Wholesale Specialist

**AVI Ltd. **is known for its leading household brands across many categories including hot beverages, sweet and savoury biscuits, and snacks, frozen convenience foods, personal care products, cosmetics, shoes, accessories, and fashion apparel.

**AVI Field Marketing**, a division of AVI Limited, handles the sales and merchandising for the beverages, snacking, and cosmetic business units to ensure improved execution at the store level.

An exciting opportunity exists for a **Wholesale Specialist** / **Field Sales Manager **for the** Inland East region** servicing areas from **Edenvale to Nelspruit**. The successful incumbent will be required to manage people (Sales Reps and Field staff), achieve sales targets and operational management. We are looking for a person who can make a difference. This role will report to the **Regional Operations Manager.**

**Line Manager**: Regional Operations Manager

**Job Specification**:
**Key Performance Areas**:

- Manage sales targets and operational objectives
- Monitor store ordering process in area of responsibility and take corrective action if and when required
- Monitor returns according to target, monitor stock levels in area of responsibility
- Monitor pricing and ensure mandate adherence
- Negotiate promotional activity if and when required
- Monitor POP implementation, monitor target achievement and implement action plans when required
- Monitor sell in stock and expiry dates
- Address pricing and delivery issues
- Negotiate ad hoc displays and space
- Monitor forward share in relation to market share as well as rate of sale
- Provide assistance to Sales Representatives and Field Marketers where required
- Ensure shelf health standards are maintained
- Manage sell in pre price increases
- Manage promotional activities
- Facilitate the implementation of promotional grids
- Ensure staff and customers are informed about time frames of promotions
- Communicate promotional activities to field staff
- Ensure understanding of objectives of various promotions
- Ensure prompt delivery of POS material to stores
- Ensure sufficient stock has been ordered
- Ensure promotional activities have been implemented and maintained
- Provide feedback to relevant stakeholders
- Effective customer and BU relationships
- Ensure a good working relationship is maintained with buyers, management and floor staff in stores.
- Communicate all issues and provide solutions where possible.
- Ensure staff follow call cycles and communicate any changes to customers.
- Handle all queries in a professional and effective manner.
- Adhere to store policies and procedures at all times.
- Effective management and training of Sales Representatives and staff
- Conduct floor walks with Sales Representatives and Merchandisers
- Brief staff of all cycle priorities
- Ensure a clear understanding of objectives
- Provide on the job coaching if required
- Keep Regional Operations manager up to date on all conduct issues
- Manage staff in line with company policy and procedures
- Manage and develop staff
- Conduct appraisals
- Ensure all call cycles are accurate and in place
- Set targets for subordinates by store by category in line with BU objectives and strategy
- Accompany Sales Representatives on trade visits and provide assistance and training as and when required

5.Control expenses
- Expense within budget parameters (self and Sales Representatives)
- Cell phone expenses
- 3 G expenses
- Monitor and control fuel expenses
- Monitor and control travel expenses
- Monitor and control overtime
- Manage company credit card /corporate card. Process expense claims timeously on a monthly basis to ensure debit orders go off. This must be used according to the company corporate card policy and only be used for business purposes

6. Effective administration

**Minimum Requirements**:
**Experience**:

- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in the FMCG industry at management level
- Must have experience within FMCG dealing with wholesale customers (Masscash, Independent wholesalers, etc.)
- Must have exposure negotiating directly with buyers in the trade
- Knowledge of HR-related processes and procedures

**Qualifications**:

- Grade 12 / Matric
- A completed business-related tertiary qualification in Business / Sales / Marketing / Operations

**Additional Requirements**:

- A background in the wholesale experience and the sales and merchandising industry
- Strong staff management expertise
- Proficient with MS Excel

**Competencies**:

- Goal oriented
- Attention to Detail
- Analytical
- Communication
- Creative
- Pro-active
- Stress Tolerance
- Inspirational leadership ability