Country Manager - Automotive

SUMMARY:
Country Manager - Automotive

POSITION INFO:

We are looking for a Neighbouring Countries Manager to expand our Dealer Network in Africa and achieve sales objectives for specific African Countries of our company.

To be successful in this role, the candidate should have previous experience managing sales and reaching targets. The candidate will be responsible for the management of dealerships in African Countries and will be required to drive the process of dealer development in various African Countries. The ideal candidate combines excellent communication skills with a strategic mindset.

Ultimately, the candidate will ensure their area of responsibility meets and exceeds the expectations of our business objectives and contributes to the company’s success in the long run.

Duties and Responsibilities will include:

• Responsible for the planning of the sales network to ensure the optimum geographic distribution of the Company’s products across African regions.

• Quality of research, plan and network strategy devised

• Strategic vacant points filled

• Adequacy of dealer succession plans
• Ensure the dealer network is able to support the Company’s products, to achieve sales & profit objectives with Vehicle Sales, Parts & Service.

• Support network (Spoke) strategy

• Business analysis regular monthly inputs from network

• Analysing results received

• Regular focus group forums
• Establish dealer business plans, and systematically evaluate dealer’s performance against such plans in collaboration with Dealer Network Development team.

• Establishment, presentation, and agreement of individual business plans

• Timeliness of plans and appraisals

• Documented follow-up
• Develop and recommend policies and procedures relating to operational and developmental expenditure for the dealer network.

• Appropriate strategy

• Logical, clear, and concise policies and procedures

• Actual expense versus budget
• Maintain dealer agreement that defines key responsibilities of the Company and the dealer, including monitoring the effectiveness and compliance to the dealer agreement.

• Currency of Dealer Agreement

• Compliance to Dealer Agreement
• Create regional sales plans and targets in alignment with business objectives.
• Support Dealer Network with operation
• Evaluate Dealership and individual performances.
• Report on regional sales results
• Forecast quarterly and annual targets, budgets.

• Develop new Dealership staff.
• Prepare and review the annual budget for the area of responsibility.
• Analyse regional market trends and discover new opportunities for growth.
• Address potential problems and suggest prompt solutions.
• Participate in decisions for expansion or business plans for new Dealers.
• Suggest new services/products and innovative sales techniques to increase customer satisfaction.
• Market and competitor research in order to establish pricing and market trends for the brand to effectively align with and achieve competitive advantage.
• Ensure all logistical process are followed to ensure timeous delivery of vehicles.
• Facilitate OR process of any dealer claims.
• Continuous monitoring of the different countries political and economic conditions (e.g. changes to VAT rates)
• Ensure Corporate Identity standards are adhered to.
• Monitor and assist dealer with any marketing plans. Also create marketing strategies unique to each country.

Requirements:

• BCom Degree in Business Administration or similar.
• 5 Years experience in the automotive industry (OEM) as a Business Development Manager.
• 2 Years experience in a Dealer Development Role.
• 1 year experience of working in the automotive industry in African markets.
• Valid driver’s license.

Skills:

• Must be Proficient in Excel.
• Ability to measure and analyse key performance indicators (ROI and KPIs)
• Understanding of Dealer operations
• Ability to lead and motivate a high-performance Dealer Network
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Strong organisational skills with a problem-solving attitude
• Availability and ability to travel as needed.