National B2B Sales Manager

Econo Foods; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Econofoods, a fast-growing FMCG retailer, seeks a National B2B Sales Manager to lead the national B2B sales strategy and drive sustainable revenue growth across regions. You will oversee regional managers, shape pricing and customer strategies, and ensure operational excellence in execution.

Join a vibrant team committed to HO HOLA values, high performance, and strong customer partnerships across the national footprint. This is a full-time on-site role based in South Africa.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the national B2B sales strategy aligned with objectives, growth and profitability targets.
• Translate national objectives into regional sales targets and execution plans.
• Identify opportunities for geographic expansion, new customer segments, and market penetration.
• Oversee the route-to-market strategy to maximise coverage and distribution efficiency.
• Analyze market trends and customer insights to identify growth opportunities.
• Lead annual sales planning, budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Evaluate regional performance and implement corrective actions for growth.
• Drive pricing, product mix optimisation and customer portfolio management.

Job description

Econofoods is a fast-growing FMCG Retail company specializing in frozen foods. Dedicated to delivering high-quality products at unbeatable prices, we prioritize customer satisfaction every single day. Our commitment to excellence, simplicity and our vibrant colourful people working at Econofoods sets us apart in the industry. Central to our identity is our unique HO HOLA Culture, characterized by appreciation and recognition. We celebrate the contribution of every individual and foster a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

We are currently seeking a dynamic individual to join our team and contribute to our ongoing success. If you are passionate about delivering exceptional customer service, collaborating with a diverse team, and embracing continuous learning and growth, Econofoods could be the perfect fit for you. Join us in our mission to provide quality products, value, and service to our customers, every single day.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The National B2B Sales Manager is responsible for developing, leading and executing the national B2B sales strategy to deliver sustainable revenue growth, increased market share, profitability and long-term customer partnerships across all regions.The role provides strategic and commercial leadership to Regional B2B Sales Managers, ensuring consistent sales execution, effective route-to-market strategies, customer acquisition, retention and operational excellence.

A key focus is building a high-performance national sales organisation, strengthening commercial discipline, identifying new market opportunities and aligning sales activities with the company's strategic objectives. The National B2B Sales Manager is accountable for national sales budgets, revenue, gross margin, sales volume, customer growth and the development of a scalable, customer-focused B2B sales operation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. National B2B Sales Strategy and Business Growth

• Develop and implement the national B2B sales strategy aligned with company objectives, growth plans and profitability targets.
• Translate national business objectives into clear regional sales strategies, targets and execution plans.
• Identify opportunities for geographic expansion, new customer segments and increased market penetration.
• Develop and oversee the national route-to-market strategy to maximise customer coverage, sales productivity and distribution efficiency.
• Analyse market trends, competitor activity, customer insights and industry developments to identify growth opportunities.
• Drive consistent execution of national sales initiatives, promotional campaigns and product category growth strategies.
• Lead national annual sales planning, budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Evaluate regional performance and implement corrective strategies where growth or profitability targets are not achieved.

2. National Sales Performance and Revenue Growth

• Take overall accountability for achieving national B2B revenue, gross margin, sales volume and customer growth targets.
• Establish and cascade sales targets and performance expectations across regions.
• Monitor national and regional sales performance against approved budgets and forecasts.
• Analyse sales performance by region, customer, territory, sales representative and product category.
• Identify underperforming regions and implement structured performance improvement and recovery plans.
• Drive profitable sales growth through effective pricing, product mix optimisation and customer portfolio management.
• Ensure consistent sales execution and accountability across all regional teams.
• Provide regular consolidated national sales performance reports, insights and recommendations to executive leadership.

3. National Key Account and Customer Relationship Management

• Provide strategic oversight of key customer relationships and major wholesale accounts across the national B2B portfolio.
• Lead or support negotiations with strategic customers on pricing, commercial terms, contracts and long-term partnerships within approved authority.
• Ensure consistent customer segmentation, account management and customer growth strategies across regions.
• Establish national customer retention and acquisition objectives.
• Oversee the management and resolution of significant escalated customer concerns.
• Drive increased product penetration, cross-selling and B2B Sales profitability.
• Develop strategies to improve customer experience, service levels and long-term customer loyalty.

4. Regional Sales Leadership and Team Development

• Provide direct leadership, coaching and performance management to Regional B2B Sales Managers.
• Build a high-performance national sales culture centred on accountability, customer obsession and commercial excellence.
• Set clear performance expectations and individual objectives for Regional B2B Sales Managers.
• Conduct structured regional performance reviews and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
• Support the recruitment, succession planning and development of the Regional sales leadership and oversee it for the later B2B sales team.
• Establish consistent national sales management practices, reporting disciplines and performance standards.
• Ensure appropriate sales capability development, including product knowledge, negotiation, selling skills, customer retention and commercial acumen.
• Conduct regular regional visits and strategic customer engagements to assess execution effectiveness.
• Drive engagement, talent retention and leadership development across the national sales organisation.

5. Route-to-Market Strategy and Sales Effectiveness

• Develop and oversee the national route-to-market model to maximise customer reach and profitable sales growth.
• Establish national standards for territory planning, customer call cycles, route efficiency and sales representative productivity.
• Review regional territory coverage and identify opportunities to improve market penetration.
• Evaluate sales productivity and the effectiveness of resource allocation across regions.
• Drive improvements in sales processes and sales reporting.
• Ensure Regional B2B Sales Managers implement effective customer visitation and territory management practices.
• Identify opportunities for sales automation, improved systems and operational efficiencies.
• Partner with Logistics to align sales growth plans with distribution capacity and service delivery.

6. Financial and Commercial Management

• Take accountability for national B2B sales budgets, forecasts and commercial performance.
• Drive gross margin improvement through effective pricing strategies, customer profitability management and product mix optimisation.
• Provide commercial input into pricing structures, discounts, rebates and customer trading terms.
• Monitor customer and regional profitability and implement appropriate improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Finance to manage customer credit exposure, overdue accounts and commercial risks.
• Ensure commercial agreements and customer terms comply with company policies and delegated authorities.
• Assess the financial viability of new customer opportunities, market expansion and sales initiatives.
• Balance revenue growth with sustainable profitability and effective cost management.

7. Cross-Functional Leadership and Operational Excellence

• Work closely with Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, Merchandising, People Operations and other relevant functions to support national B2B objectives.
• Align sales forecasts and customer demand plans with inventory availability and distribution capacity.
• Collaborate with Merchandising on product range opportunities, category performance, pricing and promotional execution.
• Partner with Finance to strengthen sales reporting, margin management, customer credit control and commercial governance.
• Drive improvements in sales processes, systems, customer service and operational efficiency.
• Ensure regional sales operations adhere to agreed national processes and service standards.
• Escalate and resolve significant operational challenges impacting customer service, revenue or profitability.
• Lead relevant sales transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.

8. Compliance, Governance and Risk Management

• Ensure national compliance with company sales policies, pricing approvals, customer agreements, trading terms and credit policies.
• Maintain ethical standards and sound commercial governance across all regional sales operations.
• Identify and mitigate commercial, customer, operational and financial risks.
• Ensure accurate and reliable sales information is maintained through approved CRM and reporting systems.
• Oversee appropriate controls relating to discounts, rebates, customer accounts and sales transactions.
• Ensure regional leaders manage sales-related stock loss risks in collaboration with the responsible operational functions.
• Promote accountability, integrity and adherence to the company's HO HOLA values.