Key Account Manager

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
# 158846 - Hout Bay, Western Cape, South Africa

Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, we sell our products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

We are recognized for our leadership and innovation in promoting sustainability and community wellbeing, including our achievements in decreasing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, saving water, conserving natural resources and improving children’s oral health.

If you want to work for a company that lives by their values, then give your career a reason to smile and join our global team!
 

Job Summary:

The main purpose of the local Key Account Manager (KAM) is to help develop the business of our key accounts. The role will manage the business relationship with the central key accounts head offices to (1) secure customer support for Hill’s to grow sales, share and recommendation, and (2) develop, negotiate and implement joint business plans, aligned to Hill’s strategies, including forecasting and monitoring of agreed objectives.

 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Drive support for Hill's in our Key clients. Establish positive relationships with key accounts personnel (Marketing, E- Commerce/Social/Digital, Finance, Supply Chain, CRM) to influence support of Hill's strategic goals. Strong leadership, a clear understanding of their business and foresight is required to engage customers with strategic plans.
• Prepare, negotiate and implement joint business plans, marketing and promotional campaigns to drive demand. Forecast, develop, implement and supervise customer specific plans to achieve Hill's commercial goals of volume net sales, share, margin, within budget spend. Communicate plans to field teams for in-store support. Visit stores to better understand implementation challenges to optimize future approaches.
• Ensure post-evaluation of all promotional campaigns presenting qualitative results to the commercial team, and refine customer tactical plans. Share findings, insights and recommendations.
• Optimize Key Account budget and all resources available.
• Evaluate and understand each customer's strategy applying data and analytics to supervise sales, distribution and campaign performance, trends, insights and opportunities for growth. Understand customer strategy, policies and procedures and future plans as well as their digital tools and assets and organization.
• Facilitate and lead functional commercial organization meetings to align priorities and secure execution of all Hill's initiatives. Ensure implementation of contracts, agreements and purchase orders. Identify risk level and competitive best practices for discussion and strategic / tactical refinement
• Evaluate global KAM tools and standard methodologies for local implementation
• Facilitate and lead functional commercial organization meetings to align priorities and secure execution of Hill’s initiatives and in support of these opportunities. 
• Monitor competitive activity, identifying risk level and competitive best practices for discussing and strategic/tactical refinements.
• Work with the Shopper Marketing Manager / Business Development team to influence activation plans and opportunities. 
• Align and gain approval on plans with Business Development Lead. 
• Deliver monthly, quarterly and annual targets. 
• Responsible for the smooth operation of invoice processing, tracking and issue resolution. 
• Comply with all policies and standards 

 

Education/ Experience Requirements:
A Bachelor degree
At least 6 years of experience in sales roles, in an omnichannel environment
Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Office - specifically Word, PowerPoint, and Excel and or Google Workplace tools

 

Expected Areas of Skills: 

• Outstanding negotiator, seeks to discover common ground, identify vital interests, and understand the customer’s underlying priorities. Apply data and shopper insights to develop commercial recommendations that drive results.
• Customer centric! Build relationships with large complex originations and negotiate with / selling to customers. 
• Pragmatic working style approach and hands-on in-service delivery. 
• Commercial acumen, a keen awareness of market dynamics, financial principles, customer needs, competitive forces, and strate