Objectives and Purpose of the Job
The Business Development Manager (BDM) will identify partner opportunities locally and overseas, build relationships and manage the commercial/business-to-business relationships to generate new revenue, thereby supporting the Company’s growth. The goal is to drive sustainable financial growth through boosting sales and forging strong relationships with customers.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Apply Innovation and Creativity to Business Development and Growth
- Research and identify new business opportunities including new markets, growth areas, trends, customers, partnerships, products and services and new ways of reaching existing markets.
- Create plans for business growth in the domestic and export space.
- Liaise with local and international partners to grow business.
- Monitor local stocks to ensure production or forecasts are in line with needs of local and export markets.
- Alert the business to significant changes to product supply (+/-) and lead a coordinated approach in finding solutions to maximize sales and distribution of stocks.
- Manage Trade Marketing
- Create, implement, and assess strategies to maximize value from each distribution channel.
- Oversee and ensure distribution partners are executing trade plans and distribution reach.
- Evaluate trade plans for compliance with export guidelines, regulations, and standards.
- Coordinate trade marketing activities with finance team, production, warehousing and logistics departments as appropriate, to develop pricing structure and/or execute trade plans.
- Support Brand Activities
- Support the development and implementation of agreed brand strategies while managing budgets in relevant export markets.
- Support the formulation of promotional strategies and activities to be executed within local and export markets.
- Monitor regulations that could impact products
- Manage B2B Customer Success and Journey
- Develop, maintain, and evaluate relationships with B2B customers.
- Manage B2B customer success and journey by reviewing customer experience data.
- Create loyalty drivers for B2B customers to ensure customer satisfaction and ultimately retention.
- Manage Trade Brand Relationships, Pricing and Competitor Data
- Monitor and manage risk based on numbers and performance data relative to market share and strategic direction.
- Strategically mine and analyze market and competitor data in all markets and channels including but not limited to import data, export market data, trade data, competitor pricing, and any other data related to the business of the company.
- Routinely analyze pricing; considering costings and competitive environment to ensure that gross profit is maximized.
- Develop tier pricing where applicable as well as straight to market strategies to maximize margins where possible. Make recommendations and changes to the price list by customer and rationalize prices across channels
- Manage related Communication and Reporting requirements
• Generate reports including relevant numerical analyses of the company’s sales, distribution, customer experience, and business-to-business activities.
• Present reports showing performance against agreed plan and strategic direction
• Respond effectively to the needs of the customer.
Academic/Technical/Management: Experience and Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing or related field. MBA would be an asset.
- Minimum five years proven working experience as a business development manager, sales executive or a relevant role.
- Sales Management, Marketing and Business Planning experience
- Project management certification and/or experience would be an asset.
Abilities; Skills; Experience; Aptitude and Judgement:
- Organized and able to work under constant pressure
- Ability to build relationships
- Ability to drive change
- Excellent negotiation and persuasion skills
- Strong research and strategic analysis skills
- Business Intelligence
- Budget management skills and proficiency.
- Excellent communication skills both oral and written.
- High competency working with Microsoft Office and knowledge of CRM software
Other Personal or General Characteristics:
- Excellent interpersonal relationship skills
- Leadership skills
- Networking
- Collaborative
- Creative and innovative
External Contacts (Level):
Research Institutions, Distributors, Suppliers, Consumer Affairs, and other Customer Representative Organizations.
