Job Description    

• At RCL Foods we Grow What Matters together through our people and our unique culture, Our Way, An inclusive and high-performing culture with uncompromising integrity at its heart that is built on empowerment – where people are trusted and encouraged to take ownership and accountability – where we work together and accept responsibility for our actions.
• We believe that the CUSTOMER is at the heart of our business, and we are looking for a CUSTOMER EXECUTIVE to effectively manage a top end retail customer within RCL Foods. This role involves leveraging customer insights and strategy to ensure effective account management and customer relationship management, ultimately achieving customer and channel objectives. In addition, develop business relationships by contracting new customers and expanding volumes/products with existing customers. The role will be based in Durban. 

Minimum Requirements    

• Post graduate BCom degree or relevant.
• Valid Code EB drivers’ license
• 10 years’ experience in a marketing and sales function that includes managing complex and/or significant customer relationships and key/national accounts with at least 5 years in a management role within an FMCG environment.
• Strong Commercial and Supply Chain experience

Duties & Responsibilities

Channel Strategy Formulation and Implementation

• Formulate short and long-term channel strategies to deliver sustainable, profitable growth by key customers and prioritize services and initiatives by customer within the channel on the basis of demand.
• Determine the tone and direction the team takes with customers and work with cross functional teams to ensure alignment with supply chain initiatives.
• Monitor competitors, formulate proactive responses when required and perform an analysis.
• Manage key accounts at a strategic level and develop relationships that enable the achievement of channel plans.

Principal Market and Customer Insight Maintenance

• Research and analyse environmental and competitive conditions and customer needs.
• Analyse and track market, customer and channel trends and in-market measures at customer and channel level.
• Act as the Principal expert, understanding what drives service needs and customer behaviour.

Strategic Account Management

• Ensure that all accounts are profitably serviced for the company to achieve sales and revenue goals and leverage current alliances and customer relationships to further expand business development opportunities.
• Analyse sales statistics to determine business growth potential.
• Plot annual and long term objectives for accounts and ensure all volume and ‘basket’ and revenue targets are met.
• Facilitate the communication of a customer perspective to ensure that customer expectations are met.

Customer Relationship Management

• Manage all aspects of account profiles and ensure that customers have up to date knowledge of trends and performance statistics.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key opinion leaders in the market.
• Manage the presentations to and negotiation with key accounts.

Channel Planning and Execution

• Lead the channel management planning process and performance reviews to create customer-specific priorities and plans.
• Understand key drivers of profit and loss and actively support the achievement of financial targets including driving profitable service options at the channel or customer level, maximizing profitability, and identifying business opportunities.

Organizational Efficiency

• Implement and simplify appropriate business processes to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency in support of key account requirements.
• Support corporate strategy alignment and business update meetings.

Staff Management

• Manage staff activities, ensuring service levels are met and coach and support staff to achieve objectives.
• Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable development of a future generation of leaders and specialists.
• Champion staff training and development and conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates.
• Drive employment equity within the team.