CLIENT AND CUSTOMER LEAD

Smollan

Gauteng

On-site

ZAR 600,000 - 900,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

A leading retail solutions provider in South Africa is looking for a Senior Manager to oversee and enhance client relationships. The ideal candidate will have 8-10 years of experience in the FMCG or retail sector, alongside a degree in Business Management. Responsibilities include managing communication strategies, analyzing client feedback for strategic growth, and ensuring that relationships with national retailers and suppliers are effectively managed. The position demands strong interpersonal skills, negotiation abilities, and a results-driven mindset.

Qualifications

8 - 10 years’ experience in an FMCG / Retail / Sales environment at a Senior Management level.
Proven track record of managing people, clients, and relationships with national retailers, suppliers, and wholesalers.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain relationships with clients and stakeholders.
Identify client needs and define client experience across suppliers and retailers.
Analyze client feedback to develop strategic insights.
Conduct regular client reviews and identify opportunities for growth.

Skills

Sales acumen

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving skills

Strategic thinking

Relationship building skills

Negotiation skills

Leadership Skills

Commercial acumen

Education

Degree / NQF level 7 in Sales / Business Management

Job description

Stakeholder Management

Actively build, maintain, and grow strong relationships with clients and relevant internal departments and stakeholders. Prepare and present powerful, persuasive sales presentations that effectively demonstrate the value proposition being offered to Client.

Client Experience & Business Growth

Work with Client Executive to manage contact matrix and strategy with clients. Work with Client Executive to identify client needs and define client experience across suppliers and retailers. Leverages customer insights and relationships to support, advise and identify new commercial opportunities for growing the client business. Leverages relationships with internal cross functional stakeholders to assist Client Executive identify opportunities to grow the P&L through cross selling.

Strategic Client Analysis and Insights

Analyses results of client feedback, reviews, surveys and NPS results to develop insights into gaps, commonalities, and trends across the region. Utilises insights to identify opportunities for new sales strategies and approaches. Utilises a keen understanding of external and internal lens (customers, clients, Smollan) to strategically engineer and drive agendas to produce strategic insights and focus on areas to grow the business of the client. Support Client Executive to analyse NPS results and develop implementation plans to improve results. Present feedback to relevant stakeholders and propose plans of action to address identified areas.

Key Partner Relationship Management

Leveraging Smollan relationships with clients, insights and understanding of retailers and client requirements, identify new opportunities to extract additional value to grow client sales, and further entrench Smollan as a pivotal partner in delivering world class retail solutions. Conduct regular client reviews and develop actionable insights to direct/drive ongoing improvements. Accompany the Client Executive when attending top to top engagements with key clients.

Development of Strategic Client Development Plans

Guided by insight into client requirements, identifies ways to grow and develop the client relationship in a strategic way, unlocking new opportunities to maximize client ROI. Adopts a collaborative approach and engages widely with a matrix of internal and external stakeholders to understand, assess and frame thinking on strategic plans to unlock opportunities to grow client sales and market share. Acts as a senior specialist advisor to, and guides the business unit to adopt plans and strategies that will unlock further value to the client. Establishes and maintains key partner relationships with clients, retailers, internal stakeholders in G&I, Operations, Finance and Technology to leverage collective strength in knowledge within the Group and capitalise on established client/retailer relationships and industry history and knowledge. Demonstrates a strategic mindset to client relationships and provides input, advice, and guidance to internal stakeholders on further enhancing existing client relationships and developing effective new approaches to grow new relationships.

Sound Commercial Models

Guided by analysis and insight into client requirements, relationships, and emerging trends, identifies ways to maximize the Smollan client relationship by: Acting as a specialist advisor to, and guiding the business to adopt strategies and approaches that will unlock further value to the client whilst enhancing Smollan’s ROI. Reviewing current commercial terms and identifying areas for improvement. Collaborating with G&I, Legal, Group Marketing and Client Executive to develop/refine strategies and approaches to commercial terms. Assisting and supporting client contract negotiations. Analysing external trends, client trends, competitor and industry insights and making recommendations to align Smollan practices with leading and innovative approaches.

Qualifications

8 - 10 years’ experience in an FMCG / Retail / Sales environment at a Senior Management level with a proven track record of managing people, clients and relationships with national retailers, suppliers and wholesalers.
Degree / NQF level 7 in Sales / Business Management.

Core Competencies & Skills