National Sales Manager Job Opportunity in Kenya

Our client is based in Kenya as a wholly owned subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company that is part of an enlarged group that has had over 100 billion sterling pounds of assets under management.

With approximately millions of life assurance policyholders, banking customers, short-term insurance policyholders and more than 1 million unit trust accounts worldwide making our client one of the top forty asset managers of the world.

Our client is looking to recruit a seasoned National Sales Manager reporting to the Head of Retail Mass.

Purpose of the Role

  • The main aim and purpose of the role is to manage the distribution of the products to the retail mass market via the sales force and key partners in the three designated regions.
  • Key to the role is an understanding of the market, economy and environment.
  • Manages profitability & delivery of new business across the country whilst building and growing the business and channel.
  • Accountable for building a high-performance ethic in the retail mass segment amongst staff / employees.
  • Ensures Financial Services Industry regulations are adhered to.
  • Accountable for channel economics.
Key outputs

The following key outputs are required from this role in the designated regions:

Distribution Strategy – 20% 
  • Accountable for the development, execution and tracking of a country and market appropriate sales and distribution strategy (inclusive of product selection and roll out).
Stakeholder Management – 10% 
  • Map stakeholders and develop a plan to manage these actively, including building key relationships with support units within OMK.
Sales Management – 30% 
  • Manage overall country productivity of the sales force, including the achievement of sales targets.
Sales support – 10% 
  • Manage overall support process to enable sales force to be productive and enabled.
Risk Management – 5% 
  • Manages and minimise risk within Retail Mass.
Resource Management – 10% 
  • Manage resources such as technology and markets in the Retail Mass segment.
Financial Management – 5% 
  • Manage economics and profitability of Retail Mass.
Management effectiveness -10% 
  • Accountable for daily, monthly and annual functions related to the management of a team of managers within the segment.
Deliverables (work elements)

The following detailed outputs are required from this role:

Distribution Strategy 
  • Accountable for the development, execution and tracking of a country and market appropriate sales and distribution strategy
  • Have an understanding of markets, economic and political opportunities in the region and deals with environmental threats.
  • Implements strategy with clear and measurable action plans.
  • Review effectiveness of strategy and re-align continuously.
  • Gathers market intelligence & incorporates information into the strategy.
Stakeholder Management 
  • Map stakeholders and develop a plan to manage these actively, including building key relationships with individuals, business and government (legislators).
  • Strong relationship and networking focus.
Sales Management 
  • Manage overall country productivity of the sales force, including the achievement of sales targets.
  • Drives operational excellence throughout Retail Mass.
  • Responsible for building & growing the business in Kenya.
  • Ensures that the Retail Mass meets its budget.
  • Develop and determine capacity development needs for the various channel partners.
Sales support 
  • Manage overall support process to enable sales force to be productive and enabled.
Risk Management 
  • Identify, manages and minimises risk within Retail Mass.
  • Ensures IRA regulations are adhered to within Retail Mass.
Resource Management 
  • Manage resources such as branch assets within Retail Mass.
  • Develop and determine manpower plans for the channels and monitoring the same via variance analysis.
Financial Management 
  • Manage economics and profitability of the function.
  • Identify and develop MI requirements at a channel and product level and implement the same within the channels.
Management effectiveness 
  • Accountable for daily, monthly and annual functions related to the management of a team of managers.
  • Holds first line managers accountable for managerial work, including selection, performance management and talent management.
  • Develops line managers and specialists under supervision.
  • Selects potential managers to sustain the talent pipeline.
  • Defines and implements sales best operating practice.
  • Defines performance parameters (incl. balanced scorecard) and measurements for area under supervision.
Key competencies

The following key behavioural competencies are required to be successful in this role.

Gaining Commitment 
  • Using appropriate interpersonal styles and communication techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans;
  • adapting one's own style to accommodate the target audience.
Ownership 
  • Assuming responsibility and accountability for the successful completion of tasks and adhering consistently to standards of excellence. 
  • Ensuring that all relevant detail has been considered.
Technical Knowledge 
  • Having achieved a full performance level of technical knowledge, related to a specific role.
Thinking Skills 
  • The ability to perceive, interpret and translate information (stimuli) in order to competently perform processes and tasks at various levels of complexity within the organisation. 
  • It also includes the ability to apply analytical, integrative, lateral or systemic thinking; depending on the task at hand.
Aligning Performance for Success 
  • Planning, supporting and guiding/coaching others by focussing them on the accomplishment of work objectives through active performance management and development.
  • This is done to enhance and strengthen their respective skills and abilities that they can fulfil current and future role responsibilities more efficiently.
Building Relationships 
  • Proactively establishing and maintaining relationships to accomplish organisational goals.
  • Focus is placed on the ability to be socially adept, aware of own impact on others, acting with integrity and building trust.
Business Awareness 
  • The ability to understand the big picture, in which the business is operating, the inter-play between the different components and the impact on your specific business.
  • This includes an understanding of commercial and financial principles.
Client Focus 
  • Effectively meeting client needs; building inspiring relationships; and
  • taking responsibility for client experience.
Continuous Renewal 
  • Keeping up with current developments and trends in area of expertise.
  • Actively identifying new areas for learning;
  • regularly creating and taking advantage of learning opportunities, and implement learning in order to influence and align to business strategy.
Decision Making 
  • The ability to make balanced and sound recommendations and decisions, by understanding issues and problems, evaluating the consequences of alternative solutions and to select the most appropriate alternative. 
  • Recommendations and decisions need to be implementable, effective and well thought through.
How to apply: 

If you are interested in the position and have the skills and talents our client is looking for, we would like to hear from you.

Please forward a copy of your updated resume, and your current salary and benefits package to thepreferredrecruiter@gmail.com before close of business 12th May 2011.

Only successful candidates will be contacted.

You can now click on this link www.careerstom.com to visit our career centre for a more incisive advice from experts.