Customer Development Leader

Job Overview

Responsible to build and develop yearly plans with assigned customers to effectively grow a long term business for both Mars and the key customers with high levels of customer engagement.The Customer Development Leader is accountable for the delivery of the In-Market Sales target and Trade Promo efficiency through achievement of the sales metrics targets (Volume, Distribution, Display, Value/Freshness and Promotions) for his/her territory. The associate is tasked to be the visible leader that would drive team engagement and foster the Mars culture and the 5 Principles to the National Distributor team. Included in the role is the development of the assigned distributor sales team capability.

Key Responsibilities:

Key Accounts Management

• Develops customer account plans to win in the key account: engagement with SCM (Strategic Channel Management) partners/accounts, identification of clear customer building blocks and physical availability
• Optimizes range, distribution, points of engagement in-store, value and promotional metrics to continually add to customer value and ensure excellent execution in place.
• Capable of doing strategic sales analysis (ex. by brand, category, offtake trends & market share) to deliver business growth
• Effective and efficient management and deployment of Activities and Trade Expenditure and/or Trading terms and makes sure that total spend adheres to total agreed CTS, TLI and Trade ROIs.
• Freshness of products in-store

Sales Force Management and Engagement

• Effectively manage the territory by building the assigned distributor sales team capabilities and engagement.
• Lead and manage territory sales force to achieve excellence in trade executions.

Inter-functional Work Processes and Alignments

• Develop close working partnership with inter-functional teams.
• Ensures timely execution to support delivery of tasks and projects to attain joint objectives.
• Protects the company's interest, brands and tools in all aspect of business in the customer/territory;
• Manages and controls company properties and resources assigned to him/her;
• Performs other duties as may be assigned by the CDH.

Mid-Term Vision: Role & Performance expectations

• Develops multi-year plans, effectively builds relationships and orchestrates resources across customer organization to maximize mutual business opportunities.
• Focus on developing superior partnering skills both internally and externally and shows strategic ability at the customer level.

Food Safety

• Vigorously enforces Quality and Food Safety Procedures and standards within areas of responsibility
• Reports any incident or even potential occurrence of deviation from Quality and Food Safety standards to the Line Manager/Quality Representative

Qualifications:

• Graduate of any Business Course
• At least 7 years in Sales with 4 years minimum in Modern Trade
• Sales background with experience in managing key accounts in FMCG preferably MNC
• Strong in key account operations
• Additionally, must have Strategic Agility to partner with the customers to grow the business and the category in the longer term.
• Strong negotiation skills, knowledge in trading terms, effective planning & prioritization skills.
• Ability to understand category leadership/management, draw insights and create compelling stories to drive the business growth.
• Potential to develop and grow to the next level.
• Must possess a valid driver's license
• Willingness to travel
• Customer experience that includes selling, negotiating and leveraging insights and proven ability to understand and translate brand strategies into engaging customer strategies that are mutually beneficial for company and customer.
• Ability to assess needs, propose mutually beneficial solutions, overcome objections, demonstrate resilience and manage conflict with a positive & confident mind-set and close to maximize mutual value.
• Good numeracy and analytical skills and experience of applying a wide range of analytics that drive insights and actions for complex customers and a variety of business situations.
• Good business acumen with an understanding and application of the sales cycle, trends and broader business implications to making judgments and recommendations for action.
• Good interpersonal skills and proven ability to develop long term, effective and influential business relationships with multiple stakeholders.
• Able to respond and adapt to a fast moving, changing environment with a can do / solution-based attitude.