Never pay for any notarisation, certificate or assessment as part of any recruitment process. When in doubt, contact us
Highlands is a Kenyan company manufacturing and marketing non-alcoholic beverages, with a history spanning 69 years.
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.
The ICT Officer keeps the organization's network, servers, business applications and digital services running securely and reliably, and provides first - and second-line technical support. The role covers ERP Support, systems administration, network infrastructure maintenance, cybersecurity, cloud services, business systems integration and reporting, spanning head office, depots and other business locations. The ICT Officer works cross departmentally to clear technology bottlenecks, such as slow SAP reporting at month-end or unreliable connectivity at remote sites, and to find where automation or better tooling can cut manual work.
Job description
Key Roles and Responsibilities
ICT Infrastructure Management
- Administer and maintain enterprise network infrastructure, including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless networks and VPN connectivity; troubleshoot issues such as DHCP failures and rogue DHCP servers.
- Manage Windows & Linux Server environments, including Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP and File Services.
- Monitor infrastructure availability, performance and capacity against the uptime targets in this role's KPIs.
- Manage cloud infrastructure and services.
- Coordinate & Conduct infrastructure upgrades, scheduled maintenance and disaster-recovery exercises.
Enterprise Systems Administration
- Administer Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams and Entra ID.
- Support SAP Business One and related integrations to keep core business processes running without interruption.
- Manage the user lifecycle: provisioning, role-based access, licensing and de-provisioning.
- Maintain system documentation, configurations, and standard operating procedures.
- Maintain and update the corporate website, including integration of third-party monitoring and user-experience tools.
Cybersecurity and Compliance
- Implement and maintain ICT security controls, policies, and best practices.
- Monitor security alerts, vulnerabilities, and endpoint protection solutions.
- Manage backups and disaster recovery procedures, including periodic restoration testing.
- Run routine patch management and software license audits across end-user devices.
- Conduct periodic ICT risk assessments and security audits.
- Ensure compliance with organizational ICT policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
Business Systems and Process Automation
- Design and implement workflow automation using Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages) and other automation tools.
- Support integration between enterprise systems using APIs and middleware.
- Pilot new tools and technologies, for example AI-assisted automation or low-code platforms and build a business case before scaling anything company-wide.
- Participate in ICT projects from planning through implementation and post-implementation support.
ICT Service Management
- Provide first- and second-line technical support for ICT incidents and service requests.
- Resolve ICT issues within agreed service levels.
- Maintain the ICT asset inventory, software licensing records and configuration documentation.
- Run ITSM processes covering Incident, Problem, Change, and Asset Management.
- Prepare periodic ICT operational and performance reports.
Vendor and Contract Management
- Coordinate with ICT vendors on support, maintenance and procurement.
- Evaluate ICT products and services and give technical recommendations.
- Monitor vendor performance against agreed service levels.
- Participate in ICT budgeting and procurement planning.
Documentation and Knowledge Management
- Develop, Maintain technical documentation, network diagrams, and system architecture records.
- Maintain ICT policies, procedures, and user guides.
- Run user training and awareness sessions to reduce repeat support tickets.
Continuous Improvement
- Flag manual, repetitive business processes and automate them using Power Platform or scripting.
- Recommend infrastructure changes that reduce downtime risk or cut recurring support tickets.
- Track recurring incident patterns and fix root causes instead of repeating the same workaround.
- Contribute to the annual ICT roadmap.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Service Delivery
- ≥95% of ICT incidents resolved within agreed SLA.
- ≥90% user satisfaction rating.
- First response within an agreed SLA (e.g., 2 business hours) of a ticket being logged.
Infrastructure Availability
- ≥99.5% network and server uptime.
- 100% of scheduled backups are completed successfully.
- Recovery tests completed on schedule, with results documented.
Cybersecurity
- Critical vulnerabilities remediated within an agreed SLA (e.g., 7 days for critical, 30 days for high).
- Endpoint compliance maintained above an agreed threshold (e.g., 95%).
- Zero major security incidents attributable to preventable ICT failures.
