Trade Development Representative - West Coast

Philip Morris International; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 500 000 - 700 000; Full time

Job summary

A global tobacco company is seeking a Sales and Marketing professional to manage trade relations and drive brand growth. The ideal candidate should possess a Bachelor's degree and at least three years' experience in sales within the FMCG/Pharma sector. Responsibilities include managing customer engagement, leading digital initiatives, and ensuring compliance with legal standards. This role offers opportunities for career progression and is crucial in the company's shift towards a smoke-free future, making it essential for candidates to be proactive and adaptable.

Benefits

Opportunities for career progression

Inclusive and diverse workplace

Empowerment to take risks and innovate

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of sales experience within the FMCG/Pharma sector is key.
• A driver's license that is valid for more than 12 months is required.
• Demonstrated experience in working independently.

Responsibilities

• Balanced management of CSU to ensure sufficient coverage.
• Drive brand growth and manage segmentation strategy.
• Educate and re-educate partners to close understanding gaps.

Skills

Sales experience

Problem-solving skills

Numeracy and analytical ability

Digital tool experience

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience

Completed Matric

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Sales mobile applications

Job description

At PMI, we’ve chosen to do something incredible. We’re totally transforming our business and building our future on one clear purpose – to deliver a smoke-free future. Huge opportunity comes with enormous change. Therefore, wherever you join us, you'll have the flexibility to imagine and present better, brighter ideas as well as the opportunity to further your career in an infinite number of ways. Sales and Marketing at PMI feels like building a new business – but with the accumulated expertise of a global brand behind you. Bring us your curiosity and capacity to engage people and you can be part of the digital, onmi-channel team that’s driving our huge commercial transformation. If you’re a forecaster and forward-thinker, you can make a huge impact, creating sales strategies across all markets. But, here, your innovation will do more than just improving sales. You’re not persuading someone to savings account or try a new drinks brand.

YOUR ‘DAY TO DAY’

Trade Management

• Balanced management of CSU (30% physical/50% hybrid/20% remote) to ensure sufficient coverage across the universe
• Maintain digital engagement rate in Remote Base, leveraging on Back Office call center and digital calling to maintain PMI performance
• With the support of call center Back-office Executives (BOE), lead the call frequency in the Hybrid CSU linked to the execution of commercial initiatives and exceptional requirements, ensuring appropriate number of physical visits based on customer and business need
• Lead the level of influence to ensure RRP education, the frequent generation of leads, B2C activations and uptake of device sales through engagement with store owners, managers and cashiers

Physical Universe

• Manage the segmentation of the universe to forecast coverage frequency, primary and secondary brand staging and POSM investment
• Drive brand acceleration and growth by ensuring cycle implementation and relevant brand staging to support brand growth and negotiation of opportunities for staging and / or other brand support
• Continuously educate, assess level of understanding (through, but not limited to, critical metric) and re-educate owners, managers, and kiosk staff to close gaps in RRP understanding to get results
• Deliver on PMSA segmentation strategy by ensuring relevant PM portfolio is in stock and available with due regard to the store legal aged consumers profiles
• Where required, set and host Retail Activations with relevant retail stores to build awareness and trial of RRP category within the territory
• Establish and negotiate a relevant base of SMP venues which are RRP friendly
• Where possible, set and host SMP activations to build awareness and trial within the territory
• Assess stores’ ability to move into Digital Base (retailer capability, current route to market and current task completion) and facilitate / support the transition while maintaining the right level of support
• Track and report on sales cycle implementation results, using available system tools to set objectives and measure performance.

Digital Universe

• Schedule physical and virtual visits to Digital Stores based on segmentation and needs (handle physical frequency)
• Complete physical visits to Digital CSU as required in real time and as advised by back office to resolve issues
• Ongoing Business Development and strategic analysis of digital base ensuring growth in numeric distribution and achievement of business targets and objectives.
• Work with collaborators to ensure Digital Trade Engagement (DTE) response and success rates are in line with the business objectives
• Based on the score results, assess the level of understanding of Digital Stores and work with the DTE team to implement strategies to close the gaps.

Third Party Management

• Management of third party to ensure service delivery in accordance with PM business targets and objectives
• Manage 3rd party Field Managers and ensure adherence and understanding of cycle requirements and levels of execution
• Together with the BOE's, ensure 100% coverage of KA stores covered by 3rd parties where required work with BOE's to check temporary point of sales material compliance by cycle
• Assess performance through available reports and make recommendations to improve IMS performance in store

Sales Information

• Ensure accurate capturing of information on field force tracking tools
• Analyze data on tracking tools and sales cycle results, identify improvement opportunities, develop, and complete appropriate action plans in order to support territory objectives.
• Provide regular feedback to management on market related activities and products.
• Forward looking planning and forecasting using market related insights, data, and competitive information to advise strategic plans for PMSA effectiveness.
• Trade Engagement and Education
• Manage covered universe by handling and completing strategic trade programs within relevant cycles
• Market analysis of territory segmentation to evaluate feasibility of relevant store universe
• Ensure that participating stores are fully aware of and understand the trade program mechanics and compliance measures
• Educating and training trade partners to effectively pass on PMSA brands’ CSM to adult consumers and switch sell

Compliance & Legal Framework

• Knowledge of the legal framework related to tobacco products and/or RRP’s
• Apply the highest standards of integrity and full compliance with all applicable laws and PMI policies and procedures across the organization in order to support long term sustainability of PM business

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Completed Matric
• Bachelor’s Degree/ Relevant Tertiary Qualification /Equivalent Work Experience
• A driver's license that is valid for more than 12 months is required
• Extensive knowledge of the Saldanha and immediate surrounding areas is essential. Prior experience working within this area is a requirement.
• Minimum 3 years of sales experience within the FMCG / Pharma sector is key
• Demonstrated experience in working independently
• Minimum 2 years proven experience as leader/manager of a process and/or people
• Experience using digital tools (POS, sales mobile applications)
• Experience using MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Strong English Language proficiency

Skills & Knowledge

• Ability to multi-task and deliver on multiple key topics
• Resolving conflicts/Problem-solving skills
• Strong level of Numeracy and analytical ability and financial literacy

Key Competencies

• Logic and Problem Solving
• Critical thinking
• Sales and Commercial Knowledge
• Sales Territory Management
• Business Sense
• Ability to sell ideas/ influence/ negotiate
• Building trust and accountability with diverse partners
• Planning and delivering results
• Learning orientation
• Decision Making under Pressure and taking ownership of decisions
• Ability to mentor and develop others

WHAT WE OFFER

Our success depends on our dedicated employees who come to work here every single day with a sense of purpose and an appetite for progress. Join PMI and you too can:

• Seize the freedom to define your future and ours. We’ll empower you to take risks, experiment and explore.
• Be part of an inclusive, diverse culture, where everyone’s contribution is respected; collaborate with some of the world’s best people and feel like you belong.
• Pursue your ambitions and develop your skills with a global business – our staggering size and scale provides endless opportunities to progress.
• Take pride in delivering our promise to society: to deliver a smoke-free future.

PMI is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from all members of society irrespective of age, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, religion or belief, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.

PMI is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from South African citizens who are members of designated groups who may contribute to Employment Equity within the workplace and the further diversification of ideas. In this regard, the relevant laws and principles associated with Employment Equity will be considered when appointing potential candidate.