National Account Manager: Modern Trade

There is an exciting opportunity to join the Nando's Grocery Company S.A (PTY) Ltd Department as a National Account Manager Modern Trade based at our Central Kitchen Office.

You’ll be mentored by the relevant Channel Manager - Modern Trade and we’ll also spice up your development with our Nando’s induction, leadership and development programs. We recognize and reward you with our flexible compensation and benefits such as medical aid, provident fund as well as our Nando’s wellness programme that will assist in both your family and professional work life.

You will be responsible for the Management and Development of Key Customers within the Retail / Modern Trade Channel. Execution of channel and customer strategies, and ongoing monitoring thereof, ensuring range optimisation, pricing and trade marketing/promotional strategies are implemented successfully. Manage and grow our partnership with Key Customers, ensuring that commercial goals are reached, and representation of the Nando’s Brand, and its associated values and principals is achieved.

At Nando’s, we take pride in “the people that makes the chicken”.

Do you have the courage? Do you value the opportunity to develop? And do you thrive on hard work with the ability to have a sense of fun? If so, then your journey starts with us.

**Minimum Requirements**:
Education
- B.Com degree or equivalent NQF level 6 qualification.

Advantageous
- MBA

Legal Requirements
- Driver’s License

Experience
- 5 + years FMCG Key Account Management within the Modern Trade Channel
- Understanding sales & marketing and the ability to drive demand within the customer
- Demand, shopper and category management experience

Knowledge Detail
- Strategic thinking skills (advanced)
- Knowledge of inventory systems for FMCG products (advanced)
- Knowledge of FMCG market, customer, consumer (advanced)
- Sound knowledge of sales and sales administration processes (advanced)
- Business, commercial and financial acumen (advanced)
- Relationship management skills (advanced)
- Problem / conflict resolution skills (advanced)
- Presentation and negotiation skills (advanced)
- Communication skills (advanced)
- Attention to detail and analytical skills (advanced)
- Ability to work independently with a high focus on control and ownership of results (advanced)
- Ability to lead and motivate a large sales, distribution network (advanced)

**Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Effective development of customer strategy and tactical customer account plans in line with the business strategic direction and objectives,
- Participate in business strategy sessions to provide valuable input at business unit level,
- Development of customer specific key account plans per retailer & region,
- Ensure comprehensive understanding of retail customer strategic objectives with all stakeholders,
- Compile sales forecast for customers within portfolio by product / category / region / nationally for business planning and budgeting purposes.
- Implementation, monitoring and management of tactical account plans by customer providing monthly feedback to the business with regards to performance against agreed budget & plan,
- Conduct ROI analysis on a quarterly basis with regards to investment in customers (trading terms, cost of doing business, promotional activity / grid)
- Full understanding of customer / shopper insights which is built into customer strategy & tactical customer plans as well as included in monthly / quarterly performance reviews. Recommend actions based on trends.
- Full understanding of category & competitor landscape for channel and customer built into customer strategy & tactical customer plans as well as included in monthly / quarterly performance reviews. Recommended actions based on trends.
- Based on the above develop customer specific KPI’s. Identify where gaps in performance are and take action in terms of closing gaps,
- Working together with the sales manager, sales agents and route to market partners ensure full understanding and achievement of set distribution, ranging and availability, pricing and promotional KPI’s,
- Attend monthly / quarterly cycle briefs with sales agents to ensure understanding of customer activity grids and specific operational requirements in the execution of the grid activity,
- Ensure that all agreed innovation, promotional activity, NPD & Innovation, POS placement, Product ranging targets as per business plan is negotiated with all relevant customers and communicated to the sales teams,
- Conduct a minimum of 10 trade visits per month with the sales agents / merchandisers,
- Manage all aspects of the day to day relationship with customers across all aspects of the business,
- Understand and feedback to the business the strategic and tactical objectives of the customer and how to align,
- Negotiation of annual trading terms with customers as per agreed internal mandate and business objectives,
- Negotiation and sell in of annual price in