Sales Manager - Distributor Management

Location: Dubai
Salary: AED 14,000 - 18,000

Job Code: 210/001/617
Industry: FMCG / Consumer Goods Distribution

Job Brief:

Our client is seeking an experienced Sales Manager – Distributor Management to drive profitable sales growth across the UAE and Saudi Arabia through effective distributor management, market expansion, and trade execution.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing go-to-market and route-to-market strategies, achieving primary and secondary sales targets, managing distributor relationships, monitoring trade investments, and improving retail execution across different sales channels.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in distributor-led sales, commercial planning, trade marketing execution, and sales performance management within the FMCG or consumer goods industry.

Job Responsibilities:

Go-to-Market and Route-to-Market Planning

Develop and execute go-to-market (GTM) and route-to-market (RTM) plans by country, channel, region, and product category.
Define priority outlets, distribution targets, product assortment, sales coverage, and outlet visit frequencies.
Identify distribution gaps and work with distributors to improve market coverage and outlet productivity.

Primary and Secondary Sales Management

Achieve agreed primary sales targets to distributors and secondary sales targets from distributors to trade customers.
Develop monthly sales plans by distributor, channel, and SKU, monitor performance, and implement corrective actions.
Monitor inventory levels, sell-through, stock ageing, and forecast accuracy to support effective stock replenishment.

Distributor Management

Build and maintain strong relationships with distributor management and sales teams.
Develop and monitor Joint Business Plans (JBPs) covering sales targets, distribution expansion, investments, and execution priorities.
Conduct regular business reviews, market visits, and field coaching to improve distributor performance and accountability.

Trade Spend and Profitability

Plan, allocate, and monitor trade spend within approved budgets.
Evaluate promotional effectiveness, incremental sales, and return on investment (ROI).
Monitor pricing, discounts, profit margins, and product mix to achieve profitability targets.
Verify distributor trade claims against approved promotional activities and supporting documentation.

In-Store Execution and Trade Activation

Manage in-store promotions, merchandising, product availability, and brand visibility.
Ensure agreed product listings, shelf placements, displays, and promotional pricing are implemented.
Coordinate product sampling and consumer activation activities with distributor and marketing teams.
Monitor retail execution through outlet visits, photographs, and performance reports.

Product Assortment and Service Levels

Implement suitable product assortments and pack formats across different sales channels and outlet types.
Monitor product availability, order fulfilment, and delivery service levels, resolving gaps with distributors and supply chain teams.
Support new product launches through product listings, distribution planning, stock readiness, and promotional activation.

Business Development and Commercial Coordination

Support the Business Development Manager – GCC with market planning, commercial analysis, distributor negotiations, and growth opportunities.
Collaborate with marketing, trade/channel development, finance, and supply chain teams to execute commercial plans.
Provide market intelligence on competitor activities, pricing, promotional strategies, and customer feedback.
Prepare sales and distributor performance reports covering commercial targets, distribution, profitability, inventory, and retail execution.

Job Requirements:

Proven experience in sales management and distributor management within the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, covering food and non-food product categories.
Experience in non-food FMCG categories, including detergents, soaps, fabric softeners, and other household and personal care products.
Experience in food and beverage FMCG categories, including instant noodles, instant coffee, isotonic drinks, and similar consumer products.
Strong knowledge of the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets, including distributor networks, retail channels, and trade execution.
Experience developing and implementing go-to-market (GTM) and route-to-market (RTM) strategies.
Demonstrated experience managing primary and secondary sales targets across distributors and retail channels.
Experience developing Joint Business Plans (JBPs) and conducting distributor performance reviews.
Knowledge of trade spend management, promotional ROI, pricing, margins, and commercial profitability.
Experience managing in-store promotions, merchandising, product listings, and retail visibility.
Understanding of inventory management, stock ageing, sales forecasting, and order fulfilment.
Strong commercial analysis, negotiation, relationship management, and communication skills.
Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and manage distributor performance across multiple markets.

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