Vendor Account Manager at Safaricom

Brief Description

Reporting to the Senior Manager – Vendor Acquisition, the role holder will acquire,develop and maintain relationships with the vendors within their vertical to ensure we on board the right mix of vendors in line with our agreed minimum laid out standards.

The individual will be responsible to drive and grow the vendor vertical category and get assortments aligned with the commercial strategy based on Net Merchandise Value.

Vendor Account Manager Job Responsibilities

• Know the customer: Deeply understandcustomer behavior, develop new customer insights
• Own the business: Co-own the P&L,develop the business model, understand where opportunities are and create aviable business to service them
• Know the market: Stay on top of trendsin an ever-changing landscape, find opportunities and prioritize based on size,internal capabilities, etc.
• Know the competition: Understandon-line and off-line players. Ensure Safaricom’s selection stays well ahead ofcompetition
• Influence the leadership: Convertstrategies into action by liaising with cross-functional leadership and drivethe changes required
• Develop and monetize the verticalcategories in terms of assortments(SKU’s) aligned with the commercial ambitionwith the guidance of the Senior Vendor Acquisition Manager
• Consistently develop & managevendor portfolio pipeline, negotiations, discounts ecosystem, focused on keyevents across the year
• Own and manage day-to-dayrelationships with assigned vendors and support the delivery of the end to endshopping experience for customers
• Maintaining strong relations andfollow ups with the vendors assigned including: terms and conditions, pricing,settlements, negotiations, discounts, quality inspections.
• Work closely with the contentacquisition teams and other stakeholders to ensure we have an up to date vendor/ product content on the website
• Manage online promotions along withbrands – make brands partners in customer communication
• Drive portfolio management for bestoffers and discounts for the customers
• Deliver the vendor / customer training as appropriate and ensure that the vendors understand to use the system to expand their online business with us.
• Ensure all vendors are selected &on boarded in line with laid down minimum standards.

Requirements for the Vendor Account Manager Job

• Degree in Business related course with Online Marketing experience
• 3 – 5 years’ experience in an online business
• Experience in successfully approaching national,enterprise level and or tier one businesses in a credible and professional manner, with evidence of helping vendors to achieve their goals.
• Strong relationship builder, has a positive attitude and is a team player
• Proven track record of B2B sales, preferably inany of the following Industries: e-commerce, advertising or digital marketing.
• Excellent communication skills, must have a consultative sales approach and be a strong persuader and influencer at senior level.
• Highly driven, is self-motivated, targetorientated, resilient and tenacious,
• Is customer focused, enjoys working autonomously,hits the ground running and demonstrates a willingness to learn
• Strong analytical skills, makes well-judgeddecisions, good numeracy, pays strong attention to detail, is a strong problemsolver, demonstrates good commercial awareness and thinks outside the box togenerate new ideas
• Has a flexible approach, thrives under pressure and enjoys working in a strategic sales environment