Commercial Manager at Guinness Nigeria Plc

Job Title: Commercial Manager

Purpose of Role

• The role is responsible for all aspects of the Nigeria business – supply forecasting and strategy/business delivery through the direct team, the distributor partner as well as the key players in On and Off Trade Channels and Customer Marketing teams. 
• Specifically, the role will involve managing the distributor partner, Premium Core business development managers and the entire process for the growth and development of premium core spirit brands in the Nigeria market. It is also responsible for any other objectives that is related to the sales and growth of Premium Core spirit in the market.  
• The role must drive the Premium Core brand team (reporting to Marketing) to ensure alignment on objectives and strategy with clear, focused premium Core brand plans designed to implement proven growth drivers at scale and accelerate growth.    
• The role will involve capability building of the Diageo sales team and the Distributor sales organization in line with Diageo Way of Selling. 

Top Accountabilities

• Externally focused Commercial Strategy Development and Execution
• Uses a strong understanding of the external environment to drive the creation and execution of a clear and powerful commercially driven strategy for Premium Core brands.
• Unlocks consumer and shopper insights to generate breakthrough performance and Market share growth.
• Relationship Management with key External and Internal collaborators and Influencers
• Influences and leads cross-functionally to define and achieve Premium Core objectives, aligning relevant Customer and Consumer Marketing teams with the Distributor & the Channel-focused sales teams to deliver shared outcomes.
• Lead distributor engagement sessions to get partner ownership and delivery of Premium Core objectives. 
• Skilled in developing distributor and customer collaboration and commitment, negotiating for win-win outcomes.
• Skilled in establishing and maintaining industry collaborator relationships in support of our reputation and leadership agenda in Premium Core.
• Influence distributor partner on territory mapping, Sub Distributors appointment and other sales enablers where and when vital

Brilliant Execution:

• Clarity in the deployment of programmes and tools that maximise sustainable profit for the Premium Core business, including trade terms, pricing strategy, promotional effectiveness (NRM)
• Able to identify and prioritise the highest value-creating activities with swift, effective decision-making.
• Effectively balances short- and long-term performance goals in planning, execution, and evaluation of activity.
• Responsible for outcomes across cross-functional teams with highly influential skills vital
• Coaches and trains the Diageo & distributor teams on Sales fundamentals and Premium core brand building elements to develop the category via excellent execution.

Direct and Indirect First-Class Team Management:

• Accountable for delivering the industry’s ‘best-in-class’ sales field team, always ahead of the competition.
• Must ensure that the premium core agenda gets its fair consideration across the entire organisation through top-class communication, networking and presentation skills
• Champions compliance and ethics in business delivery with zero tolerance of non-compliant behaviour across Diageo and distributor partner premium core organization.

Performance Management:

• Accountable for setting, agreeing, supervising and achieving the Premium core financials through the business from top-line volume sales to net revenue to marketing contribution level, managing all the financial levers available, including brand retail pricing, trade investment and consumer marketing spend, making key priority decisions between brands and channels to deliver the goals
• Reports back to business on progress to annual goals with activity to rectify where vital on a monthly basis.
• Drive accountability with distributors via strong tracking methodology (JUBP sessions, morning meetings, clear critical metrics, POSM management structure, etc.).
• Planning & Strategic Business Reviews with Distributor partner.
• Define & Establish commercial important metric for distributor partner selling organization. 

Qualifications, Experience, and Leadership

• Minimum of 12 years’ experience in Sales, Trade Marketing & Sales Operations
• Strong commercial and financial planning and decision-making skills, including channel profitability and targeted trade investment management.
• Cross functional experience across Commercial/Marketing
• Exceptional relationship skills: proven ability to network and influence across functions and levels.
• An understanding of competitors, distributors and key customers, and what it takes to win in the spirit market. 
• Understands how to bring to bear key drivers to improve business performance. 
• Exceptional relationship skills: proven ability to influence across functions and levels, both internally and externally.
• Authentic communicator with experience working with external collaborators; superior presentation skills.
• Business qualification will be advantageous. 
• Cross-functional experience advantageous  
• FMCG experience advantageous.
• An expert coach and trainer of both functional and leadership capability development.

Flexible Working Statement: 

• Flexibility is key to our success. From part-time and compressed hours to different locations, our people work flexibly in ways to suit them.
• Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported from day one.

Application Instructions:

The application deadline is 19th April, 2025.  Therefore, qualified and interested candidates can “CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT APPLICATION.” It is important to visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply successfully for this vacancy.

Official Websites: https://guinness-nigeria.com/en/careers