Job Summary:
To assume responsibility for the overall management of the National Operations team, ensuring stakeholder satisfaction and retention. To further build, expand and leverage key relationships with retail/wholesale customers in the geographic area of responsibility.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables
- Strategy Implementation
- To oversee and implement the strategy, structure and business processes under management
- Partake in collaborative strategic planning with the Customer and key stakeholders to ensure alignment on critical KPI’s
- Cultivate new business in area of scope to drive increased revenue and profit through conceptual and strategic selling methodologies and effective negotiating
Operations Management
- Drive operations efficiencies and exceptions, obtain information for discrepancies and implement corrective action where necessary
- Build effective operational structures within the division to ensure capacity to achieve or exceed the business needs
- Design and implement efficient and effective business processes to ensure the highest possible output from the team
- Create frequent and relevant collaboration and communication engagements with all critical stakeholders to drive visibility and value quantification
- Monitor call cycle activities and revise call cycles if required
- Assess impact of call cycles against SLA’s and compliance standards
- Identify, develop and execute opportunities and ad-hoc initiatives and drives to increase sales and profitability
- Ensure distribution methods are effective and efficient and identify problems and ensure resolution timeously
- Monitor, review and communicate point of purchase standards
- Measure point of purchase implementation
- Ensure sales team adheres to parameters
- Communicate engagements with all key stakeholders to drive visibility and value quantification
- Obtain operational information from the principal
- Manage assets to ensure optimisation
Tactical Plan Management
- Ensure effective development of tactical plans for the division in line with Customer and Group strategic direction and objectives
- Ensure comprehensive understanding of Customer strategic objectives
- Negotiate tactical plans, implementation, finance and objectives to agree and sign-off for implementation and execution
- Consult with relevant stakeholders to provide operational complexities
- Design organisational structure to ensure delivery of objectives
- Continuously review current service methodology and drive innovative thinking in line with market and client trends
Management and Achievement of Operational Objectives
- Regularly analyse relevant data to ensure milestones are met
- Create plans to address identified areas and meet objectives
- Gather feedback from team and develop short term tactical plans to enhance performance
- Identify, develop, implement and manage systems and processes to ensure delivery of objective
Achievement of Profitability, Sustainability and Financial Targets
- Compile divisional forecasts and budgets and present for sign-off
- Implement, monitor and manage budget
- Identify and investigate exceptions, ensuring resolutions
- Ensure sustainability and growth of profitability
- Ensure cost containment and maximise income and available resources
- Communicate budget to divisional managers and sales team
Stakeholder Management
- Actively build, maintain and grow strong relationships with Clients, Customers and internal stakeholders
- Attend regular meetings to update Customer and Group, review plans and optimise processes
- Manage customer expectations and manage reputation
- Draft, implement and maintain customer contact matrix and ensure adherence to plans
- Timeously identify and ensure resolution of problems
- Prioritise and manage competing demands and expectations
- Identify cross selling opportunities to clients and customers
Reporting Structure: Reports to CEO
Direct Reports: National Operations Managers
Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree/MBA advantageous
Minimum Experience: 8-10 years’ experience in an FMCG/Retail/Sales/Marketing environment at a Regional Management level, with a proven track record of managing people, operations and clients
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Effective management of operations Financial and business acumen Leadership skills Strategic thinking Interpersonal skills Strong operational skills Ability to navigate the organisational Excellent communication skills