Regional Sales Manager

SUMMARY:
Our client is a fast-growing FMCG distributor operating within the nicotine and vaping category across Southern Africa. They are looking for an experienced Regional Sales Manager to take ownership of sales performance, team leadership and commercial growth across the Eastern Cape, including the Garden Route.
This is a demanding, high-ownership role covering a large and geographically diverse territory. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving revenue across retail, wholesale, forecourt and independent trade, while managing and developing a regional field sales team.
The Regional Sales Manager will also take ownership of relationships with major retail groups, including SPAR, Pick n Pay and Shoprite, as well as forecourt groups and key independent and wholesale customers.
The ideal candidate will be a proven regional sales leader who can develop and execute a territory strategy while remaining hands-on in the field. They must be able to demonstrate a track record of achieving measurable sales growth and clearly articulate the strategies and actions that delivered those results.

POSITION INFO:
Key Responsibilities Regional Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth Take ownership of regional sales targets and revenue performance across all channels. Develop and execute strategic territory plans for the Eastern Cape and Garden Route. Identify and pursue new growth opportunities across retail, wholesale, forecourt and independent trade. Drive new business through prospecting, pitching and converting new accounts. Monitor competitor activity, pricing, product ranges and market trends within the region. Develop strategies to protect and grow the company's market position. Identify opportunities to increase distribution, market share and sales volumes. Key Account Management Build, maintain and grow relationships with regional key accounts, including SPAR, Pick n Pay, Shoprite and forecourt groups. Engage with regional buyers and managers regarding ranging, promotional activity and commercial opportunities. Ensure key accounts receive high levels of service and support. Drive product availability, compliance, ranging and share of shelf within managed accounts. Resolve customer escalations and commercial disputes promptly and professionally. Identify opportunities to expand product ranges and increase sales within existing key accounts. Independent Trade & Wholesale Drive sales volume and distribution growth across independent retailers and wholesale customers. Develop strong relationships with wholesalers and independent retailers. Secure new ranging opportunities and drive repeat business. Ensure pricing, credit and stock disciplines are maintained across the customer base. Identify opportunities to expand the regional customer portfolio. Regional Team Leadership Lead, manage, coach and develop the regional field sales team, representatives and merchandisers. Set clear individual and team sales targets and performance expectations. Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions and field accompaniments. Monitor individual performance and take appropriate action where targets are not achieved. Recognise and develop high-performing team members. Build a disciplined, accountable and high-performance sales culture. Recruit, onboard and develop new team members as the regional operation grows. Territory Coverage & In-Trade Execution Maximise customer call coverage and route efficiency across the region. Ensure effective product ranging, availability and visibility across all trade channels. Monitor sell-through, stock levels and returns across regional accounts. Ensure consistent merchandising and in-store execution. Conduct regular field visits and audits to ensure company and brand standards are maintained. Identify gaps in distribution, ranging and execution and implement corrective action. Reporting, Forecasting & Cross-Functional Collaboration Prepare accurate weekly and monthly regional sales reports for the National Sales Manager. Provide reliable sales forecasts to support production planning and stock allocation. Track regional performance against revenue, coverage, new business, key account and debtor KPIs. Work closely with Finance regarding credit risk and debtor management within the region. Collaborate with Marketing on regional promotions, activations and trade initiatives. Partner with Operations to address stock availability, lead times and fulfilment issues. Provide management with market intelligence, competitor feedback and customer insights. Key Performance Areas Regional Revenue Growth: Achieve month-on-month and year-on-year regional revenue targets. New Business: Increase the number of active accounts across retail, wholesale, independent and forecourt channels. Key Account Growth: Grow revenue and volume across SPAR, Pick n Pay, Shoprite and forecourt groups. Independent & Wholesale Growth: Increase active customer numbers, distribution and average order values. Call Coverage: Achieve targeted customer coverage across the regional territory. In-Trade Execution: Maintain strong product availability, ranging compliance, merchandising and share of shelf. Forecast Accuracy: Maintain accurate regional sales forecasts with minimal variance against actual performance. Debtor Management: Maintain strong credit and collection discipline across the regional customer base. Team Performance: Ensure individual and collective regional sales targets are consistently achieved. Minimum Requirements Proven experience in a Regional Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Sales Manager or similar senior FMCG sales role . Demonstrated experience managing a geographically dispersed sales territory . Proven track record of achieving measurable sales growth and exceeding commercial targets. Experience managing and developing a field sales team . Strong understanding of the FMCG sales and distribution environment . Experience managing relationships with major retail groups such as SPAR, Pick n Pay, Shoprite and\/or forecourt groups . Experience across independent trade and\/or wholesale channels. Strong new-business development and account-growth experience. Excellent negotiation, communication and relationship-management skills. Strong commercial and analytical ability. Proven ability to work with sales reports, forecasts and performance KPIs. Strong leadership, coaching and performance-management skills. Valid driver's licence and own reliable vehicle . Ability and willingness to undertake extensive regional travel. Relevant tertiary qualification in Sales, Marketing, Business Management or a related field would be advantageous. Advantageous Experience The following would be strong differentiators: Experience within FMCG, wholesale or distribution . Experience within the nicotine, vaping, tobacco or regulated FMCG category . Existing relationships with major retail and forecourt groups. Proven experience growing a large regional territory with multiple sales channels. Experience managing key accounts alongside a regional field sales team. Strong understanding of merchandising, ranging, promotions and in-store execution. Experience using CRM, sales reporting and forecasting systems. Experience managing regional debtor performance and credit discipline.