SME Facilitator

Dis-Chem Pharmacies' in Midrand has an opportunity available for an SME Facilitator to join the People & Culture team in Midrand. The main purpose of this role will to deliver practical, expertise-driven training that builds capability and consistency across all levels, translating strategic priorities into actionable skills. Through hands-on coaching, the role equips teams to drive operational excellence and commercial outcomes, including product knowledge, upselling, basket size, cross-merchandising, and supplier engagement, while ensuring a seamless, customer-focused experience.

Minimum Requirements…

Essential:

• Matric or equivalent Senior Certificate
• Tertiary qualification in a relevant field (e.g., Retail Management, L&D Development, HR, Health/Pharmacy/Clinical Sciences)
• Proficiency in digital learning platforms (e.g., LMS systems/SuccessFactors)
• 2 - 5 years experience within pharmaceutical retail, health, and category-specific fields
• Experience working with multi-level stakeholders including managers, regional teams, HR, L&D, and suppliers

Advantage:

• Accreditation as a Facilitator, Coach, or Assessor (SETA accredited)
• Formal training in L&D Practitioner Programs
• Experience in translating strategic priorities into practical skills and measurable commercial outcomes
• Strong understanding of operational processes relevant to the category (e.g., stock management, service standards, loyalty programs, shrinkage control, clinical/dispensary operations)

Job Specification...

Training, Coaching & Commercial Enablement:

• Deliver operational and category-specific training across key functional areas using approved materials and facilitation methods, adapting to employee and manager needs while ensuring high standards of quality, engagement, and impact.
• Prepare thoroughly for each session through content review, contextual alignment, and readiness to engage learners, ensuring professional and credible delivery.
• Facilitate blended learning through classroom, digital/online platforms, and regional in-person sessions across South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana to drive practical application, service excellence, and measurable commercial outcomes.
• Develop and deliver learning material for the category's internal "qualification" program, equipping front shop staff with the product knowledge and skills to drive upselling, basket size, cross-merchandising, and effective supplier engagement.
• Lead national supplier product training, both online via SuccessFactors and through in-person sessions, ensuring consistent knowledge transfer, product expertise, and enhanced commercial performance.
• Collaborate with store, regional, and category leaders to align training with operational priorities, performance expectations, and customer experience standards, while modelling best practice and organisational values.
• Serve as a role model for best practice by consistently demonstrating expected operational standards, service behaviours, and organisational values.

Business & Commercial Partnership:

• Partner with the L&D team to ensure seamless planning, coordination, content alignment, and reporting.
• Build strong relationships with Regional and Divisional People & Culture teams to align training with business priorities, operational goals, and workforce development needs.
• Collaborate with store and regional managers to support scheduling, learner engagement, and reinforcement of training, ensuring knowledge translates into improved service, sales performance, and customer experience.
• Maintain close collaboration with fellow SME Facilitators to ensure consistency in delivery standards, knowledge sharing, and regional alignment.
• Represent the learning function credibly in operational forums, positioning training as a key driver of performance, culture, and commercial outcomes.
• Support the implementation of organisational initiatives and change rollouts by aligning training with business campaigns and acting as a trusted change agent at store level.
• Work with Senior Category Management to ensure training delivery supports both operational excellence and commercial priorities, including product knowledge, upselling, basket size, cross-merchandising, and supplier engagement.

Maintain Operational & Facilitation Expertise:

• Stay current with business systems, operational processes, and SOPs to ensure credible and commercially relevant training delivery.
• Maintain expertise in core operational areas, stock management, shrinkage control, customer service, loyalty execution, and receiving, while embedding commercial drivers such as upselling, basket size, cross-merchandising, and supplier engagement.
• Continuously develop facilitation and coaching skills through learning forums, train-the-trainer programs, and peer reviews.
• Gather feedback from learners, managers, and L&D to refine delivery methods and maximise training impact.
• Engage in facilitator networks and remain aligned to business priorities and strategic initiatives to ensure consistent, high-quality national delivery.
• Actively contribute to a community of practice or facilitator network to share insights, solve challenges, and build national alignment.

Learning Administration & Reporting:

• Maintain and update training calendars and deployment plans, ensuring alignment with L&D schedules and validation with Regional People and Culture and Operations leadership.
• Track and drive compliance across category-specific learning initiatives, linking training outcomes to commercial performance metrics.
• Coordinate training logistics by communicating resource requirements to the Learning Administration team, ensuring venues, materials, systems access, and equipment are ready for effective delivery.
• Maintain accurate learner records, ensuring timely submission of attendance and performance data via LMS or approved tracking tools.
• Compile post-training reports capturing attendance, learner engagement, key observations, progress, operational blockers, and knowledge gaps, highlighting implications for commercial outcomes such as upselling, basket size, cross-merchandising, and supplier engagement.
• Provide qualitative and quantitative feedback to the Learning & Development Manager on training effectiveness, learner readiness, and application of learning in-store.
• Regularly update line managers on learner progress, coaching outcomes, and observable behavioural shifts, escalating performance or behavioural concerns to the relevant manager or HR representative when required.
• Track and report on coaching interactions and their impact on store performance, commercial results, and customer experience.
• Recommend improvements to training content, delivery methods, or scheduling based on field insights and evidence-based observations, ensuring ongoing enhancement of both operational and commercial outcomes.

Competencies...

Essential:

• Cognitive Skills
• Business Acumen
• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Quality Orientation
• Leadership Skills
• Management Skills
• Computer Skills – Utilises training systems, digital platforms, and store technologies effectively to deliver, track, and evaluate learning while linking outcomes to business performance

Special conditions of employment...

• South African citizen
• MIE, clear criminal and credit
• Driver's license and/or own reliable transport
• Frequent national travel and occasional international travel to Botswana and Namibia

Remuneration and benefits...

• Marketed related salary
• Medical aid
• Provident fund
• Staff account

ONLY SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED. IF YOU HAVEN`T BEEN CONTACTED WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE CLOSING DATE CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION AS UNSUCCESSFUL.

Dis-Chem Pharmacies is an equal opportunity employer. Dis-Chem's approved Employment Equity Plan and targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process aligned to Dis-Chem's Employment Equity & Transformation Strategy. Dis-Chem actively supports the recruitment of People with Disabilities.