Geography Sales Manager - Lahore

Unilever; Lahore; On-site; PKR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Unilever in Lahore is seeking a Geography Sales Manager to lead the geography team and drive the Route-to-Market strategy. You will ensure OTIF delivery, manage distributor relationships, and collaborate with the Field Sales Head to meet sales targets.

The role focuses on building a capable team, optimizing coverage, and delivering value across Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Nutrition and Home Care brands in Pakistan.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant field sales/territory or area management experience.
• 1–2 years of category/channels/excellence experience preferred.
• Skilled at decision-making in changing market conditions to grow the business.
• Experience in improving distributor profitability and cost-to-serve for GT customers.
• Experience in creating, developing and implementing a customer/channel strategy aligned with IBP.

Responsibilities

• Set area-wise targets and monitor performance, initiating corrective actions.
• Win with distributors by optimizing profitability and digitizing the value chain.
• Ensure full RTM plan implementation as defined.
• Develop territory/outlet coverage strategy aligned with ULP strategy.
• Provide inputs into BU and Category plans.
• Report on activities related to IP rights and counterfeits.
• Ensure optimal resource utilization and performance management.
• Responsible for cash collection with Finance support.
• Provide inputs for short-term S&OP forecasts including risk & ops.
• Provide weekly updates on secondary sales and market insights.
• Drive talent agenda and build field-level CD skills and capabilities.
• Create a winning and inclusive culture within the team.

Skills

Strong negotiation

Selling & influencing

Customer relationships

Commercial strategy

Digital literacy

Digital commerce

Problem solving

Communication skills

Job description

JOB INFORMATION

Unilever is currently hiring for Geography Sales Manager - Lahore. Job Title: Geography Sales Manager – Lahore. Function: Customer Development. Work Level: WL 2A/2B. Reports to: Director Sales. Location: Lahore. Terms & Conditions: Full-Time

ABOUT UNILEVER

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

FUNCTION INTRODUCTION

Customer Development Team serves as the growth engine for the organization and our mission is to be the number one partner for sustainable category growth powered up by Unilever’s category expertise and capabilities to serve shoppers every day and everywhere. As a function, we put people first, grow categories with our customers and execute brilliantly every day. In Pakistan, CD continues to operate as one CD supporting the Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Nutrition and Home Care business with an impressive reach of more than 300+ distributors and 2500+ outer core workforce and with the GAP framework coming to life, we are gearing up to have a stronger than ever BG focus.

JOB PURPOSE

The Geography Sales Manager is responsible to lead the entire geography team and ensure that primary and secondary sales (VOL & VAL) objectives are regularly being achieved. The position is responsible to develop the ‘Route to Market’ strategy together with the Field Sales Head and ensures OTIF implementation. The position manages performance of relevant stakeholders in the team, inclusive of direct reports, key accounts, and distributive trade customers and executes all CD agendas within the bounds of the geography.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• Set & advise on area-wise splitting of ambitious targets & monitor closely for performance, initiate timely corrective actions.
• Win with distributor by ensuring optimal profitability, future proofing RTM network and digitizing end-to-end value chain.
• Ensure full implementation of RTM action plans as defined.
• Develop an area/ territory / outlet coverage strategy in line with the overall ULP strategy.
• Provide inputs into BU and Category plans.
• Report all activities pertinent to our intellectual property rights and take necessary reporting actions against counterfeits.
• Ensure optimal resource utilization and consistent performance management.
• Responsible for cash collection (locally manufactured products) with support from Finance.
• Responsible for providing reliable inputs for short term forecast for S&OP incl. Risk & Ops.
• Provide the leadership team with weekly updates on secondary sales across the channels / customers as well as market / competitor insights.
• Drive talent agenda within the geography team, by partnering with HR for recruiting best in class talent, driving performance culture and consistently building required field level CD skills and capabilities.
• Create a winning and inclusive culture within his/her team.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant field sales/Territory or Area management experience.
• Preferably 1 to 2 years of category/channels/excellence experience.
• Ability to make decisions considering changing market circumstances to grow the business.
• Experience of improving distributor profitability and managing cost to serve for GT customers
• Experience in creating, developing, and implementing a Customer/Channel strategy in line with business investment plans (IBP).
• Ability to create strong relationships with customers.
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams to create added value for Unilever and customers.
• Strong leadership abilities, including the ability to inspire and motivate large and diverse teams.
• Managing the performance of Area Managers, Territory Managers and Geography Excellence Managers.
• Facilitating development opportunities – support the team in achieving their career goals.

Skills

• Strong negotiation capabilities
• Adept at selling & influencing
• Building and maintaining strong customer relationships
• Ability to devise commercial strategy
• Sound digital literacy
• Exposure to digital commerce
• Ability to solve challenging problems
• Strong communication skills

Leadership

• You are an inclusive motivator of people. Your team deliver with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins.
• You are still responsible for your own results and as a manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you. You can balance challenge with support and coaching. You understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.

Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors

• Care Deeply
• Focus on What Counts
• Stay Three Steps Ahead
• Deliver with Excellence

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment journey. Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.

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