Job Description

Job Title: Sales & Marketing Head – Edible Oils & Fats Location: Kiambu County Reporting to: Customer Response Team (CRT) Head Direct Reports: Regional Sales Heads, Trade Marketing Lead, and Sales Operations Eligibility: Open to candidates of all nationalities. About the Organization Our client is a leading FMCG organization with a strong presence in the edible oils and fats sector. The company has an established market presence and is focused on strengthening its commercial performance, expanding market share, and driving sustainable growth across Kenya and regional markets. The organization is undergoing a period of commercial transformation, with increased focus on customer centricity, data-driven decision-making, operational agility, innovation, and stronger integration across sales, marketing, and trade execution. The Customer Response Team (CRT) plays a central role in this transformation by integrating sales, marketing, and trade execution to drive revenue growth, profitability, customer engagement, and category leadership. Role Summary The Sales & Marketing Head – Edible Oils & Fats will lead the overall commercial strategy for a major and strategic business category. The role will have responsibility for the full P&L and will drive sales growth, market share, pricing discipline, profitability, distribution, and brand performance across Kenya and regional markets. The position combines strategic commercial leadership, category expertise, sales management, marketing strategy, and operational execution to strengthen the organization's position within the edible oils and fats market. The ideal candidate will bring strong strategic thinking and operational excellence, with the ability to manage complex market dynamics, lead large commercial teams, and drive innovation and transformation across the commercial value chain. Key Responsibilities 1. Commercial & Category Leadership • Develop and implement the commercial strategy for the Edible Oils & Fats category in line with overall business growth and profitability objectives. • Own the category P&L, driving performance across pricing, product mix, margins, and volume. • Lead business planning and forecast alignment with Production, Supply Chain, Finance, and other key functions. • Identify opportunities for category growth through core portfolio optimization, innovation, value-added products, and premium segments. • Monitor market trends, competitor activity, consumer behavior, and category dynamics to inform commercial decisions. 2. Sales & Route-to-Market Excellence • Lead national sales teams and regional sales heads to achieve revenue, distribution, volume, and profitability targets. • Develop and optimize route-to-market strategies to strengthen market coverage, product availability, and cost efficiency. • Drive sales execution through clear KPIs, performance dashboards, structured business reviews, and accountability mechanisms. • Build and manage strategic distributor relationships, ensuring strong performance, profitability, and sustainable partnerships. • Identify opportunities to improve sales productivity and channel effectiveness. 3. Marketing & Brand Development • Develop and execute portfolio strategies aligned with consumer needs, market opportunities, and commercial objectives. • Lead integrated marketing and communication strategies to strengthen brand awareness, consumer relevance, and market positioning. • Work closely with R&D and cross-functional teams to identify and develop new product and category growth opportunities. • Strengthen consumer trust and brand differentiation through effective positioning, communication, and innovation. • Ensure marketing investments are aligned with commercial priorities and measurable business outcomes. 4. Trade Marketing & Channel Development • Lead trade marketing strategies and programs to strengthen brand visibility, distribution, and in-store execution. • Develop channel-specific activation strategies across General Trade, Modern Trade, and other relevant channels. • Optimize promotions, pricing, and pack architecture to maximize commercial returns. • Partner with Finance and Sales Operations to monitor trade spend, promotional effectiveness, and ROI. • Strengthen execution standards and visibility across key customer and distribution channels. 5. Digital & Data Enablement • Champion the adoption and effective use of BI tools, CRM systems, and digital dashboards to improve commercial decision-making. • Leverage data analytics to inform pricing, promotions, customer segmentation, distribution, and sales strategies. • Use market and consumer data to identify emerging opportunities and risks. • Explore e-commerce and digital trade opportunities to complement traditional routes to market. 6. Leadership & Capability Building • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing commercial team with clear objectives and performance standards. • Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement. • Develop the capabilities of sales, marketing, trade marketing, and sales operations teams. • Strengthen collaboration with Supply Chain, Finance, Production, R&D, and other key stakeholders. • Drive effective succession planning and talent development within the commercial function. Requirements Ideal Candidate Profile Education • Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or a related field. • MBA or other relevant advanced qualification is preferred. Experience • 12–15 years of progressive experience in FMCG commercial leadership, including at least 5 years managing a significant category P&L. • Proven experience within edible oils/fats category. • Strong experience across General Trade and Modern Trade. • Demonstrated experience integrating sales, marketing, and trade marketing to drive category growth and profitability. • Proven track record of leading and developing large, diverse commercial teams. • Strong experience in distributor management, route-to-market optimization, pricing, trade investment, and commercial planning. • Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth, market share, and profitability. Key Competencies • Strong strategic and commercial thinking combined with operational discipline. • Excellent financial and analytical acumen. • Strong understanding of FMCG sales, marketing, and distribution dynamics. • Excellent stakeholder, customer, and distributor management skills. • Data-driven and digitally literate. • Strong negotiation and decision-making skills. • Results-oriented with strong execution capability. • Collaborative and inspirational leadership style. • High level of integrity, resilience, and accountability. What Success Looks Like • Sustainable growth in category revenue, market share, volume, and profitability. • Stronger brand equity and consumer relevance across key segments. • Improved route-to-market efficiency and sales execution. • Optimized trade investments delivering measurable ROI. • Strong distributor and customer relationships. • Improved commercial decision-making through effective use of data and analytics. • A highly capable, engaged, and high-performing commercial team. Why This Opportunity? This is a high-impact commercial leadership opportunity for an experienced FMCG professional to shape the next phase of growth within a major Edible Oils & Fats business. The successful candidate will play a critical role in driving commercial strategy, strengthening market performance, developing high-performing teams, and identifying new opportunities for sustainable growth across Kenya and regional markets. Benefits Benefits: • Company vehicle • Fuel card • Dedicated driver • Furniture Allowance • 28 days’ leave with airfare once every 2 years • Work Permit • Family accommodation • Medical Insurance