Strategic Channel Leader: UAE Growth & Partnerships

NALCO An Ecolab Company; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

Ecolab is seeking a Channel Manager for the United Arab Emirates to design and manage differentiated country-specific distributor strategies, align governance, and drive growth across multi-country markets.

You will collaborate with Area Managers, Sales Reps, and cross-functional teams to enhance distributor performance, implement data-driven programmes, and ensure alignment with company policies. This role demands strong analytical skills, leadership, and travel across the region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, business or a related field.
• Approximately 10-13 years of relevant commercial experience, including multi-country distributor or indirect-channel management; water treatment, industrial solutions or related B2B sector preferred.
• Experience building channel strategy, distributor business plans, incentive or rebate programmes and performance governance.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability with sell-in/sell-out, forecasting, pricing, margins, inventory and customer data.
• Ability to influence partners and internal stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience conducting distributor reviews, resolving channel conflict and turning analysis into actions.
• Fluent business English; Arabic or local language capability advantageous.
• Willingness to travel across UAE, Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Pakistan.

Responsibilities

• Develop a differentiated channel strategy for each country reflecting market size, segments, distributor capability and growth priorities.
• Segment distributors by role, capability and growth potential and define coverage, investment and performance expectations.
• Create and manage structured channel growth programmes including rebates, incentives and campaigns.
• Establish sell-in/sell-out data discipline and reporting requirements.
• Lead quarterly business reviews with priority distributors covering performance, pipeline and recovery plans.
• Set annual distributor business plans and country KPIs; monitor and intervene as needed.
• Build distributor sales capability through joint planning, training, and tools.
• Identify channel gaps and evaluate new partners with clear criteria.
• Coordinate with Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Technical, CS and Legal for program alignment.
• Maintain distributor agreements and governance; resolve conflicts and territory issues.
• Monitor market trends and translate insights into pricing, promotions and development actions.
• Prepare a consolidated channel dashboard and management update.

Skills

Channel strategy

Distributor management

Data analysis

Stakeholder influence

Multi-country coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, business or related field

Job description

Ecolab is seeking a Channel Manager for the United Arab Emirates to design and manage differentiated country-specific distributor strategies, align governance, and drive growth across multi-country markets.

You will collaborate with Area Managers, Sales Reps, and cross-functional teams to enhance distributor performance, implement data-driven programmes, and ensure alignment with company policies. This role demands strong analytical skills, leadership, and travel across the region.