Introduction
Our client is a South African manufacturer of feed additives, biosecurity and hygiene solutions for the food industry. They need an experienced Sales Manager to lead the Cleaning & Hygiene division, managing the sales strategy, commercial growth and a team of Technical Sales Advisors across food manufacturing facilities in South Africa and beyond.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and coach the Technical Sales Advisors team, setting performance standards and developing people.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with key accounts including abattoirs, food processing plants, dairy facilities, ice cream manufacturers, canning factories, bakeries, breweries and sweet manufacturers.
Develop and execute the divisional sales strategy to drive consistent revenue, margin, volume and profitability growth.
Manage the sales pipeline, maintain accurate forecasts, set pricing and targets, and ensure accountability for sales activity and results.
Identify and convert new business opportunities; expand into target markets and grow the customer base and geographic footprint.
Support key accounts personally; understand operational and hygiene challenges and translate them into practical cleaning, hygiene and sanitation solutions.
Monitor market trends, competitor activity, customer needs and emerging opportunities to inform commercial strategy.
Provide commercial input into new product development and support effective market introduction and customer adoption.
Ensure high standards of customer service and coordinate resolution of commercial, product and technical issues.
Travel extensively to customer sites and food manufacturing facilities within South Africa and where required, outside South Africa.
Requirements
Proven senior sales experience, including leadership of a technical sales team and a track record of delivering sales revenue and gross profit growth.
Relevant technical sales experience within the food industry, industrial hygiene, food chemicals, water treatment or related sectors.
Demonstrated knowledge of food-industry cleaning and hygiene processes, including CIP (Clean-In-Place) systems, open plant cleaning applications, disinfection and hygiene protocols, food safety and contamination control.
Sound understanding of detergent and disinfectant applications in food-processing environments, hygiene audits and sanitation assessments.
Knowledge of HACCP, GMP and/or Food Safety Management Systems.
Strong consultative and value-selling capability; ability to uncover customer needs and translate them into practical solutions.
Commercially astute with strong business-development, negotiation and account-management skills.
Excellent problem-solving and root-cause-analysis capability; ability to assess customer processes and drive effective solutions.
Strong communication and presentation skills with credibility to engage production managers, quality managers, hygiene managers, procurement personnel and plant management.
Proficiency in CRM systems and Microsoft Office; valid driver's licence; Grade 12 and a relevant Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Food Science, Biotechnology, Microbiology or related discipline (Honours or Master's advantageous).