The Head of Retail builds, grows and manages M-PAYA's retail channel across Kenya, ensuring our products are available, visible and actively sold through the right retail outlets, distributors, dealers and channel partners.
This is a hands-on commercial leadership role that owns the retail growth agenda: from identifying new markets and recruiting channel partners to improving outlet productivity, merchandising, sales conversion and customer experience.
What You Will Do
Retail Channel Strategy
Develop and execute the retail channel strategy in line with overall business growth objectives.
Define the retail footprint, channel mix and route-to-market model.
Identify expansion opportunities into new territories, towns and retail clusters.
Develop plans to increase retail sales, market penetration and outlet productivity.
Retail Network Expansion
Identify, recruit, onboard and manage dealers, retailers and other channel partners.
Build a scalable retail network across priority markets.
Develop territory plans and ensure adequate market coverage.
Set clear partner expectations, targets and performance standards.
Sales and Commercial Performance
Own retail channel revenue, volume and growth targets.
Drive sell-in, sell-through and sell-out performance across the retail network.
Monitor sales performance by territory, outlet, distributor and product.
Develop corrective actions for underperforming territories and partners.
Use sales data and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities.
Retail Execution and Merchandising
Ensure M-PAYA products are properly positioned, displayed and promoted at retail outlets.
Drive merchandising, POSM deployment, product visibility and brand compliance.
Develop and execute retail promotions and trade activation initiatives.
Work with Marketing to translate campaigns into effective retail execution.
Partner Management
Build strong commercial relationships with distributors, dealers and retailers.
Develop partner incentive and performance programs.
Support partner capability development through product, sales and customer-service training.
Resolve channel issues and ensure strong partner engagement and retention.
Team Leadership
Build and lead a high-performing retail sales team.
Set clear individual and team targets, KPIs and territory plans.
Conduct regular performance reviews and coaching.
Drive a culture of accountability, field execution and continuous improvement.
Market Intelligence
Maintain a strong understanding of retail market dynamics, competitor activity, pricing and customer behaviour.
Conduct market mapping to identify new retail opportunities.
Provide management with actionable insights on market trends, competitor movements and channel performance.
Stock and Operational Coordination
Work with Operations and Finance to ensure product availability across the retail network.
Monitor stock movement and availability at distributor and retail level.
Minimise stock-outs, excess inventory and channel inefficiencies.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Sales or a related field. A postgraduate qualification is an added advantage.
Experience
8+ years of experience in retail sales, channel management, distribution, route-to-market or related commercial roles.
Proven experience building or managing a retail or distribution network.
Experience managing sales teams and field-based commercial teams.
Experience with merchandising, trade marketing and retail execution.
Sector experience (an advantage)
Consumer electronics, electrical products, energy products, solar and renewable energy, or building materials.
Skills and competencies
Commercial leadership: a retail builder who grows sales through channel development and market expansion.
Strong understanding of distributor, dealer and retailer management.
Territory planning, market mapping and outlet productivity.
Strong commercial negotiation and relationship-management skills.
Data-driven decision making, using sales data and market intelligence.
Team leadership, coaching and a focus on accountability and field execution.
How Your Success Will Be Measured
Retail revenue and sales growth
Number and productivity of active retail outlets
New distributor, dealer and retailer acquisition
Retail market and territory expansion
Sell-through and sell-out performance
Outlet activation and productivity
Retail brand visibility and compliance
Partner performance and retention
Sales team productivity
Customer acquisition and repeat business
Who you will work with
Internally: the Chief Commercial Officer (your line manager), Marketing, Operations, Finance and the retail sales team.
Externally: distributors, dealers, retailers and other channel partners.