Head Of Sales And Marketing

Role Summary

• The Head of Sales and Marketing will lead the organisation's commercial strategy across its non-alcoholic beverage portfolio and target markets. The role is accountable for revenue growth, sales volumes, market share, pricing, profitability, distribution, customer relationships and overall brand performance.
• The position combines strategic sales leadership, marketing and brand management, business development, export growth and hands-on route-to-market execution. The successful candidate will manage the commercial budget, lead a multidisciplinary team and work closely with senior management and other business functions to achieve the organisation's strategic objectives.
• The ideal candidate is a results-oriented FMCG leader with a strong understanding of consumer markets, proven experience managing national and regional sales operations, and the ability to build high-performing teams, strengthen customer relationships and deliver sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Strategy and Business Growth

• Develop and implement sales and marketing strategies aligned with the organisation's business objectives and profitability targets.
• Drive revenue, volume, market share and margin growth across the non-alcoholic beverage portfolio and target markets.
• Manage the commercial budget, pricing strategy, product mix and promotional investments to maximise returns.
• Coordinate demand forecasting with Production, Finance and Supply Chain to ensure product availability and efficient inventory management.
• Identify opportunities for portfolio expansion, product innovation, market penetration and new revenue streams.
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends, customer preferences and industry developments to inform commercial decisions.
• Evaluate commercial performance and implement corrective measures to address gaps against agreed targets.

Sales and Route-to-Market Excellence

• Lead national and regional sales teams in achieving revenue, volume, distribution and profitability targets.
• Develop effective route-to-market strategies covering distributors, wholesalers, general trade, modern trade, supermarkets, hospitality, institutional customers and other relevant channels.
• Strengthen distributor performance, sales coverage, product availability and channel productivity.
• Establish clear sales KPIs, performance dashboards and regular business reviews to drive accountability.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key accounts, distributors, retailers and institutional customers.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales force effectiveness, channel performance and cost efficiency.
• Develop territory and account plans to maximise market penetration and customer retention.
• Ensure effective sales forecasting, pipeline management and timely reporting of commercial results.

Export and Regional Business Development

• Develop and execute strategies to grow international sales and strengthen the organisation's presence in existing markets.
• Identify and assess new markets, distribution opportunities and potential business partnerships.
• Recruit, manage and evaluate international distributors, importers and commercial partners against agreed targets.
• Work with Finance, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain and Logistics teams to support export pricing, documentation, product compliance and timely deliveries.
• Monitor international market developments and identify opportunities to improve competitiveness and profitability.
• Develop market-specific sales and distribution plans to support sustainable international growth.
• Represent the organisation at relevant trade exhibitions, business forums and industry events.
• Monitor export performance and recommend strategies to improve market coverage, revenue and margins.

Marketing and Brand Management

• Develop and implement brand strategies that strengthen market positioning, customer loyalty and commercial performance.
• Lead integrated marketing campaigns across traditional media, digital platforms and other relevant communication channels.
• Use consumer insights and market research to identify opportunities for brand growth and product differentiation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on product development, packaging, positioning and new product launches.
• Strengthen brand visibility, relevance and competitiveness across target consumer segments.
• Ensure marketing investments deliver measurable commercial outcomes through appropriate performance indicators.
• Oversee brand performance and recommend initiatives to improve awareness, customer preference and market share.
• Ensure consistency in brand messaging and positioning across all relevant marketing channels.

Trade Marketing and Channel Development

• Develop and implement trade marketing strategies to improve distribution, in-store visibility and sales conversion.
• Design channel-specific activation programmes for general trade, modern trade, hospitality, institutional customers and other relevant channels.
• Optimise promotions, pricing structures and product offerings to meet different customer needs and improve profitability.
• Monitor trade expenditure, promotional effectiveness and return on investment in collaboration with Finance and Sales Operations.
• Work with sales teams and channel partners to improve merchandising, product availability and execution standards.
• Develop initiatives that strengthen customer engagement and improve performance at the point of sale.
• Establish appropriate mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of trade promotions and marketing activities.
• Ensure trade marketing programmes support agreed sales, distribution and brand objectives.

