Solenis is seeking a highly motivated Area Manager for Eastern Africa. The primary objective of this role is to plan, direct, and manage the business development of Processed Foods, Dairy, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages operations across East Africa. The successful candidate will be responsible for maximizing sales and profit by supporting and driving the team to deliver on budget turnover and profitability goals.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership: Plan and direct business development for the Processed Foods, Dairy, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages sectors in East Africa to maximize sales and profitability.
Account Management: Represent the full range of F&B products and services (excluding alcoholic beverages) to assigned key customers and develop new accounts for long-term growth.
Market Growth: Working alongside technical, marketing, and sector specialists to deliver value advantages to customers and win market share from competitors.
Operations Management: Manage sales operations, delivery of budgets within agreed operational costs, and capital expenditures.
Territory Oversight: Identify market potential for regional and local key accounts across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zambia.
Innovation: Drive innovations to meet New Product Introduction (NPI) and New Target Wins (NTW) targets.
Customer Service: Establish and manage an efficient customer service and distribution function by anticipating and assessing customer-driven service options.
Planning & Reporting: Participate in the integrated Strategic Business Unit (SBU) planning process through the development of annual customer plans and forecasts.
Managerial Responsibility
Oversee Account Managers and Country Managers handling Processed Food, Dairy, and Non-alcoholic Beverages within the assigned territory.
Direct reports management: assigning work, providing coaching and training, setting goals, performance evaluations, and planning staff development.
People management decisions: including recruitment, promotions, and compensation in collaboration with management and P&P.
Requirements and Qualifications
Education: Graduate degree in Chemistry, Food Science, or Chemical Engineering.
Experience: At least 7 years of progressive experience in Business-to-Business (B2B) selling, preferably in the chemical industry.
Leadership: Proven experience in managing a team is essential.
Financial Acumen: Strong experience and understanding of Profit and Loss (P&L) statements.
Market Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the East African market.
Production Experience: Experience working in production within a brewery or brewing plant is a distinct advantage.
Personal Attributes: Self-driven with a "can-do" attitude, able to work independently, and passion for achieving results under minimum supervision.
Communication: Excellent communication and organization skills with the ability to develop and sustain productive customer relationships.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the Solenis career portal on Workday. Follow the link below to submit your application:
