Job Description
Highlands Drinks Limited is seeking a highly motivated Sales Excellence Manager to strengthen commercial execution, improve market performance, and support sustainable business growth across assigned territories. This position is ideal for a commercially focused professional who combines strategic thinking with practical field execution and enjoys transforming sales operations into measurable business success. The successful candidate will work closely with regional leadership, distributors, and field sales teams to improve operational standards, expand market coverage, increase product availability, and deliver outstanding execution across all customer touchpoints.
The Sales Excellence Manager will play a central role in enhancing Route-to-Market effectiveness by identifying improvement opportunities, introducing efficient sales processes, and ensuring that distribution activities consistently meet company expectations. This position requires regular analysis of sales trends, customer behavior, outlet performance, and market intelligence to develop practical action plans that strengthen commercial performance. Through continuous collaboration with distributors and internal teams, the successful candidate will ensure that products remain readily available while maintaining high standards of merchandising, visibility, pricing compliance, and customer service.
The role also focuses on developing stronger distributor partnerships by promoting accountability, improving operational capability, and supporting performance improvement initiatives. By conducting structured business reviews, monitoring inventory management, evaluating territory coverage, and assessing execution quality, the Sales Excellence Manager will help create a culture of continuous improvement throughout the commercial network. The successful applicant will also contribute to coaching field sales representatives, strengthening execution discipline, and encouraging data-driven decision-making at every level of the sales organization.
A key aspect of this opportunity involves monitoring business performance using accurate reporting systems and commercial analytics. The successful candidate will generate meaningful performance reports, evaluate key sales indicators, monitor route productivity, identify execution gaps, and recommend practical solutions that improve profitability and customer satisfaction. Regular field visits will provide valuable insights into customer needs, market trends, competitor activities, and emerging business opportunities.
This position offers an exciting opportunity to work within a dynamic beverage manufacturing environment where innovation, teamwork, accountability, and operational excellence are highly valued. Highlands Drinks Limited encourages employees to contribute ideas, embrace continuous learning, and support long-term commercial success through professional execution and collaborative leadership. Individuals who possess exceptional analytical abilities, excellent communication skills, strong commercial awareness, and a passion for improving sales performance will thrive in this position. The company is committed to providing a supportive working environment that recognizes achievement, promotes career development, and rewards individuals who consistently deliver measurable business results while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen commercial execution across assigned territories.
- Increase numeric and weighted distribution to improve product accessibility in target markets.
- Develop practical strategies that expand outlet coverage while improving service consistency.
- Monitor stock availability and coordinate replenishment activities to reduce stock shortages.
- Evaluate inventory performance and recommend actions that improve product availability.
- Support implementation of Route-to-Market initiatives that increase commercial productivity.
- Monitor route efficiency, call frequency, territory coverage, and compliance with approved plans.
- Analyse commercial performance data to identify growth opportunities and operational improvements.
- Collaborate with regional management to achieve sustainable territory development objectives.
- Build productive working relationships with distributors through regular engagement and performance reviews.
- Support distributors in improving operational standards, customer coverage, and execution quality.
- Evaluate distributor inventory management and recommend stock optimization strategies.
- Assist with collection monitoring and encourage healthy credit management practices.
- Ensure distributor teams fully understand company sales objectives and performance expectations.
- Conduct structured distributor business reviews using measurable performance indicators.
- Identify capability gaps and coordinate improvement initiatives for distributor teams.
- Share valuable market intelligence that supports stronger commercial planning.
- Oversee implementation of trade promotions across assigned territories.
- Verify compliance with merchandising standards and retail execution guidelines.
- Ensure point-of-sale materials are properly installed, maintained, and effectively utilized.
- Monitor retail pricing consistency across different market segments.
- Conduct routine outlet inspections to evaluate execution quality and customer experience.
- Investigate execution challenges and implement practical corrective action plans.
- Track competitor activities and recommend commercial responses where appropriate.
- Measure key sales indicators including distribution, strike rate, route productivity, and visibility.
- Coach field sales personnel to improve selling effectiveness and execution discipline.
- Support professional development through field coaching and constructive performance feedback.
- Conduct frequent market visits to strengthen customer and distributor relationships.
- Evaluate effectiveness of commercial campaigns and recommend performance enhancements.
- Prepare accurate weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reports.
- Maintain reliable commercial databases and territory performance records.
- Ensure timely submission of sales reports while maintaining high data accuracy.
- Monitor compliance with company operational procedures and commercial policies.
- Escalate commercial risks promptly and recommend suitable mitigation measures.
- Coordinate implementation of approved improvement projects across assigned territories.
- Participate in cross-functional meetings supporting commercial planning initiatives.
- Promote collaboration between sales, logistics, finance, and customer service departments.
- Encourage continuous improvement through performance analysis and operational excellence.
- Maintain professional relationships with customers while representing company values positively.
- Support achievement of business growth objectives through disciplined commercial execution.
- Perform additional commercial leadership responsibilities assigned by senior management.
Qualifications & Requirements
- The ideal candidate should possess a bachelor's degree in business administration, Sales and Marketing, Commerce, Supply Chain Management, Economics, or another relevant discipline from a recognized institution. Professional certifications in sales management, commercial leadership, route
- to
- market management, project management, or data analytics will provide an added advantage. Applicants should demonstrate excellent analytical thinking, commercial awareness, strategic planning capability, and sound business judgment. Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, stakeholder management, and relationship
- building abilities are essential for success in this position. The successful candidate should be highly organized, capable of managing multiple priorities, and comfortable working in both office and field environments. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and sales reporting systems is expected, together with the ability to interpret business data and convert insights into practical commercial actions. Candidates should demonstrate strong leadership qualities, coaching capability, integrity, accountability, problem
- solving skills, customer
- focused decision
- making, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Experience working with distributors, sales teams, trade marketing initiatives, territory planning, performance reporting, merchandising standards, and commercial execution frameworks will be highly desirable. The successful applicant should be self
- driven, results
- oriented, capable of building collaborative partnerships, and committed to delivering consistent business performance while maintaining the highest professional standards.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a detailed CV together with a professional cover letter highlighting their suitability for the Sales Excellence Manager position before the application deadline. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.
Similar Sales / Marketing / Retail / Business Development You Might Like
Browse More Jobs
More Sales / Marketing / Retail / Business Development in Kenya • All Jobs in nyeri