Commercial Client Executive - Talent Pool

Smollan; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Smollan is seeking a senior leader to intensify a client-centric focus across contracted accounts, from launch to annual reviews. You will guide client service teams to meet KPIs, drive client satisfaction, and ensure contractual obligations are fulfilled while seizing new commercial opportunities to enhance profitability and sustainability of strategic relationships.

The role emphasizes leading commercial growth, maintaining strong retailer partnerships, and delivering superior operational

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications: Relevant postgraduate degree at NQF level 8.
• 10-12 years’ relevant experience in FMCG/Retail/Sales with at least 5 years at a senior management level.
• Strong analytical and financial understanding, with ability to manage budgets and forecasts.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic plans to expand and solidify client relationships.
• Lead responses to RFPs with commercially sound proposals.
• Oversee renewal processes, pricing reviews and renewal proposals.
• Review financial metrics and ensure profitability and growth.
• Build and maintain relationships with retailers and trade partners.
• Manage client expectations and ensure high levels of satisfaction.
• Provide leadership to deliver operational execution and peak trading readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Relationship-building

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

Education

Postgraduate degree (NQF level 8)

Job description

To implement a strong commercial and client centric focus to all contracted client accounts, from

launch through to annual operational and strategic reviews. To further lead the client service teams, ensuring KPIs are met, client satisfaction scores are continuously improved and operational

execution is delivered. Lastly, to ensure the fulfilment of the commercial contractual obligations to

the client as well as identifying and capitalising on new commercial opportunities to grow the

profitability and sustainability of strategic client relationship.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables:

Commercial Growth and Sustainability

• Develop a strategic business plan to effectively expand and solidify existing client relationships by addressing client’s needs through proactive needs analysis
• Play a leading role to influence, develop and present the best commercially and competitively sound response to Request for Proposal (RFP) requests
• Manage the renewal process for all assigned clients including handling renewal applications, reviewing and negotiating the renewal pricing and preparing the renewal proposal.
• Review financial and accounting metrics and ensure operating expenses and financial forecasting and performance metrics are within acceptable parameters and take appropriate action to ensure profitability, growth and sustainability
• Maintain solid understanding around procurement processes and how to prepare and counter various procurement approaches
• Pursue professional and personal development to ensure competitive knowledge of the commercial industry, trends, influencers that may play a role in winning client business
• Provide thought leadership that sets Smollan as a differentiated and value adding partner to our clients

Client Service Relationships

• Oversee the impact and effectiveness of Key Account Managers supporting the client structures to entrench client relationships and develop positive perceptions of service delivery
• Build strong and mutually beneficial relationships with Retailers and Trade partners to understand factors and trends shaping their environment, and how these impact on client sales
• Manage client expectations and actively build and maintain relationships to ensure client satisfaction
• Attend regular meetings to update clients, customers, and the Group on key matters
• Adopt relationship methodologies aligned to established Smollan best practices, i.e., Client Development Way and Retailer Way
• Compile budgets, both annual and project-based depending on clients’ needs, taking into account seasonal/tactical planning
• Timeously identify variances in budgets and formulate action plans to address any risks
• Establish and report to the relevant stakeholders on service models, cost levels, budgets as well as any additional financial controls in line with bottom line requirements
• Manage forecast process and deliver to drive accuracy and enable the timeous formulations of action plans to address any risks

Operational Service Delivery

• Direct and oversee activities of team members responsible for meeting contractual operational execution levels.
• Monitor performance and delivery of operational execution and support operational management with planning and preparation to meet requirements of peak trading periods

Effective Leadership and Team Leadership

• Provide direction and inspirational teams to be their best by demonstrating and living the Smollan values and promoting high levels of employee engagement/ satisfaction
• Instil a high-performance culture and recognize and reward teams for exceptional performance and delivery
• Drive continuous learning culture and future fit mentality within the teams.

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications: Relevant postgraduate degree at NQF level 8
• 10 -12 years’ relevant experience in the FMCG/Retail/Sales environment with at least 5 years’ experience at a senior management level.
• Good track record of achieving targets
• Strong knowledge of the industry and how it operates
• (including relevant category experience, Retail – Grocery,
• Aware of industry trends, influencers and the commercial
• environment the business operates in
• Commercial acumen
• Thought leadership
• Strategic thinking
• Interpersonal and relationship-building skills