Regional Manager Job in Kenya - M-KOPA

Position Title:  Regional Manager
 
Location: Country Wide
 
Position Start: ASAP
 
Reporting to: Managing Director, Kenya / Chief Commercial Officer, Group

About M-KOPA Solar: M-KOPA Solar, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is the global leader of "pay-as-you-go" energy for off-grid customers.  

Since its commercial launch in October 2012, M-KOPA has connected more than 300,000 homes in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to solar power, and is now adding over 500 new homes each day. 
 

The success of M-KOPA (M= mobile, KOPA= to borrow) stems from making solar products affordable to low-income households on a pay-per-use installment plan. 

Customers acquire solar systems for a small deposit and then purchase daily usage "credits" for Kshs 50, or less than the price of traditional kerosene lighting.  After one year of payments customers own their solar systems outright and can upgrade to more power. 

All revenues are collected in real-time via mobile money systems (such as M-PESA in Kenya) and embedded GSM sensors in each solar system allow M-KOPA to monitor real time performance and regulate usage based upon payments.  

This connected design means that M-KOPA is processing vast amounts of data (i.e. over 10,000 mobile payments per day) via the company's proprietary cloud platform, M-KOPAnet.

As of January 2015 M-KOPA employs over 500 full time staff across East Africa and sells through a network of 1,000 direct sales agents. It has also commenced licensing its technology to partners in other markets.  

M-KOPA has been recognised for its pioneering business mode and scale, notably winning the 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize, being selected as the top New Energy Pioneer at the 2014 Bloomberg New Energy Finance awards and earning the 2013 FT/IFC Excellence in Sustainable Finance Award. 
M-KOPA has also successfully tested a range of new products that leverage its relationship with customers, and M-KOPA’s unique competencies in mobile telecommunications and ICT.

To ensure that the research and development of new products add value to (and do not distract from) its core business, M-KOPA is establishing the M-KOPA Labs. 

The Labs will be a dedicated business unit within M-KOPA that will define and test extensions of the M-KOPA asset-based credit model for off-grid-power to new products and services. 
 
Role Profile: M-KOPA is expanding and requires energetic and experienced Regional Manager (RMs) to Lead a Field Sales force of up to 400 and manage a coexisting indirect sales channel.  

This a senior role within the 1,500 strong sales force and as such is critical to help M-KOPA achieve the goal of getting 1 million houses off kerosene by the end of 2017. 
 
The successful applicant for this role will demonstrate a broad set of skills and experience, which will range from on the ground training & coaching, to assisting FSMs in pre-planning sales activities to processes adherence, through to feedback to improve overall sales process & product, combined with insightful reporting.  

The more successful the RM is the more opportunity for growing the regions sales will be availed.
 
A very strong background in Field Sales, Network Marketing, Financial Services mobile money, airtime, consumer goods, or other goods and services across Kenya is anticipated. Combined with a proven track record of putting plans in place to deliver sustainable sales growth. 
Key Accountabilities
  • Manage and Lead a Sales Region with between 10 - 25 Full-time Field Sales Managers (FSM) and 400 Direct Sales Representatives (DSR) and 15 M-KOPA Shops and Service Centres.
  • Oversee the team dealing with the indirect sales channel, via agents.
  • Develop and enhance existing processes & procedures to allow your team and region to deliver against Sales Targets
  • Manage and Mentor Deputy Regional Managers
  • Train, Coach, Mentor and Develop FSMs
  • Drive the Recruitment and Training of quality DSRs within your Region
  • Assist the FSM in developing plans that will allow them to deliver against both today’s and future targets. This will include using all sales channels available
  • Conduct regular field visits to Service Centers to ensure standards in a range of areas including merchandising, customer service and other performance measures.
  • Build Market Demand for M-KOPA Products across your region
  • Develop a market reputation for being the Best Solar Home Solution on the market due to the value added by the M-KOPA product.
  • Assist in recruitment of Field Sales Managers
Incumbent Requirements
  • 8+ year’s management experience in a related sales field. eg Micro-finance or other financial services, mobile-money, FMCG or other product/service in East Africa.
  • Proven ability to lead, manage & motivate a large, disbursed team.
  • High level of discipline with very high personal standards.
  • Excellent Personnel and HR Management Skills
  • Proven Track record of achieving and surpassing targets
  • Proven ability to build and manage a distribution network in rural and urban settings
  • Experience in Last Mile Distribution
  • Experience in Network marketing is an advantage
  • Direct experience planning and executing an area sales consumer marketing strategy focused on below the line activities.
  • Knowledge of the local business environment in your chosen region.
  • High computer literacy and communication skills across people from different backgrounds. 
  • English and Kiswahili fluency both written and spoken.
  • A minimum of a BSc from a recognized institution is required for this role, preferably in a relevant top
Remuneration: Competitive covering a monthly salary, with a large performance element and medical benefits, Company phone, laptop and car all reflective of the candidate’s experience and skills.
 
To Apply
 
To apply, send an updated detailed copy of your CV and a cover letter expressing why you feel you would be an excellent candidate for the role to careers@m-kopa.com with the subject EV-RM-2070

Deadline for application is 5pm on Friday 1st April, 2016.

Please Note: M-KOPA, as a policy, does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. 

This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’ or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews  at any time during the hiring process.

Due to the large number of applications received by us, we regret that you will not be contacted unless you are short listed for the post and invited for an interview. 

Therefore, if you have not heard from M-KOPA within 4 weeks of the date of the deadline your application, you should assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.

This measure has been taken in the interests of efficiency and cost effectiveness and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.