Key Account Manager - Specialty Retail

The Key Account Manager - Specialty Retail is responsible for building and developing Red Bull's Specialty Retail business in South Africa, creating a scalable growth channel across Value, DIY and other relevant non-traditional retail environments. The role identifies and acquires strategic customers, develops long-term customer partnerships, establishes sustainable routes to market and translates national agreements into strong store-level execution. The Key Account Manager works closely with Distribution, Field Sales, Trade Marketing, Category Management, Finance, Operations and Marketing to turn fragmented opportunities into a clearly defined channel strategy that delivers profitable volume, incremental distribution, greater availability and increased visibility for Red Bull.

• Develop and own Red Bull South Africa's Specialty Retail strategy, establishing a clear vision and growth roadmap across Value, DIY and other relevant non-traditional retail environments; map and segment the total Specialty Retail universe, prioritise customers and opportunities by potential volume
• Revenue, distribution, scalability and strategic fit, and translate the channel strategy into annual plans covering customer acquisition, distribution, portfolio, route to market and store-level execution.
• Identify emerging retail formats, changing shopper behaviour and new consumption occasions that could create incremental growth for Red Bull.
• Build and manage a structured new-business pipeline focused on acquiring high-potential national and regional Specialty Retail customers, researching their business models, store footprints, shopper profiles, operating structures and commercial priorities
• And developing compelling customer propositions and commercial business cases.
• Establish relationships with senior customer stakeholders across buying, commercial, procurement, operations, marketing and supply chain, lead negotiations covering commercial conditions, range, pricing, distribution, promotional activity, visibility and execution
• And convert identified opportunities into sustainable customer partnerships.
• Build credible, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with strategic national and regional Specialty Retail customers, develop and execute annual customer strategies and Joint Business Plans for priority accounts, create account plans covering volume, revenue, distribution, availability
• Assortment, pricing, visibility and execution, and conduct regular customer business reviews to assess progress and agree corrective actions.
• Expand existing customer partnerships by securing additional distribution, relevant assortment, improved availability and increased visibility for Red Bull.
• Partner with the Distribution team to establish the most effective and scalable route-to-market solution for each customer, retail format and geographic opportunity, resolve commercial, operational, ordering, delivery and replenishment barriers, develop practical distribution models for fragmented
• Regional or decentralised customers, and improve service levels and route-to-market performance.
• Translate national and regional customer agreements into excellent and consistent execution at store level, establish relevant execution standards with Field Sales, Trade Marketing and customer operations teams, drive availability, distribution, assortment, pricing, cold availability
• Visibility and secondary placement, ensure appropriate pack and SKU assortment, conduct regular market visits, and track execution gaps with corrective actions.
• Deliver agreed annual volume, revenue, distribution and profitability objectives, develop accurate customer forecasts, manage customer investments responsibly, and provide clear and regular reporting on account performance, the new-business pipeline, customer acquisition, distribution growth
• Execution and progress against the Specialty Retail roadmap.
• Act as the internal owner and champion for Specialty Retail, aligning Sales, Distribution, Field Sales, Trade Marketing, Category Management, Finance, Operations and Marketing behind channel priorities, and partner with Category Management and Trade Marketing to develop relevant assortment
• Placement, shopper and execution solutions for priority customers.

• Minimum 2-3 years' relevant commercial experience in Key Account Management, National Accounts, Business Development, Customer Development or Channel Development within FMCG, beverages, retail or a closely related industry.
• Proven ability to identify new business opportunities, open new accounts and convert commercial opportunities into sustainable customer partnerships.
• Strong knowledge of the South African FMCG and retail environment, with an understanding of national, regional and independent customer structures.
• Experience developing customer strategies, annual account plans and Joint Business Plans with measurable commercial and executional objectives.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience in customer forecasting, investment management, pricing, profitability and commercial negotiation.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and influence senior stakeholders across buying, procurement, commercial, operations, marketing and supply chain.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret customer, sales and market information and translate it into clear commercial action.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Distribution, Field Sales, Trade Marketing, Category Management, Finance, Operations and Marketing.
• Highly organised, entrepreneurial and self-motivated, with the ability to create structure, solve problems and build new commercial models in an evolving channel.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, with strong presentation, communication, project management and stakeholder-management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Commerce, Marketing, Sales or a related field.
• Fluent in English.