About the opportunity
The Account Manager plays a pivotal role in driving sales growth and ensuring the success of the company's distribution network within the assigned region. This involves developing and executing sales strategies in collaboration with distributors, analyzing performance data to set clear goals, and providing ongoing support to enhance sales capabilities. The manager must stay abreast of market trends, gather intelligence on competitors, and foster strong relationships with key stakeholders to adapt strategies and maintain a competitive edge.
The Account Manager must demonstrate strong leadership qualities, leading by example to inspire distributors and team members to perform at their best while upholding company values. You will prioritize customer satisfaction and retention, maintaining a strong focus on delivering exceptional service and support to customers. Adaptability and flexibility are essential as the manager responds to changing market dynamics, customer needs, and business priorities, ensuring the agility needed to navigate the evolving landscape of the sales environment.
Role accountabilities
1. Sales Strategy Development and Execution:
• Develop and maintain strong relationship with Modern Trade customers.
• Collaborate with distributors to develop and execute sales strategies aligned with company objectives and market trends.
• Analyze sales performance data to set clear short and long-term goals and monitor the effectiveness of execution.
• Implement trade promotions and monitor their impact on sales performance, adjusting strategies as needed.
2. Distributor Management and Support:
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with distributors, providing ongoing training and support to enhance their sales capabilities and execution effectiveness.
• Conduct regular reviews of distributor infrastructure to ensure it can effectively handle market demands and challenges.
• Set sales and distribution targets in consultation with Trade Marketing and Business Strategy teams.
3. Operational Excellence:
• Ensure adherence to agreed-upon journey plans and merchandising guidelines to optimize route coverage and brand visibility.
• Conduct distribution audits during market visits to assess compliance and initiate corrective actions.
• Evaluate distributors' overall performance continuously, identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions as needed.
4. Financial Management:
• Manage sales and marketing budgets effectively, ensuring prudent allocation of resources and maximizing ROI.
• Take responsibility for credit control and timely collection of receivables, collaborating with Finance and Accounts departments to mitigate financial risks.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Hold regular discussions with Trade Marketing, Supply Chain, and other relevant departments, along with distributor field sales personnel, to resolve operational issues and streamline processes.
• Evaluate competitive activities, provide insights, and recommend counter actions to maintain market share.
6. Forecasting and Planning:
• Facilitate bottom-up sales forecasting by SKU, leveraging sales data and market insights to inform inventory planning and demand forecasting processes.
• Collaborate closely with demand planning teams to ensure accurate sales forecasts and strategic planning.
7. Compliance and Performance Monitoring:
• Ensure compliance with company policies, legal requirements, and ethical standards in all sales activities.
• Implement robust monitoring and reporting systems to track promotion execution compliance and sales performance metrics.
8. Continuous Improvement:
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the sales team and among distributors, encouraging feedback, innovation, and best practice sharing.
• Conduct regular assessments of processes and procedures related to sales operations, identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.
What you’ll bring to the role
To be successful in this role, you will possess the following:
- Degree with at least 5 years of account management or sales experience in the FMCG industry.
- Proven record in establishing strong relationship with Modern Trade customers.
- Excellent planning, forecasting, salesforce management, distributor management and key customer management skills.
- Proven sales and customer retention track record.
- Commercial Acumen, excellent communication and negotiation skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships.
Our Co-operative
Te Mātāpuna toa takitini
Fonterra’s strength is in the collective
We are a Co-operative created and owned by Aotearoa New Zealand dairy farmers. Our rich history is built on farming families working together to share the natural goodness of our dairy with the world.
Collaboration, innovation, and passion was the cornerstone of our creation and something we continue to value today through our commitment to care for the land, our animals, and every drop of milk. Our milk creates goodness through nutritious food with safe, quality ingredients that are loved here in New Zealand and around the world.
