Sales Operations Manager

Kontak Recruitment; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 614,000 - 670,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Job summary

Kontak Recruitment is seeking a hands-on Sales Operations Manager to drive field execution across three regions. Based in Gqeberha with flexibility to relocate to Cape Town or Johannesburg, you will own call coverage, distribution, ranging and shelf compliance, and lead audits and scorecards.

You will travel extensively, calibrate field performance, and partner with Logistics and Finance to resolve stock, pricing and debtor issues while maintaining execution standards and KPI discipline.

Qualifications

• Hands-on FMCG field execution experience across call coverage, distribution, ranging and in-store standards.
• Ability to identify and fix execution gaps with measurable improvements.
• Willingness to spend significant time in stores, depots, trucks and the field with sales reps.

Responsibilities

• Own national execution standards for call coverage, distribution, ranging, shelf compliance and promos.
• Complete a national field-execution audit within 90 days and identify regional gaps.
• Develop and implement a national execution scorecard within 90 days.
• Conduct regular field audits across all three regions.
• Identify execution breakdowns and work with responsible staff to fix them.
• Assign owners and deadlines to issues and ensure timely resolutions.
• Establish a national operating rhythm with weekly reviews and strict reporting deadlines.
• Hold Regional Sales Managers and reps to standards with leadership support.
• Escalate recurring or systemic failures promptly.
• Resolve CRM, call-planning, reporting and order-to-cash process weaknesses.
• Develop practical tools and SOPs for field teams to use consistently.
• Collaborate with Logistics to resolve stock and delivery issues.
• Work with Finance on pricing, credit and debtor-compliance matters.
• Produce weekly national execution reports with highlights, actions and progress.
• Monitor KPIs and risks to protect quarterly performance.
• Reduce regional differences in execution compliance over time.
• Provide operational backup to national sales leadership when needed.

Skills

FMCG field execution

In-store standards

Auditing & compliance

Travel readiness

Tools

CRM systems

Call-planning tools

Sales reporting tools

Job description

Sales Operations Manager job vacancy in Port Elizabeth.

A fast-growing FMCG distributor operating within the nicotine and vaping category across Southern Africa is seeking a hands-on Sales Operations Manager to drive consistent field execution across three regions.

Reporting to the Commercial Operations Manager and working closely with national and regional sales leadership, the role will own call coverage, distribution, ranging, shelf compliance, promotional execution and field accountability.

This is an operational, field-based position for someone who personally identifies and resolves execution failures across stores, depots and delivery operations, rather than managing through reports or layers of subordinate managers.

Location: Gqeberha, Port Elizabeth or Johannesburg, Gauteng.

Salary: R55 000 – R60 000 per month + Quarterly performance incentive + Benefits.

Minimum Requirements:

• Proven, hands-on FMCG field execution experience covering call coverage, distribution, ranging and in-store standards.


• Demonstrable success personally resolving execution gaps, supported by measurable before-and-after coverage or compliance results.


• Willingness to spend significant time in stores, depots, trucks and the field with sales representatives.


• Experience holding regional or field teams accountable to standards without having direct management authority over them.


• Practical experience with CRM systems, call-planning processes and sales-reporting tools.


• Comfortable operating within a clearly defined execution mandate without requiring broader commercial or strategic authority.


• Willing and able to travel extensively throughout South Africa.


• Valid driver’s licence and own reliable vehicle.


• Must be based in or willing to relocate to Cape Town, Gqeberha or Johannesburg before commencing employment.


• Johannesburg-based candidates must be able to work independently without a dedicated office or nearby in-person team support; only warehouse hot-desk facilities are available.


• Experience personally turning around a known field-execution problem is advantageous.


• Experience working alongside, rather than replacing, a National Sales Manager or Head of Sales is advantageous.


• FMCG experience within a founder-led, entrepreneurial or fast-scaling business is advantageous.


• Experience within nicotine, vaping, tobacco or regulated consumer goods is advantageous.


• Experience developing a compliance, audit or execution tool successfully adopted by a field team is advantageous.


• Available to commence as soon as possible, subject to notice-period requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Own national execution standards covering call coverage, distribution, ranging, shelf compliance and promotional execution.


• Complete a national field-execution audit within the first 90 days, identifying gaps by region and channel.


• Develop and implement a practical national execution scorecard within 90 days covering coverage, ranging and shelf compliance.


• Personally conduct regular field audits across all three regions.


• Identify execution breakdowns at their source and work directly with responsible employees to correct them.


• Assign an owner and follow-up date to every issue and ensure findings are resolved within agreed deadlines.


• Establish the national operating rhythm through weekly execution reviews, daily activity checks and firm reporting deadlines.


• Hold Regional Sales Managers and representatives accountable to execution standards in partnership with national sales leadership.


• Escalate recurring or systemic execution failures promptly.


• Identify and resolve CRM, call-planning, reporting and order-to-cash process weaknesses.


• Develop practical tools and straightforward SOPs that field teams will use consistently.


• Partner with Logistics and Operations to resolve stock-availability and delivery-reliability issues.


• Work with Finance on store- and account-level pricing, credit and debtor-compliance matters.


• Produce weekly national execution reports outlining compliant areas, failures, corrective actions and progress.


• Monitor execution KPIs and identify risks before they affect quarterly performance.


• Reduce regional differences in execution compliance quarter on quarter.


• Track national compliance, issue close-out rates, operating-cadence adherence and revenue movement attributable to execution improvements.


• Act as the operational backup to national sales leadership during periods of absence or transition, ensuring execution continuity while strategic and commercial authority remains with executive management.