Business Improvement
- At least three approved ICT improvement or automation initiatives are delivered annually.
- Approved ICT projects delivered within scope, budget and agreed timeline.
- A measurable year-on-year increase in adoption of deployed digital tools (Power BI, Power Platform apps) across departments.
- Training users on new technology adoption and existing system use.
Asset and Compliance
- Hardware and Software management, License management, Repairs and Maintain ace
- 100% ICT asset inventory accuracy, verified at each audit.
- Full software license compliance is maintained.
- ICT documentation reviewed and updated on a set cycle (e.g., every 6 months).
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, or related field.
- Professional certifications (Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, ITIL, CompTIA Security+, Azure, or equivalent) are an advantage.
- Minimum three years' experience supporting enterprise ICT environments, ideally in a fast-paced, multi-site organization.
Technical Competencies
- ICT Infrastructure and Network Administration
- Microsoft 365 Administration
- Active Directory and Identity Management
- Cybersecurity and Endpoint Protection
- Backup and Disaster Recovery
- Cloud Technologies
- Business Systems Integration (APIs, middleware)
- Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages)
- Power BI and Data Analytics
- IT Service Management (ITIL)
- Vendor Management
- Technical Documentation
- Project Management
- SQL Query Development
- Programming (Web & Mobile Development – React, Next JS, Python, PHP, Flutter, Git)
- IP Telephony (3CX)
- OSTicket – Support Ticketing
Behavioral Competencies
- Analytical Thinking: breaks problems down to root cause rather than treating symptoms.
- Innovation mindset: Solve problems and automate processes, within limited resources.
- Customer Focus: treats internal users' downtime as urgent, not routine.
- Ownership and Accountability see issues through resolution without needing to be chased.
- Communication: explains technical issues in plain language to non-technical staff.
- Adaptability: reprioritizes calmly when urgent incidents interrupt planned work.
- Integrity: handles sensitive company and user data responsibly.
Authority
The ICT Officer is authorized to:
- Administer assigned ICT systems and infrastructure.
- Implement approved ICT changes in accordance with change management procedures.
- Coordinate ICT vendors for technical support.
- Enforce ICT policies and security standards.
go to method of application »
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 minimise 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.
- Analyse sales, distribution and market performance data to identify opportunities for growth, optimise 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 programmes to maximise sales performance.
- Monitor and enforce compliance with the Company's visibility standards, merchandising guidelines and execution requirements across all outlets.
- Ensure the effective placement, utilisation and maintenance of Point of Sale Materials (POSM) to maximise 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 minimise 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.
- Analyse 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 maximise 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.
Knowledge, experience and qualifications required
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, Sales & Marketing, Commerce or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years' experience in FMCG sales, distribution or commercial execution.
- Experience managing distributors and Route-to-Market operations.
- Experience driving sales execution within a multi-distributor environment.
- Good understanding of trade promotions, merchandising and market execution.
- Experience analysing sales and execution data.
- Experience working with Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems will be an added advantage.
Competencies
Technical & Behavioral competencies
Technical Competencies
- Route-to-Market Management
- Distribution Management
- Sales Execution
- Trade Marketing Execution
- Territory Management
- Distributor Performance Management
- Sales Analytics
- Inventory Management
- Market Intelligence
- Sales Planning
- Microsoft Excel
- Sales Force Automation (SFA)
Behavioral Competencies
- Results Orientation
- Commercial Acumen
- Customer Focus
- Relationship Building
- Problem Solving
- Analytical Thinking
- Planning & Organizing
- Accountability
- Communication Skills
- Negotiation & Influencing
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.
- The job holder is accountable for safeguarding the accuracy, integrity and confidentiality of sales, distribution and market execution information, including sales reports, market intelligence, execution records and other commercial data used to support business decision-making.
- The role supports the effective management of trade investments by monitoring the execution of promotional activities, Point of Sale Materials (POSM) and other commercial initiatives to ensure compliance with approved Company standards.
- The job holder is responsible for the proper use, care and safekeeping of Company-issued equipment, sales tools, POSM assets and other operational resources assigned in the course of duty.
