Regional Sales Manager

Sales & Commercial Leadership

·Drive regional growth initiatives aligned to the national top-line growth strategy for both TOP 50 customers and the Specialty Chemicals portfolio.

·Lead, manage, and motivate the regional sales team to achieve approved revenue targets, budgets, and margin objectives.

·Manage pricing and price parameters for the region through:

oActive monitoring of pricing discipline and regional margin performance.

·Monitor sales discipline, including:

oCustomer visits;

oCall reports;

oQuotes and proposals submitted.

·Actively support the maintenance and growth of existing business, recovery of lost customers, and acquisition of new business.

·Support the development of principal business and new product introductions within the region.

·Participate in key customer retention and “brick-walling” initiatives.

·Ensure Regional Sales Managers personally meet with the top 5 customers per industry cluster each month.

·Chair and lead structured weekly regional sales meetings using a plan–do–review cycle.

Customer & Key Account Management

·Manage and grow an assigned personal customer portfolio.

·Ensure effective key account planning and execution through:

oImplementation and monitoring of the CRM system;

oIdentification and tracking of new pipelines and growth opportunities at key customers.

·Ensure professional customer engagement and high levels of service delivery across the region.

Stock Management & Forecasting

·Oversee regional stock management, including identification and action on:

oSlow-moving stock;

oRedundant and obsolete inventory.

·Drive accurate demand forecasting in collaboration with finance, procurement, and operations.

·Oversee product pricing and calculate landed costs for contracts and general customer enquiries.

·Oversee stock orders with Customer Service & Procurement for:

oContractual commitments;

oGeneral regional stock requirements.

·Oversee coordination of inter-branch stock movements in line with business needs.

Financial & Administrative Oversight

·Compile and manage the regional annual sales budget and monitor expenditure against approved limits.

·Monitor debtors’ days and assist with resolution of problem accounts in collaboration with Finance.

·Authorise credit notes, manual delivery notes, and overtime in line with delegated authority.

·Monitor and ensure completion of month-end procedures relevant to the region.

·Check and authorise stock draw requests from Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth branches, where applicable.

·Manage and coordinate completion of customer questionnaires and commercial documentation.

Warehouse, Logistics & Operational Coordination

·Obtain and review regular performance updates from the Warehouse Manager on:

oOn-time delivery performance;

oFailed or delayed deliveries;

oOperational service issues impacting customers.

People Management & Leadership

·Lead, manage, and support regional staff, fostering a high-performance and accountable culture.

·Develop and maintain high levels of motivation, morale, and engagement across sales and support teams.

·Manage staff relationships, address grievances, and resolve people-related issues in line with company policies.

·Support recruitment, onboarding, coaching, and performance management of regional staff where required.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

·Ensure ethical, transparent and risk-aware sales and commercial practices in line with company governance policies and delegated authorities.

·Support compliance with:

oISO requirements;

oHealth and Safety standards applicable to the region.

·Escalate material commercial, financial, customer, or operational risks to the CEO appropriately.

Knowledge Skills & Experience

Chemical Engineering Degree / Analytical Chemistry / BSC or relevant

·10 yearsStrong commercial and sales leadership capability.

·Experience operating in a trading environment with high stock movement.

·Pricing, margin, and cost-to-serve understanding.

·CRM and sales pipeline management systems.

·Customer relationship development and key account management skills.

·Cross-functional coordination with finance, procurement, and operations.

·Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.