Assistant Trade Marketing Manager

Overview:

• This position manages and develops the Cereal and Snacks business for Malaysia. 
• The position holds the responsibility for in market BTL and shopper plans development and deployment to ensure excellent execution in stores to deliver the volume and NSV target in line with the allocated FGA (spend) and A&P budget management.
• This position has accountability for understanding how the shopper shops, the changing trends, what influences them at the point of purchase, what are the unmet needs that pose an opportunity in the category and therefore what would be the right proposition & in market activity program that will convert this insight into sales offtake.
• This position will also lead key launch activations & reviews in the year of drivers for business delivery and performance, alongside ROI assessment of the activities deployed to enable a better understanding of what were the key success and learnings and to refine in subsequent executions in market.
• The candidate will support the commercial team to review and assess the right product focus portfolio by channels and customers with clear guidelines as a trade marketer by developing the activity calendar, MCL and other key sales fundamentals in driving the right decisions on investment choices referencing channel and brand strategy across the market.
• The position reports directly to Trade Marketing Manager – Singapore and Malaysia
• Peer relationship.

Responsibilities:

• Internal contacts: Works closely with the marketing team on product and initiative development among others; finance team on NSV and spend budget; supply chain on plans sufficiency and IMS update.
• This role also works very closely and continuously with the respective country sales and key account managers to deliver the country targets and support the country growth.
• External contacts: Works closely with the market’s distributors, business partners, customers and agency
• Volume, NSV & margin management for Total Malaysia portfolio:
• Co-create with commercial team the strategic plan for the year through key focus areas and big bets.
• Work with Sales team and distributors to develop plans for the year based on company targets through JBP process and follow through with timely reviews and clear communications for plans execution.
• Continuously monitor gaps in IMS and collaboratively work on any new and gap plans while understanding the causes of the shortfall.
• Understand and leverage the business processes/drumbeat of Demand and supply planning/month business planning to enable the country teams on monthly IMS delivery.
• Review the activities deployed to ensure execution excellence in stores through frequent store visit and monitor the effectiveness and efficiency.
• Spend budget and revenue growth management for respective Channel
• Ensure spending within overall budget aligned as per country strategy & business objectives.
• Continuously drive opportunities for RGM through understanding of the impact of the activities deployed through spend ROI.
• Manage the Sales synopsis process and review spends submitted each quarter to ensure spends within budget.
• Continuously work with the finance team to understand FGA impact by quarter as well as variables at country level, category and SKUs mix that impacts NSV delivery.
• Understand shopper behaviour and provide insights:
• Lead the perfect executions initiatives by monitoring perfect store initiatives and the execution of the plans on home shelf, cross merchandising, all secondary off shelf displays.
• In touch with market pulse by having good understanding of shopper trends, competitors’ activities and in store initiatives that impact the brand and country strategy.
• Analyze market data like AC and provide insights on category, sku mix, price pack architecture, distribution, new opportunities etc.
• Help create the right “first moment of truth” POS material through shopper insights allowing for maximum impact in store.
• Continuously monitor the channel contribution and develop plans specific to channel/customer for better business impact.
• Work on NPD portfolio with marketing:
• Work closely with marketing on the innovation drumbeat to understand the NPD calendar and give inputs as voice of sales on – project timelines, trade requirements (eg. Halal cert), pricing, planogram, number of skus, right to win – USP etc.
• Create the trade sell in deck for customers for NPD along with marketing covering the consumer and shopper needs through the WHAT and HOW of the project.
• Input on new initiatives/opportunities (eg. A new price point or new sizing) leading to product/ category creation based on shipper insights.
• Lead launch initiatives and reviews from a Trade response perspective
• Ensure completeness of launch program not limited to Product details, strategy, right to win, timelines, planogram, 5P’s, distribution targets, activity calendar, competition response action, sell in deck, volume forecast.
• Lead post launch and campaign activation review with commercial team on impact and next steps.
• Develop clear action plan to ensure launch meets internal company targets and as per strategy deployed.
• Deliver the business processes enabling the business
• KSOP process drumbeat – align plan sufficiency with demand and supply chain and ensure forecast in line with IMS target from markets.
• QBP to distributors – engage and excite the distributor with quarterly business planning presentations that should include all quarter ahead plans, promotions, ideas, samples, NPD etc.
• Lead and execute monthly TM activities plan jointly with marketing, sales team, business partners covering key initiatives analysis, update, display tracker, POSM execution tracker and sampling reports.
• Innovation drumbeat – fully engage as voice of sales and trade in the innovation drumbeat that showcases all innovation initiatives in the works to ensure the right products are deployed the right way.

Requirements:

• Education: University degree in any field, preferably business or economics.
• Minimum 4-5 years sales experience with a FMCG company.
• Possess working knowledge of retail and consumer industry
• Sales and distributor management experience is an added advantage for this role.
• Good interpersonal skills working with multiple stakeholders internally and externally
• Ability to organize and prioritize with good time management
• Work around hurdles and good problem solving skills.
• Strong communication skills in English (oral and written)
• Intermediate to advanced skills with presentation and analysis tools, including Microsoft Office Excel and PowerPoint.