Distributor Manager (Ipoh)

Job Responsibilities

1. Business Planning & Performance Management

• Develop and grow General Trade (GT) and Modern Trade (MT) business by category and segment.
• Lead monthly business performance reviews with distributors and develop corrective action plans.
• Proactively review and adjust sales and trade spend strategies when targets are not achieved.
• Implement company strategies for both direct and indirect market coverage.
• Review distribution footprints and route coverage quarterly to improve cost-effectiveness.
• Monitor and report distributor KPIs and business performance to the Regional Sales Manager.

2. Distributor Management

• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with distributor management teams.
• Evaluate distributor performance and implement improvement plans.
• Monitor distributors' credit standing and ensure compliance with company credit policies.
• Conduct distributor assessments with the Regional Sales Manager and drive agreed improvement actions.

3. Channel Management & Customer Development

• Execute national and regional trade activation and promotional activities.
• Develop and implement customized trade promotions for key retailers.
• Monitor promotional effectiveness and provide post-activity analysis.
• Review sales incentive programme results and communicate performance outcomes to distributor sales teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with wholesalers, retailers, and key trade partners.

4. Budget & Resource Management

• Develop and manage area trade spending plans and budgets.
• Monitor trade investment effectiveness and optimize return on investment.
• Collaborate with the Regional Sales Manager on short-term and long-term trade spend strategies.
• Support the recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing distributor sales teams.

5. Sales Force Leadership & Capability Building

• Optimize sales route planning to maximize coverage and return on investment.
• Coach and develop distributor and internal sales teams on selling skills, product knowledge, negotiation, and issue resolution.
• Provide coaching to Distributor Operations Managers on area management and sales strategy.
• Lead talent development initiatives and build a capable sales organization to support future growth.

Job Requirements:

• Secondary education qualification or equivalent.
• Proficient in English and Bahasa Malaysia; Chinese dialects would be an advantage.
• 3-5 years of experience in FMCG sales, preferably within a General Trade environment.
• Proven experience managing distributors and driving sales growth.
• Demonstrated success in leading, coaching, and motivating sales teams.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing trade investments and budgets.
• Good analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of distributor management and sales performance management practices.