CLIENT DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Smollan; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Smollan in South Africa is seeking a senior stakeholder manager to actively build and grow client relationships and drive value across retailers and suppliers.

You will work with the Client Executive to define client experience, identify opportunities, and leverage insights to grow client ROI through cross-selling and strategic plans.

Responsibilities

• Actively build and maintain relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Prepare persuasive sales presentations to demonstrate value to clients.
• Partner with Client Executive to manage client strategy and experience.
• Identify opportunities to grow client ROI through cross-selling and improvements.
• Review client feedback and translate insights into action plans.
• Support contract negotiations and commercial terms with internal teams.
• Develop strategic client development plans leveraging cross-functional teams.
• Contribute to ongoing improved client relationships and market share.

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. Leverage customer insights and relationships to support, advise and identify new commercial opportunities for growing the client business. Leverage 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

Analyze results of client feedback, reviews, surveys and NPS results to develop insights into gaps, commonalities, and trends across the region. Utilize insights to identify opportunities for new sales strategies and approaches. Utilize 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 analyze 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, identify ways to grow and develop the client relationship in a strategic way, unlocking new opportunities to maximize client ROI. Adopt a collaborative approach and engage 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. Act as a senior specialist advisor to, and guide the business unit to adopt plans and strategies that will unlock further value to the client. Establish and maintain 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. Demonstrate a strategic mindset to client relationships and provide 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, identify 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. Review current commercial terms and identify areas for improvement. Collaborate with G&I, Legal, Group Marketing and Client Executive to develop/refine strategies and approaches to commercial terms. Assist and support client contract negotiations. Analyze external trends, client trends, competitor and industry insights and make recommendations to align Smollan practices with leading and innovative approaches.

Experience & 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.

Key Skills

• Sales acumen
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem solving skills
• Strategic thinking
• Conceptual thinking
• Relationship building skills
• Selling skills
• Influencing skills
• Results driven
• Presentation Skills
• Report writing skills
• Negotiation skills
• Leadership Skills
• Self-managed
• Business development skills
• Commercial acumen