Commercial Growth & National KAM (Foods) – RKCGNKAM

Main job function

Strategic Customer & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with key decision-makers across major retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators, distributors and other strategic customers.
• Develop strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Act as a strategic business partner to customers, developing an understanding of their businesses, strategies and growth objectives.
• Develop customer-specific business plans focused on sustainable revenue, margin and market growth.
• Identify opportunities to deepen existing relationships and expand the company’s share of customer spend.
• Conduct regular customer business reviews and strategic planning sessions.
• Develop relationships at multiple levels within customer organisations to create long-term commercial partnerships.
• Become a trusted advisor rather than simply a supplier.
• Maintain a strong understanding of customer needs, market dynamics and competitive activity.
• Ensure customer relationships are developed for the long term, with a focus on retention, growth and mutual value creation.

Business Development & B2B Growth

• Take ownership of identifying and developing new business opportunities across retail, wholesale and foodservice.
• Identify prospective customers, channels and market opportunities.
• Build and manage a structured pipeline of new business opportunities.
• Develop compelling commercial propositions for prospective customers.
• Open new accounts and develop existing customers into larger strategic relationships.
• Identify opportunities for new product introductions, range expansion, menu integration and customer-specific solutions.
• Work closely with customers to understand unmet needs and identify opportunities for the business to add value.
• Lead the development of opportunities from initial relationship through to commercial agreement and implementation.
• Develop a balanced pipeline of short-, medium- and long-term opportunities.
• Focus on creating repeatable and sustainable business rather than one-off sales.

Distributor & Channel Partnership Development

• Develop strategic relationships with appointed distributors and channel partners, ensuring they are aligned with the company’s growth objectives.
• Build strong relationships with distributor owners, leadership teams and sales personnel.
• Develop joint business plans and growth strategies with key distribution partners.
• Influence distributor priorities, investment and sales activity through strong commercial relationships.
• Act as a champion for the company’s brands within distributor organisations.
• Conduct joint customer visits and support distributors in developing new business.
• Identify opportunities to expand distribution, customer penetration and SKU presence.
• Provide product, category and commercial training where required.
• Monitor distributor performance, profitability and customer development.
• Lead regular business reviews and agree clear actions for future growth.
• Ensure distributors see the relationship as a strategic partnership rather than simply a supplier arrangement.

Foodservice Market Development

• Develop the foodservice channel by building relationships with key operators and creating end-user demand.
• Develop relationships with strategic restaurant groups, QSRs, hospitality groups, contract caterers and other foodservice operators.
• Identify opportunities for menu integration, product adoption and customer-specific applications.
• Work with distributors to develop and convert foodservice opportunities.
• Support customer presentations, product demonstrations and commercial proposals.
• Develop relationships with chefs, procurement teams, commercial decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders.
• Build and manage a foodservice opportunity pipeline.
• Identify emerging foodservice trends and new routes to market.
• Work with marketing and culinary teams to support customer activation and demand creation.

Branded & Private Label Growth (Woolworths)

• Develop opportunities across both branded and private label portfolios, balancing immediate commercial opportunities with long-term strategic value.
• Manage strategic private label relationships where required.
• Develop long-term customer partnerships around innovation and portfolio expansion.
• Identify opportunities for new product development and customer-specific solutions.
• Coordinate customer requirements with internal commercial, technical, supply chain and production teams.
• Support forecasting and demand planning discussions.
• Lead or support commercial negotiations and annual planning processes.
• Ensure customer expectations are clearly understood and effectively managed internally.

Qualifications

• Grade 12
• Completed tertiary qualification advantageous

Criteria

• 10+ Years of experience selling food products into the trade
• Strong understanding and management of the Woolworths account
• Strong relationship builder
• Willing to travel nationally
• Strategy and commercially focused
• Key Account Management experience

A Consultant will be in touch if you are shortlisted for the position. Please consider your application unsuccessful should you not have been contacted within 2 weeks. We will keep your CV on our database and contact you should you match the criteria of any other vacancies.