Digital Transformation and Commercial Analytics

• Champion the use of CRM systems, business intelligence tools, sales force automation and digital reporting platforms.
• Use data analytics to inform pricing, customer segmentation, demand forecasting, promotional planning and sales performance.
• Monitor market intelligence, retail performance and consumer trends to identify emerging opportunities and risks.
• Strengthen digital marketing, online sales and electronic ordering channels to complement traditional distribution models.
• Establish reliable reporting systems to support timely, evidence-based commercial decisions.
• Use sales and market data to evaluate customer profitability, sales productivity and channel performance.
• Promote continuous improvement in commercial processes through technology and data-driven insights.

Leadership and Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor and develop high-performing sales, marketing, trade marketing and export teams.
• Establish clear performance objectives, accountability structures and professional development plans.
• Foster a culture of customer focus, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with Production, Finance, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Human Resources, ICT and other relevant functions.
• Prepare and present regular commercial performance reports, forecasts and strategic recommendations to the Managing Director and senior leadership.
• Support succession planning, talent development and the continuous strengthening of commercial capabilities.
• Ensure all commercial activities comply with applicable laws, internal policies and ethical business standards.
• Build strong internal and external relationships that support business growth, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Requirements

Person Specification

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Commerce, Economics or a related discipline from a recognised university.
• A Master's degree in Business Administration, Marketing or a related field will be an added advantage.
• A professional marketing qualification, such as CIM, and membership in a relevant professional body will be an added advantage.

Experience and Technical Competencies

• At least 10 years of progressive experience in sales and marketing within FMCG, including a minimum of five years in a senior management position leading substantial sales or marketing teams.
• Demonstrated success in growing revenue, market share, distribution and profitability for consumer-facing brands.
• Experience in non-alcoholic beverages, beverage manufacturing or related FMCG categories will be an added advantage.
• Strong practical experience in distributor management, key-account management, general and modern trade, route-to-market strategy and sales execution.
• Proven exposure to export sales, international business development and managing external commercial partners.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including budgeting, pricing, margin management, forecasting and promotional expenditure analysis.
• Experience in brand management, category development, consumer marketing and new product launches.
• Proficiency in commercial analytics, CRM platforms, sales force automation and digital marketing tools.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute commercial strategies that deliver measurable business results.
• Experience managing commercial budgets and evaluating the financial performance of sales and marketing initiatives.
• Strong understanding of consumer behaviour, distribution networks and competitive dynamics in the FMCG sector.

Leadership and Personal Attributes

• Strong strategic thinking, commercial judgement and execution capability.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive performance through clear objectives and accountability.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism and sound business judgement.
• Ability to operate effectively in a structured organisation with multiple stakeholders and cross-functional dependencies.
• Customer-focused, analytical and adaptable, with a strong orientation towards innovation and continuous improvement.
• Ability to balance strategic priorities with hands-on commercial execution.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound decisions in a dynamic business environment.

Key Performance Expectations

• The successful candidate will be expected to deliver measurable improvements in the following areas:
• Revenue growth and achievement of annual sales targets.
• Sales volume growth and market share expansion.
• Gross margins, pricing discipline and overall commercial profitability.
• Distribution coverage, product availability and route-to-market effectiveness.
• Export sales growth and expansion into new markets.
• Brand performance, consumer engagement and marketing return on investment.
• Distributor and key-account performance.
• Sales forecasting accuracy and commercial reporting effectiveness.
• Sales team productivity, employee development and performance accountability.
• Customer satisfaction, retention and long-term commercial relationships.

Core Competencies

• Strategic commercial leadership.
• Sales management and business development.
• Brand and category management.
• Export and international market development.
• Financial management and profitability analysis.
• Trade marketing and route-to-market execution.
• Commercial analytics and digital enablement.
• Negotiation and relationship management.
• Team leadership, coaching and talent development.
• Innovation, adaptability and results orientation.