AREA SALES MANAGER – MODERN TRADE | FMCG

Develop and execute category growth strategies across assigned Modern Trade accounts and territories General Purpose Our client, a leading FMCG company, is seeking to recruit dynamic, commercially driven, and results oriented Area Sales Managers – Modern Trade to drive sustainable category, customer, distribution, and sales growth across key Modern Trade retail chains. The successful candidates will be responsible for developing and executing category growth strategies, strengthening relationships with Modern Trade customers, optimizing assortment and distribution, driving promotional effectiveness, and translating sales and shopper insights into measurable commercial growth. Region: The Mountain | Nairobi Metropolitan | Western| Gross Salary: Ksh. 70,000 + Applicable Sales Commission Duties & Responsibilities Category & Commercial Growth • Develop and execute category growth strategies across assigned Modern Trade accounts and territories. • Identify opportunities across assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, visibility, listings, and shelf productivity. • Develop initiatives that generate incremental sales, improve category performance, and strengthen market position. • Translate category, shopper, customer, and market insights into practical commercial initiatives. • Develop business cases and assess the potential commercial impact of proposed initiatives. • Monitor market trends, competitor activities, emerging opportunities, and commercial risks. Sales & Performance Management • Drive achievement of sales, distribution, volume, value, and profitability targets across assigned Modern Trade accounts. • Analyse sales performance by SKU, retailer, category, territory, and customer. • Monitor rate of sale, SKU productivity, distribution, promotional performance, and other commercial KPIs. • Identify performance gaps and develop corrective action plans. • Track sales trends and provide recommendations to improve revenue and market penetration. • Prepare and present monthly and quarterly category and business performance reviews. Modern Trade Customer Management • Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with key Modern Trade customers and retail chains. • Engage customers on assortment, listings, pricing, promotions, visibility, distribution, and category development. • Understand customer strategies, business priorities, and category requirements. • Collaborate with retail partners to develop initiatives that deliver mutual commercial value. • Support negotiations and customer engagements with relevant data, insights, and commercial proposals. Category Analytics & Insights • Analyse sales, SKU, retailer, category, shopper, and competitor data to identify growth opportunities. • Use data and commercial insights to support decision-making and category planning. • Monitor the effectiveness and ROI of promotions and other commercial initiatives. • Evaluate assortment and SKU performance and recommend optimization opportunities. • Identify underperforming products, customers, categories, and distribution points and recommend appropriate interventions. • Track market developments and competitor activity to inform business decisions. Retail Execution & Perfect Store • Support implementation of category plans, Perfect Store standards, planograms, and agreed execution guidelines. • Optimize assortment, SKU productivity, distribution, shelf presence, and visibility. • Ensure agreed promotions and merchandising initiatives are effectively executed. • Monitor in-store execution and identify gaps requiring corrective action. • Collaborate with internal teams and retail partners to improve execution standards. Cross-Functional Collaboration • Work closely with Sales, Marketing, Trade Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and other relevant teams to deliver category and customer objectives. • Lead category initiatives from idea generation through implementation, monitoring, and post implementation review. • Drive effective stakeholder and project management across assigned initiatives. • Ensure commercial initiatives are aligned with broader business objectives. • Promote continuous improvement through structured action plans and governance. Requirements & Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Commerce, or a related field. • MUST have a minimum of 5 years' experience in MODERN TRADE SALES. • Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint. • Knowledge and practical experience using sales, reporting, category management, or commercial analytics tools. • Strong understanding of FMCG sales and Modern Trade operations. • Strong communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-building skills. • Strong analytical and commercial mindset. • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, target-driven environment. • Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills. How to Apply Qualified candidates are requested to apply by sending their CV only to recruitment@africanlaboursolutions.co.ke quoting the Job Title & Region on the email subject “Area Sales Manager – Modern Trade - Region” by September 15th 2026

• Develop and execute category growth strategies across assigned Modern Trade accounts and territories • Develop and execute category growth strategies across assigned Modern Trade accounts and territories. • Identify opportunities across assortment, distribution, pricing, promotions, visibility, listings, and shelf productivity. • Develop initiatives that generate incremental sales, improve category performance, and strengthen market position. • Translate category, shopper, customer, and market insights into practical commercial initiatives. • Develop business cases and assess the potential commercial impact of proposed initiatives. • Monitor market trends, competitor activities, emerging opportunities, and commercial risks. Sales & Performance Management • Drive achievement of sales, distribution, volume, value, and profitability targets across assigned Modern Trade accounts. • Analyse sales performance by SKU, retailer, category, territory, and customer. • Monitor rate of sale, SKU productivity, distribution, promotional performance, and other commercial KPIs. • Identify performance gaps and develop corrective action plans. • Track sales trends and provide recommendations to improve revenue and market penetration. • Prepare and present monthly and quarterly category and business performance reviews. Modern Trade Customer Management • Build and maintain strong, professional relationships with key Modern Trade customers and retail chains. • Engage customers on assortment, listings, pricing, promotions, visibility, distribution, and category development.