Role: Assistant Area Sales & Customer Manager
Function: Customer Development
Work Level: 1D
Location: Mumbai RO
Here is how your day at Unilever would look like:
- Customer Infrastructure & Satisfaction:
- Ensure a robust customer infrastructure in the territory.
- Appoint distributors wherever necessary and track their performance on key metrics.
- Optimize quantity and quality of customers to avoid service gaps while ensuring adequate service levels and financial viability.
- Monitor financial health and profitability of all customers.
- Resolve customer issues beyond field-force level.
- Lead primary and secondary customer complaint resolution with the team (Field Force).
- Growth & Execution:
- Drive top-line growth in the area.
- Monitor channel-wise and category-wise growth in the territory.
- Ensure all new product launches are successfully landed in the area.
- Oversee merchandising activities and execution metrics that drive share-gaining growth.
- Drive a Team:
- Manage, motivate, and build the team to deliver targets.
- Understand team members strengths, weaknesses, and working styles to help them reach their potential.
- Provide continuous developmental feedback.
- Create strong team cohesion as a key factor in team performance.
- Liaising with Key Partner Functions:
- Coordinate with Supply Chain Team to ensure correct pack-wise estimates for the area.
- Ensure hygienic norms at the RS level and smooth supplies from depots.
- Maintain acceptable stock levels at customer points.
- Collaborate with Commercial Team to ensure customer health and timely payments.
- Ensuring Controls & Financial Hygiene:
- Alongside Commercial & Supply Chain teams, ensure system hygiene at customers regarding sales returns, damage/shortage claims, primary vs. secondary sales mismatches, physical vs. book stock mismatches, trade discount hygiene, etc.
- Actively investigate deviations from norms.
Key Skills & Requirements:
- MBA with relevant experience.
- Strong analytical skills with ability to manage business by the numbers.
- Experience in roles requiring quick decision-making.
- Extensive oral communication, people interaction, and negotiation skills.
- Background in highly analytical, results-oriented environments, preferably FMCG.
- Experience in external customer interaction.
- Active listening skills, consultative approach, and solutions orientation.
- Deep understanding of retail and wholesale landscape in India with prior seller and distributor interactions desirable.
- Experience in selling new products and developing markets.