National Key Account Manager

At
I&J
, part of
AVI
, we combine close to 115 years of excellence with a forward-thinking approach to the fishing industry. As a leader in premium seafood, including Cape Hake and farmed Cape Abalone, we are committed to sustainability, innovation, and empowering local communities. Our latest innovation, Air-Fri'kn Amazing, brings bold flavours and crispy perfection to your air fryer, showcasing our passion for quality and customer-centric excellence.

Why Join I&J?

• Industry Leader: Work with a renowned brand known for premium Cape Hake and farmed Abalone.
• Sustainability Focused: Contribute to responsible fishing practices with MSC accreditation.
• Community Impact: Be part of a company that empowers and invests in local communities.

An exciting opportunity exists for a
National Key Accounts Manager
at
I&J Head Office in Cape Town
. As the successful incumbent you will lead the strategic and commercial management of the Shoprite Checkers national account, ensuring sustainable growth, profitability, and category leadership for I&J's portfolio. The role is accountable for building long-term partnerships, driving joint business planning, and delivering excellence in pricing, promotions, innovation, and supply chain execution within the perishables and frozen food categories.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Head of Sales

Key Areas Of Impact
Strategic Account Leadership

• Develop and implement the Shoprite Checkers national account strategy, aligned with I&J's business objectives and growth ambitions.
• Lead the Joint Business Planning (JBP) process with Shoprite category and buying teams, ensuring alignment on volume, value, and category objectives.
• Establish a structured customer engagement rhythm - operational, category, and top-to-top meetings with clear agendas, scorecards, and follow-up actions.
• Proactively manage long-term customer relationships, building trust at all levels to secure sustainable competitive advantage.

Sales and Profitability Delivery

• Own and manage the account Profit and Loss (P&L), ensuring achievement of sales value, volume, gross margin, and profitability targets.
• Negotiate annual trading terms, price increases, and promotional investments, balancing customer competitiveness with business returns.
• Manage discounts, rebates, and trade spend to ensure maximum return on investment (ROI)
• Drive budget adherence and forecasting accuracy to meet AVI financial standards.
• Develop and capture rolling sales forecasts based on bottom-up demand predictions for the short-term forecast horizon - 1 to 6 months.
• Manage the sales delivery against the sales forecast and identify potential shortfalls against the financial sales budget.
• Develop demand generation - trade marketing & sales plans to close the gap against financial sales budget shortfalls.

Category and Customer Development

• Partner with Shoprite to grow frozen fish and protein categories, shaping assortment, shelf strategy, and pack architecture.
• Influence listing decisions and shelf-space allocations, ensuring compliance with Must-Stock-List (MSL) and expansion of numeric and weighted distribution.
• Collaborate with I&J Marketing and Category teams to deliver innovation launches, securing on-time listings and impactful activations.
• Support category performance reviews and make data-driven recommendations to enhance category growth and shopper relevance.

Supply Chain and Execution Excellence

• Provide accurate demand planning inputs to improve forecast accuracy and support factory production planning.
• Ensure Distribution Centre (DC-to-DC) supply efficiency with high case-fill rates, minimal shorts, and strong order adherence.
• Drive on-shelf availability (OSA) and service metrics across all Shoprite banners, including e-commerce platforms for example Sixty60.
• Oversee the execution of promotional campaigns, ensuring compliance with agreed plans and flawless in-store and digital execution.

Market and Customer Insights and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Leverage retailer data syndicated data - Circana, and internal systems to identify risks, opportunities, and trends.
• Prepare regular performance reviews, customer scorecards, risk and opportunity assessments for leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and Quality to align customer requirements with internal capabilities.
• Act as the internal advocate for Shoprite, ensuring that customer needs and market dynamics are understood and acted upon across the business

What It Takes To Succeed
Experience that set you up for success:

• Minimum 5 years' FMCG experience, with at least 3 years managing key accounts at a national level
• Demonstrated success in managing trading terms, price negotiations, and promotional calendars.
• Exposure to forecasting, demand planning, and supply chain coordination, particularly in high-volume retail environments.

Qualifications & Certifications That Will Contribute To Your Success

• Grade 12 with good passes in Mathematics, English and one Social Science and / or Science
• Bachelor's Degree or National Diploma in Commerce, Business Management, Marketing, or related field.

Additional Requirements

• Strong in numerical analysis and problem solving
• Business Administration and Customer Relationship Management experience
• Sales Planning and Forecasting
• Strong communication skills
• Own reliable vehicle

Take the Next Step with I&J
Join us to shape the future of South African seafood while making a meaningful impact on communities and the environment and be part of a team committed to excellence and making a positive impact.