Asistant Brand Manager- FMCG

Swift Merchant (M) Sdn Bhd; Klang City; On-site; MYR 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Swift Merchant (M) Sdn Bhd, a modern trade FMCG distributor in Selangor, seeks a Brand & Trade Manager to own six anchor brands and drive trade marketing with principal partners. You will lead from planning to execution, coordinating launches, activations, and performance reporting.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years in FMCG brand management or trade marketing, with strong Excel/PowerPoint skills and knowledge of Malaysia’s modern trade landscape.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in FMCG brand management, trade marketing, or key account management.
• Prior exposure to modern trade (LKA/IKA chains) is strongly preferred.
• Experience at an FMCG distributor or with distributor management is valued.
• Familiarity with Malaysian modern trade terminology and chain dynamics (trading terms, DC charges, scan rebates) is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Attend and support principal meetings; graduate to leading operational reviews independently.
• Coordinate new product launches and ranging submissions across retail chains.
• Prepare principal-facing reports including sales performance, promo effectiveness, and market feedback.
• Plan and coordinate in-store activations, FSUs, gondola/end-bay bookings, and sampling events.
• Liaise with chain buyers and marketing contacts at key accounts on brand matters.
• Track promotional calendar across all brands; ensure timely setup and teardown.
• Monitor competitor activity and provide market intelligence to the team.
• Understand brand-level GP performance and flag margin risks from pricing.
• Support trading terms negotiations with data-driven insights.
• Manage A&P spend tracking against budgets per brand.
• Provide monthly brand health summaries covering sell-in and sell-out trends.

Skills

Communication

Relationship management

Organisational skills

Proactive communication

Commercial awareness

Education

Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Swift Merchant (M) Sdn Bhd is a modern trade FMCG distributor based in Bandar Bukit Raja, Selangor. We distribute a curated portfolio of six anchor brands — 3M Scotch Brite (Household Cleaning), Camel (nuts & snacks), Chee Seng (sesame oil), Windmill (cooking starch), K. Roger's (sugar‑free biscuits), K. Harrodson (premium baked goods), and Temtem (tempeh chips) — across Malaysia's leading retail chains including Jaya Grocer, AEON, Village Grocer, Lotuss, Econsave, TF Value‑Mart, and GCH Giant.

We are a lean, commercially driven team. Our people are expected to own their portfolios with discipline and initiative, and to build genuine trust with the principals and retail partners they work with.

Role Purpose

This is a dual‑facing role — inward to execution, outward to principals. You will be the day‑to‑day steward of all six anchor brands, working directly under the Director. In your first six months, you will shadow and support principal meetings before gradually taking ownership of operational communications and brand activities independently.

The role suits someone who has worked in FMCG brand or trade marketing, understands how modern trade operates, and is ready to take commercial ownership of a portfolio — not just execute tasks.

Key Responsibilities

• Attend and support principal meetings; graduate to leading operational reviews independently
• Coordinate new product launches and ranging submissions across retail chains
• Prepare principal‑facing reports including sales performance, promo effectiveness, and market feedback

Brand & Trade Execution

• Plan and coordinate in‑store activations, FSUs, gondola/end‑bay bookings, and sampling events
• Liaise with chain buyers and marketing contacts at Jaya Grocer, AEON, Village Grocer, and other key accounts on brand matters
• Track promotional calendar across all six brands; ensure timely setup and teardown
• Monitor competitor activity and provide structured market intelligence to the team

Commercial Accountability

• Understand brand‑level GP performance and flag margin risks from promotional pricing
• Support trading terms negotiations with factual brand performance data
• Manage A&P spend tracking against allocated budgets per brand
• Provide monthly brand health summaries covering sell‑in, sell‑out trends, and returns

Internal Coordination

• Work with the logistics and operations team to ensure promo stocks, POS materials, and display units are in place
• Maintain accurate records of promo submissions, approval status, and claim documentation
• Flag commercial issues proactively — do not wait to be asked

Experience & Background

• 3 – 5 years of experience in FMCG brand management, trade marketing, or key account management
• Prior exposure to modern trade (LKA/IKA chains) is strongly preferred
• Experience at an FMCG distributor is a significant advantage; principal‑side experience with distributor management is also valued
• Familiarity with Malaysian modern trade terminology and chain dynamics (trading terms, DC charges, scan rebates, gondola bookings)
• Commercially aware — understands margins, trading terms, and how promo mechanics affect profitability
• Organised and reliable — can manage multiple brands and principals simultaneously without dropping the ball
• Relationship‑oriented — builds genuine trust with both principals and retail partners over time
• Proactive communicator — does not need to be chased for updates; surfaces problems early
• Honest and discreet — handles sensitive commercial information with maturity

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• Strong written and spoken English and Bahasa Malaysia; Mandarin is an advantage
• Must have own transport; role requires occasional travel to retail outlets and principal offices