Director, Channel Strategy, Traditional Trade & Wholesale

The Coca-Cola Company; Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beverage corporation is seeking a Director, Channel Strategy for Traditional Trade & Wholesale. You'll lead transformative strategies, collaborate across networks, and define execution guidelines. The ideal candidate has significant experience in commercial channel strategy and analytics. This role emphasizes leadership and innovative thinking within a dynamic culture.

Benefits

Work on the most recognized brand

Exposure to global marketing leaders

Creative team culture

Responsibilities

• Design and implement transformative channel strategies.
• Set long-term strategic plans across networks and franchises.
• Define execution guidelines and develop value-added programs.

Skills

Brand Management

Category Management

Communication

Competitor Analysis

Digital Marketing

Finance Strategy

Financial Forecasting

Integrated Marketing

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Leadership

Marketing Campaigns

Marketing Strategies

Media Planning

People Management

Price Management

Product Roadmapping

Promotional Strategies

Sales Analysis

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Teamwork

User Experience Analysis

Job description

Location(s): South Africa

City/Cities: Johannesburg

Travel Required: 0% - 25%

Relocation Provided: No

Job Posting End Date: October 2, 2025

Overview

ROLE PROFILE

Director, Channel Strategy TRADITIONAL TRADE & WHOLESALE

REPORT TO: Senior Director, Channel Strategy & E2E

Our vision is loved brands, done sustainably, for a better shared future. We strive to provide cutting-edge excellence in ingredients, innovation, design, and marketing. This role serves as the lead in the organization between the category/brand teams and commercial operating teams to communicate initiatives to bottlers and customer teams. The successful candidate should demonstrate relationship-building and leadership capabilities while working across multiple channels.

In this role, you will design and implement transformative Traditional Trade and Wholesale channel strategies driven by deep shopper and channel insights to accelerate sustainable growth. You will set long-term strategic plans, collaborating across networks, franchises, and bottling partners to create winning execution strategies and capability development. Additionally, you’ll define execution guidelines, including the Picture of Success for quarterly platforms (4x4), develop value-added programs, and optimize market dynamics to drive revenue growth and enhance system performance.

The role of the Traditional Grocery Channel Strategy Director for the Africa Operating Unit (AOU) is undergoing a transformation, with over 60% of its scope being redefined to include a completely new mandate: leadership of the Wholesale Channel in addition to Traditional Grocery with complexity and strategic significance. The pivot in this role is transformative because it refocuses from a channel-specific lens to a multi-channel leadership mandate, tasked with driving long-term strategies for the AOU and Top 10 markets.

Focus, Scope & Impact: Mastery Of (Required): Commercial Channel Strategy, Planning & Execution; Channel & Shopper/Trade Marketing Leadership & Influence at Senior Level; Analytics/Data-Based Decision Making; Operational Experience

Broad Expertise In (Good to Have): Customer Management; Bottler Experience; VTM/RGM; Marketing

What We Can Do For You

• Iconic Brand: Work on the most recognized brand in the world and be part of developing the brand’s next chapter.
• Exposure to World Class Leaders: Availability to global marketing leaders that will expand your network and exposure you to emerging digital platforms and marketing insights.
• Creative Team Culture: Be inspired by the best brand leaders and agencies in the world, which creates a creative culture that supports taking risks and innovation.

Skills: Brand Management, Category Management, Communication, Competitor Analysis, Digital Marketing, Finance Strategy, Financial Forecasting, Integrated Marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Leadership, Marketing Campaigns, Marketing Strategies, Media Planning, Microsoft Office, People Management, Price Management, Product Roadmapping, Promotional Strategies, Sales Analysis, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Teamwork, User Experience Analysis

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.