Trade Marketing & Distribution Manager

Gulbahar Tobacco International Fze; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading tobacco company in Dubai is seeking a Trade Marketing & Distribution Manager. The role involves developing trade marketing strategies, managing distribution performance, and ensuring product visibility. Candidates should have over 7 years of relevant experience, strong commercial acumen, and excellent communication skills. Fluency in English is required, and additional languages are a plus.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in Trade Marketing, Distribution Management, or RTM, with tobacco industry experience preferred.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assess, design, and implement Route-to-Market strategies.
• Develop and deploy trade marketing tools for visibility.
• Design pricing structures and monitor compliance.
• Define and monitor distribution KPIs.
• Collaborate with demand planning and sales teams.

Skills

Trade marketing experience

Commercial acumen

KPI development

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or related field

Job description

Position : Trade Marketing & Distribution Manager

Location : Jebel Ali Freezone, Dubai, UAE

Reports to : Director of Global Sales & Commercial Growth

Travel : Frequent regional travel required

About the Role :

At GTI, you will lead trade marketing and distribution efforts to expand market reach and enhance brand visibility across channels. Your commercial expertise and proactive approach will ensure product availability, visibility, and competitiveness in each market.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Route-to-Market Strategy : Assess, design, and implement RTM strategies tailored to each market's regulatory and logistical context. Optimize distributor setups and identify expansion opportunities.
2. Trade Marketing & Visibility : Develop and deploy trade marketing tools, collaborate on channel-specific execution plans, and monitor merchandising compliance and visibility metrics.
3. Pricing & Trade Support : Design pricing structures, monitor compliance, and develop trade support programs such as incentives and rebates. Support distributor negotiations and partnership agreements.
4. Distribution KPIs & Performance : Define and monitor KPIs like product availability, coverage, and stock freshness. Build reporting tools to review performance and monitor competitor activities.
5. Forecasting & Cross-functional Collaboration : Work with demand planning and sales teams to incorporate market insights into forecasts, validate distributor pipelines, and support new market entries.

Required Skills :

• Extensive experience in trade marketing and distribution, preferably in emerging markets and Duty Free channels.
• Strong commercial acumen with pricing and trade spend management skills.
• Proficiency in KPI development, trade performance measurement, and enforcing compliance standards.
• Hands-on experience working with distributor environments, both structured and unstructured.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

Qualifications :

• 7+ years in Trade Marketing, Distribution Management, or RTM, with tobacco industry experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.