JOB DETAILS:
About us
EABL operates in a multicultural, multinational, and multicurrency environment. As a diverse and robust regional company, EABL's operations span several subsidiaries: Kenya Breweries Limited, Uganda Breweries Limited, International Distillers Uganda Limited, Serengeti Breweries Limited, UDV (K) Ltd, and East African Maltings Limited. Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) is further divided into two segments: Supply, which handles the production of beer and spirits, and Demand, which focuses on marketing and driving consumer engagement.
This role is part of the Demand business segment, specifically within the sales team. The Regional Sales Manager (RSM) plays a critical role in UBL's short-, medium-, and long-term strategies by developing and executing trade strategies and ensuring operational excellence with distributors and along the route to market (RTM).

The RSM serves as the primary point of contact between UBL and its distributors, managing both the “push” and “pull” strategies to drive volume and brand growth.
This field-based position requires close collaboration with the Divisional Sales Manager (DSM), Customer Marketing (CM), and the middle and senior management of distributors, with a key focus on effectively implementing distributor business plans. The role also involves working with distributors to build their institutional capacity for sustainable, mutual business growth.

About the role
Market Complexity:
UBL is a dominant player in the Total Beverage Alcohol business with 48-50% volume share of the beer market and ~65% value share of the spirit’s market. UBL operates in a very competitive environment that has seen new entrants such as Heineken and Pernod enter the alcohol industry. The nature of competitors is complex with both illegal and established players operating within a market that has regulatory challenges. The market situation is changing rapidly due to the economic situation, declining disposable income and opening up of the economic trading blocs allowing in flow of products from other markets.
The trade is evolving and becoming more sophisticated especially at retail level. Retailers are becoming more demanding as they become more profit driven and as competitors fight for share. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated which requires more innovative ways of convincing LAD to choose our brands. All channels are important in distribution and availing our products to consumers. Trade partnerships are crucial in ensuring that service to consumers exceeds their expectations. The omni-channel is also growing fast.

Leadership Responsibilities:
The RSM is directly accountable for managing a multi-channel region, including route-to-market, off-trade, and on-trade channels. This role involves significant leadership and people management, as the RSM leads a team of 3 to 8 sales representatives.
The RSM is responsible for ensuring execution excellence at the store level across all channels and delivering priority brand activities. This involves building the team's capabilities to execute plans effectively. The RSM must collaborate with senior functional leaders (e.g., marketing, finance, supply chain, OTC, distribution) and monitor distributor performance, taking corrective actions as needed. Developing and proposing action plans for regional improvements and growth is also a key responsibility.

As a strategic partner to distributors, the RSM should cultivate relationships that drive business growth while meeting company KPIs and fostering a supportive environment for the team.

The RSM must also identify new route-to-market opportunities and develop implementation plans to enhance market penetration and increase market share.

Role Responsibilities:
Distributor & Trade Management
• Implement process and systems to drive customer profitability and achievement of long-term business sustainability for the CD’s.
• Constantly monitor and evaluate distributors and their performance.

• Have a thorough understanding of distributor requirements and operational standards and enforce their implementation across the region.
• Transform distributor management capability through developing and implementing relevant Distributor management programs (BPMs)
• Develop and maintain an efficient distribution network to ensure the comprehensive availability of company products and services across the region to achieve or exceed sales targets.

• Provide distributors and customers in the region with information about new or improved products and offerings in order to drive sales.
• Develop strong relationships with key customers across channels.

• To understand each element of the outlets and UBL business plans and strategy for their implementation.
• Ensure that all coolers in the region are tracked & deployment / redeployment done as per policy, up-to-date contracts, proper maintenance and withdrawal in case of misuse.
• Ad Hoc route audits to ensure that all outlets and routes are being covered as per TMDR / MDR journey plans.

• Do nocturnal visits (at least 3 nocturnal visits in a week).

Contact & Coverage
• Ensure optimal route to market to deliver improved distribution and market share gains.
• Embed the omni-channel / E-commerce (Diageo One, DTEU etc), by delivering as par set targets on each and get the distributors and distributor teams in the region to embrace the new ways of working and execute them properly.

• Ensure that all the distributors in the region are always tooled right to deliver the UBL business ambitions.

• Daily Route Coverage & VSM Management at all CD points in the region – Robust morning clinics, right route plans, 100% Journey Planning, 100% JPA and route frequencies to cover all outlets in the territory with the correct frequency by the VSMs & self.
• Distributor universe growth, 100% coverage, 100% effective coverage, a minimum of 80% CD strike rate, growth in CD distribution points and achievement of call frequency targets.

Data Governance & Accuracy
• Maintain and develop the outlet universe to correct classification, making resource changes to best service the region’s needs.
• Always ensure that correct outlet segmentation and regions data capture.
• Ensure that DMS stock position always matches the actual stock position in all distributor warehouses in the region (a maximum +/-5% variance allowed).
• 100% Utilization of DMS by all CDs in all selling and marketing activities within the region.
• Ensure that the team TRAX 100% of the targeted retail universe. – Monthly.

People & Capability Development.
• Develop and coach the sales team and ensure that they are well motivated and engaged to stay and contribute effectively to the organization.
• Generate sales of company products in the region through a team of salesmen in order to achieve or exceed the quarterly and annual sales targets.
• Support the development of selling skills within the UBL sales team (DWWS etc), external merchandiser or VSM sales crews and retailer staff to achieve QDVPP standards without having to do it yourself.
• Deliver the VSM Academy by executing and training all VSMs at the region.
• Ensure that the UBL sales team are doing daily van loading reviews to ensure that VSMs have loaded the correct mix of brands as per the route to be covered for the day.

Trade Marketing, Promotions & Activities
• Drive the highest standards of execution throughout the region.
• Develop brand-building & promotional activities for both retail & stockists outlets to implement in the region.
• Run centrally planned TBA & brand led promotional activities in outlets as per brief to deliver the called-out targets.
• Ensure that all assets like coolers and any other UBL collateral and other forms of POS are captured in the system (DMS) and by outlet.

Other Duties
• Establish and ensure that all sales administration procedures relation to the region are properly implemented to support the sales teams in their efforts to accomplish the sales targets.
• Ensure compliance with safety requirements at the work environment.
• Conduct regular market visits to check route coverage, competitor activity, and continuously search for new opportunities in order to increase sales in the region.
• Maintain P&L responsibility for the region and manage costs to ensure a profitable business.
• Develop sales plans and budgets to achieve and exceed the annual sales objectives for the region.
• Monitor and control the sales budget to ensure optimum utilization of resources in the region.

Qualifications, Experience & Skills Required:
Qualifications
• A Bachelor degree in a business related field

Experience
• At least 5 years’ sales experience in a fast paced FMCG environment, with at least 2 years in management role
• Strong track record in People Management & / or commercial roles within a consumer goods environment
• Influencing and relationship management skills
• Success in highly demanding sales organization
• Leadership of a medium size team
• Strong track record of sales delivery

Skills:
• Inspirational leadership
• High levels of financial and P&L literacy as well as strong planning and project management skills
• People management, Performance management & Coaching,
• Influencing
• Selling skills
• Problem solving
• Training & development