- The role does not have direct authority over Company budgets or expenditure approvals but is expected to identify opportunities to improve resource utilisation, minimise wastage and support cost-effective commercial execution.
Decision-making
- The job holder exercises judgment within established commercial policies, Route-to-Market (RTM) strategies, sales procedures, trade execution standards and Company operational guidelines. The role is responsible for making day-to-day operational decisions that improve market execution, distribution effectiveness and territory performance.
- Prioritising daily sales execution activities, market visits, distributor engagements and territory coverage to maximise commercial performance.
- Identifying distribution, execution and customer service gaps, implementing corrective actions and escalating significant commercial risks requiring management intervention.
- Monitoring product availability, route compliance, trade promotion execution and pricing compliance, and recommending actions to improve execution effectiveness.
- Supporting the implementation and consistent application of Company commercial policies, trade execution standards, Route-to-Market (RTM) strategies and distributor operating procedures.
- Providing recommendations to improve distributor performance, market coverage, outlet execution and overall territory productivity.
- Monitoring execution KPIs and recommending initiatives to improve sales productivity, customer service and commercial performance.
Information
- The role requires handling commercially sensitive and confidential information relating to sales performance, distributor operations, customer accounts, pricing, promotional activities, product availability, market intelligence and territory performance.
- The job holder is expected to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, integrity and professionalism in the collection, analysis, storage and sharing of commercial information.
- The role is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of sales, distribution and execution data and for complying with Company reporting standards, commercial governance requirements, confidentiality obligations and applicable data protection legislation.
Working Conditions
- Working Environment: The role is field-based and requires frequent travel within the assigned territory to support sales execution, distributor management, customer engagement and market performance. Regular interaction is required with Commercial, Sales, Supply Chain, Finance and distributor teams, with periodic office-based planning and reporting activities.
- The job holder operates in a fast-paced FMCG environment and may be required to work outside normal business hours during promotional campaigns, product launches, month-end activities, customer requirements and other business priorities.
- The role requires frequent visits to distributors, retail outlets, wholesalers and trade partners to monitor market execution, product availability, merchandising standards, route compliance and customer service levels.
- The job holder will be required to travel extensively within the assigned territory and may occasionally travel outside the territory to attend meetings, training programmes and Company business activities.
- The role requires regular use of Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems, mobile technology and other reporting tools to monitor sales performance, capture market intelligence and support timely business decision-making.
Job Hazards
- The role involves frequent travel within the assigned territory and regular visits to distributor premises, retail outlets, warehouses, depots and other customer locations. The job holder may be exposed to road travel risks, varying weather conditions and other hazards associated with field-based commercial operations.
- The role requires prolonged periods of driving, standing, walking and movement between customer locations, which may result in physical fatigue during extensive market visits and sales execution activities.
- The job holder may occasionally visit warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing facilities and is required to comply with all applicable Company health, safety, security and operational procedures, including the mandatory use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where applicable.
- The role operates within a fast-paced commercial environment and may involve work-related pressure associated with sales targets, promotional campaigns, distributor performance, customer demands and territory execution deadlines.
go to method of application »
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 minimise 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.
- Analyse sales, distribution and market performance data to identify opportunities for growth, optimise 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 programmes to maximise sales performance.
- Monitor and enforce compliance with the Company's visibility standards, merchandising guidelines and execution requirements across all outlets.
- Ensure the effective placement, utilisation and maintenance of Point of Sale Materials (POSM) to maximise 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 minimise 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.
- Analyse 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 maximise 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.
Knowledge, experience and qualifications required
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, Sales & Marketing, Commerce or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years' experience in FMCG sales, distribution or commercial execution.
- Experience managing distributors and Route-to-Market operations.
- Experience driving sales execution within a multi-distributor environment.
- Good understanding of trade promotions, merchandising and market execution.
- Experience analysing sales and execution data.
- Experience working with Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems will be an added advantage.
