy and driving external customer focused culture

Decision Making

• Recommending product recall and replacement
• Quarantining product that do not meet Company and legal specs
• Deciding best method to resolve complaints
• Recommending disciplinary action on Distributors who tamper with product
• Recommending market raids for counterfeit and contraband quality surveys in the market
• Represents KBL as an expert witness in product liability suits in court.

Financial Responsibility

• Managing the call centre team of current seven members and one supervisor at a budget cost of 15million Kenya shillings per year  
• Managing the contracted third parties on Keg equipment & draught cleaning and  servicing with over seventy staff with Ten supervisors with an average budgeted cost of 185 million per year   

Leadership Responsibility

• Managing the call centre team of current seven members and one supervisor
• Managing the contracted third parties on Keg equipment & draught cleaning and  servicing with over seventy staff with Ten supervisors
• Leading and guiding the sale team on quality defect management and compensation

Key Outputs/Deliverables

• Having the credibility and reputation to influence senior stakeholder
• Holding sites to account for delivering solutions on all matters pertaining to be finished product quality.
• Ensuring KBL customer quality issues raised are dealt with as a matter of urgency and consistent with Diageo vision to be ‘best performing, most trusted and respected consumer goods company’.
• Managing and driving consistency across the KBL business in all areas of finished quality.
• Driving improvements (in line with agreed stretch targets) with regard to the areas above across the Supply and Trade based and coordinating with the Quality, Innovation  and Supplier Development team with particular focus on customer facing quality process
• Taking a role in driving the required culture and behaviours including educating and engagement on customer requirements.
• Taking a role in building the correct quality capabilities within the commercial team.
• Communicating successes across sites, divisions and supply.
• Taking a lead role in site quality forums driving and supporting key initiatives coming out of these.
• Reporting on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis on progress towards agreed targets.
• Support the requirements for external quality and food safety regulators who wish to deal with Diageo/KBL as a Corporate Body.
• Formulate an Audit system to review the status of Distributors, Stockists and Customers outlets from a Quality viewpoint. Carry out such audits in the distribution channel on a regular basis around the country.  Liaise with regional sales people to ensure these audits are carried out in their areas.
• Identify gaps in the distribution channel and formulate a training program to address the gaps, in conjunction with Sales Team for all sales team, Distributors, Stockiest, and Outlets on production and quality in the trade. Carry out  such training so as to enhance market share
• Arrange for Procurement of trade samples on a monthly basis and arrange for these to be tasted and analysed, including competitors’ products. Advise on the taste quality trends which may impact negatively on sales
• Co-ordinate and run In Trade Tasting and visits for technical staff, by liaising with Sales Force. Prepare reports of trade visits based on QDVPP (Quality, Distribution. Visibility, Price Promotion)
• Follow up and ultimately resolve quality issues emanating from the Customer care with an aim of protecting KBL image from bad press, litigation and public health prosecution. Prepare reports on Customer feedback for Operation meetings.
• Quality surveillance in the market to assess package presentation, product displays in the outlets. Advise Operations department on package attributes that may affect sales. Make regular reports on prevailing quality problems that need resolution. Compile monthly information on quality for Sales Team.  Make recommendations on the way forward for  trade quality
• Manage widespread process related product quality incidents that may appear in the market place in conjunction with Crisis (incident) Management Team to avoid negative impact on the market using the FACTs process team. 

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Degree level qualification or equivalent, ideally in a supply chain / market discipline.
• In depth understanding, knowledge and experience of 5-10 years in Production and quality field
• Must have good interpersonal and influencing skills
• Strong facilitation, training and presentation skills
• Good at networking to establish excellent relationships at all levels
• Have a reputation of delivering results
• Experienced auditor and Beer/spirit taster

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to Diageo’s purpose of “celebrating life every day everywhere”. This purpose is in itself, inclusive in nature, as it values everybody irrespective of background, gender, disability, religion or ethnicity.

We know that for our business to thrive and for Diageo to realize its ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow and our values, purpose and standards set the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution each person brings.
Flexibility is key to success in our business and many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. Please talk to us about what flexibility means to you and don’t let anything stop you from applying.