Distributor Manager (Ipoh)

Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad; Ipoh; On-site; MYR 67,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad in Malaysia is seeking an experienced Sales & Channel Manager to drive General Trade and Modern Trade growth, oversee distributor relationships, and implement trade spend strategies across regions.

You will lead monthly performance reviews, steer promotional activities, coach distributor and internal teams, and optimize route planning and execution to deliver sustained sales growth and improved ROI for our partners.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in FMCG sales, preferably within a General Trade environment.
• Proven experience managing distributors and driving sales growth.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing trade investments and budgets.
• Good analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of distributor management and sales performance management practices.
• Proficient in English and Bahasa Malaysia; Chinese dialects would be an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and grow General Trade (GT) and Modern Trade (MT) business by category and segment.
• Lead monthly business performance reviews with distributors and develop corrective action plans.
• Proactively review and adjust sales and trade spend strategies when targets are not achieved.
• Implement company strategies for both direct and indirect market coverage.
• Review distribution footprints and route coverage quarterly to improve cost-effectiveness.
• Monitor and report distributor KPIs and business performance to the Regional Sales Manager.
• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with distributor management teams.
• Evaluate distributor performance and implement improvement plans.

Skills

Distributor management

Sales leadership

Budget management

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Education

Secondary education qualification or equivalent

Job description

1. Business Planning & Performance Management

Develop and grow General Trade (GT) and Modern Trade (MT) business by category and segment.

Lead monthly business performance reviews with distributors and develop corrective action plans.

Proactively review and adjust sales and trade spend strategies when targets are not achieved.

Implement company strategies for both direct and indirect market coverage.

Review distribution footprints and route coverage quarterly to improve cost-effectiveness.

Monitor and report distributor KPIs and business performance to the Regional Sales Manager.

Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with distributor management teams.

Evaluate distributor performance and implement improvement plans.

Monitor distributors' credit standing and ensure compliance with company credit policies.

Conduct distributor assessments with the Regional Sales Manager and drive agreed improvement actions.

3. Channel Management & Customer Development

Execute national and regional trade activation and promotional activities.

Develop and implement customized trade promotions for key retailers.

Monitor promotional effectiveness and provide post-activity analysis.

Review sales incentive programme results and communicate performance outcomes to distributor sales teams.

Build and maintain strong relationships with wholesalers, retailers, and key trade partners.

4. Budget & Resource Management

Develop and manage area trade spending plans and budgets.

Monitor trade investment effectiveness and optimize return on investment.

Collaborate with the Regional Sales Manager on short-term and long-term trade spend strategies.

Support the recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing distributor sales teams.

5. Sales Force Leadership & Capability Building

Optimize sales route planning to maximize coverage and return on investment.

Coach and develop distributor and internal sales teams on selling skills, product knowledge, negotiation, and issue resolution.

Provide coaching to Distributor Operations Managers on area management and sales strategy.

Lead talent development initiatives and build a capable sales organization to support future growth.

Job Requirements

Secondary education qualification or equivalent.

Proficient in English and Bahasa Malaysia; Chinese dialects would be an advantage.

3-5 years of experience in FMCG sales, preferably within a General Trade environment.

Proven experience managing distributors and driving sales growth.

Demonstrated success in leading, coaching, and motivating sales teams.

Strong business acumen with experience managing trade investments and budgets.

Good analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.

Knowledge of distributor management and sales performance management practices.

We serve as the backbone of business operations across the Asia Pacific region, delivering essential functional services in Finance, IT, HR & Procurement. Our Finance scope spans Procure to Pay, Accounts Receivable, and Record to Report, supported by Process Innovation & Excellence, Risk & Control, and Service Management teams.

We are expanding further by integrating Human Resources into our service portfolio and building a Technology Excellence Centre to strengthen Digital Analytics capabilities.

Established in 2016 and based in Petaling Jaya, our center is dedicated to providing reliable, high-quality support to operating companies across the region every single day.

We serve as the backbone of business operations across the Asia Pacific region, delivering essential functional services in Finance, IT, HR & Procurement. Our Finance scope spans Procure to Pay, Accounts Receivable, and Record to Report, supported by Process Innovation & Excellence, Risk & Control, and Service Management teams.

We are expanding further by integrating Human Resources into our service portfolio and building a Technology Excellence Centre to strengthen Digital Analytics capabilities.

Established in 2016 and based in Petaling Jaya, our center is dedicated to providing reliable, high-quality support to operating companies across the region every single day.