Competencies
Technical & Behavioral competencies
Technical Competencies
- Route-to-Market Management
- Distribution Management
- Sales Execution
- Trade Marketing Execution
- Territory Management
- Distributor Performance Management
- Sales Analytics
- Inventory Management
- Market Intelligence
- Sales Planning
- Microsoft Excel
- Sales Force Automation (SFA)
Behavioral Competencies
- Results Orientation
- Commercial Acumen
- Customer Focus
- Relationship Building
- Problem Solving
- Analytical Thinking
- Planning & Organizing
- Accountability
- Communication Skills
- Negotiation & Influencing
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.
- The job holder is accountable for safeguarding the accuracy, integrity and confidentiality of sales, distribution and market execution information, including sales reports, market intelligence, execution records and other commercial data used to support business decision-making.
- The role supports the effective management of trade investments by monitoring the execution of promotional activities, Point of Sale Materials (POSM) and other commercial initiatives to ensure compliance with approved Company standards.
- The job holder is responsible for the proper use, care and safekeeping of Company-issued equipment, sales tools, POSM assets and other operational resources assigned in the course of duty.
- The role does not have direct authority over Company budgets or expenditure approvals but is expected to identify opportunities to improve resource utilisation, minimise wastage and support cost-effective commercial execution.
Decision-making
- The job holder exercises judgment within established commercial policies, Route-to-Market (RTM) strategies, sales procedures, trade execution standards and Company operational guidelines. The role is responsible for making day-to-day operational decisions that improve market execution, distribution effectiveness and territory performance.
- Prioritising daily sales execution activities, market visits, distributor engagements and territory coverage to maximise commercial performance.
- Identifying distribution, execution and customer service gaps, implementing corrective actions and escalating significant commercial risks requiring management intervention.
- Monitoring product availability, route compliance, trade promotion execution and pricing compliance, and recommending actions to improve execution effectiveness.
- Supporting the implementation and consistent application of Company commercial policies, trade execution standards, Route-to-Market (RTM) strategies and distributor operating procedures.
- Providing recommendations to improve distributor performance, market coverage, outlet execution and overall territory productivity.
- Monitoring execution KPIs and recommending initiatives to improve sales productivity, customer service and commercial performance.
Information
- The role requires handling commercially sensitive and confidential information relating to sales performance, distributor operations, customer accounts, pricing, promotional activities, product availability, market intelligence and territory performance.
- The job holder is expected to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, integrity and professionalism in the collection, analysis, storage and sharing of commercial information.
- The role is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of sales, distribution and execution data and for complying with Company reporting standards, commercial governance requirements, confidentiality obligations and applicable data protection legislation.
Working Conditions
- Working Environment: The role is field-based and requires frequent travel within the assigned territory to support sales execution, distributor management, customer engagement and market performance. Regular interaction is required with Commercial, Sales, Supply Chain, Finance and distributor teams, with periodic office-based planning and reporting activities.
- The job holder operates in a fast-paced FMCG environment and may be required to work outside normal business hours during promotional campaigns, product launches, month-end activities, customer requirements and other business priorities.
- The role requires frequent visits to distributors, retail outlets, wholesalers and trade partners to monitor market execution, product availability, merchandising standards, route compliance and customer service levels.
- The job holder will be required to travel extensively within the assigned territory and may occasionally travel outside the territory to attend meetings, training programmes and Company business activities.
- The role requires regular use of Sales Force Automation (SFA) systems, mobile technology and other reporting tools to monitor sales performance, capture market intelligence and support timely business decision-making.
Job Hazards
- The role involves frequent travel within the assigned territory and regular visits to distributor premises, retail outlets, warehouses, depots and other customer locations. The job holder may be exposed to road travel risks, varying weather conditions and other hazards associated with field-based commercial operations.
- The role requires prolonged periods of driving, standing, walking and movement between customer locations, which may result in physical fatigue during extensive market visits and sales execution activities.
- The job holder may occasionally visit warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing facilities and is required to comply with all applicable Company health, safety, security and operational procedures, including the mandatory use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where applicable.
- The role operates within a fast-paced commercial environment and may involve work-related pressure associated with sales targets, promotional campaigns, distributor performance, customer demands and territory execution deadlines.
Gmail
Yahoomail