Job Title: Modern Trade Sales Manager
Reports To: Regional / National Sales Manager
Business Unit: ACCBC – Egypt
Function: Sales & Commercial
Location: Egypt
Grade: TBC
1. Job Purpose
The Modern Trade (MT) Sales Manager is accountable for managing ACCBC’s commercial relationships and execution performance across all organised retail accounts within the assigned market. This includes large-format hypermarkets, supermarkets, and regional chain retailers such as LuLu, Carrefour, Spinneys, and other organised trade groups. Reporting to the Regional / National Sales Manager, the role drives listings, shelf presence, trade investment ROI, and joint business planning across the MT channel.
Modern Trade represents a strategically critical and high-visibility channel for ACCBC – particularly in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, where organised retail dominates consumer reach and brand perception. The MT Manager must balance sophisticated retailer requirements – including category management, promotional planning, and service level agreements – with ACCBC’s margin and volume objectives.
Success requires strong key account management skills, commercial acumen, and the ability to build collaborative, insight-led partnerships with organised retailers while driving measurable commercial returns for ACCBC across all MT accounts.
2. Operating Context
The Modern Trade Sales Manager operates in a demanding, insight-driven organised retail environment characterised by:
- Sophisticated retail buyers with structured trading terms, category reviews, and data-led decision-making
- Complex promotional calendars, listing fee negotiations, and annual joint business planning processes
- High brand visibility stakes – shelf position, secondary display, and in-store activation directly impact consumer choice
- Strong competition for shelf space, secondary placements, and promotional support from major FMCG players
- Service level agreements (SLAs), on-time-in-full (OTIF) delivery requirements, and compliance penalties
- Market-by-market variation in MT maturity – from highly sophisticated GCC chains to emerging MT in NEA markets
Success requires a commercially sharp, relationship-driven manager who can manage multiple retailer relationships simultaneously, negotiate effectively, and deliver measurable MT growth while protecting ACCBC’s margins and brand equity.
3. Key Accountabilities
- Develop and execute the annual MT / OT channel plan aligned to the country commercial strategy.
- Achieve volume, NSR, and margin targets across all organised retail accounts in the market.
- Build and maintain strong strategic partnerships with buyers and category managers at key MT accounts.
- Lead annual joint business planning (JBP) processes with top MT accounts – aligned to mutual growth objectives.
- Monitor MT channel performance weekly and monthly – identifying gaps and driving swift corrective action.
- Secure and maintain listings for the full priority ACCBC portfolio across all MT accounts.
- Drive de-listing prevention and range expansion – ensuring ACCBC has maximum SKU coverage on shelf.
- Lead new product and innovation listing negotiations – securing priority placement and launch support.
- Monitor portfolio performance at account and SKU level – recommending range adjustments to the Regional / National Sales Manager.
- Ensure planogram compliance and correct shelf architecture are maintained across all MT stores.
- Negotiate and manage trade terms, listing fees, promotional support, and service level agreements with MT accounts.
- Own the MT trade investment budget – ensuring spend is deployed against highest ROI activities.
- Enforce pricing compliance across all MT accounts in line with BUD-approved pricing corridors.
- Monitor promotional price compliance, deal execution accuracy, and value leakage at MT accounts.
- Prepare and submit post-promotional evaluation reports to the Regional / National Sales Manager.
- Drive Perfect Store compliance across all MT accounts – OSA, shelf positioning, secondary displays, and POSM.
- Plan and execute consumer-facing in-store activations, seasonal campaigns, and brand events in MT outlets.
- Ensure merchandisers and in-store execution teams deliver consistent brand presence at every MT outlet.
- Conduct regular store visits and audits to assess execution quality and resolve non-compliance issues.
- Track and report execution scores, shelf share, and secondary placement compliance to the Regional / National Sales Manager.
- Build the MT promotional calendar in alignment with the country marketing and trade marketing plan.
- Negotiate promotional support, feature space, and campaign participation with MT account buyers.
- Ensure all promotional programs are executed accurately – correct pricing, timing, stock levels, and in-store activation.
- Measure and report promotional effectiveness – sales uplift, ROI, and brand visibility impact.
- Identify and recommend promotional investment efficiencies and improvements to the Regional / National Sales Manager.
- Provide accurate MT volume forecasts to the Regional / National Sales Manager for S&OP planning.
- Monitor MT inventory levels and coordinate with Supply Chain to ensure on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery.
- Manage stock replenishment plans with MT accounts – preventing stockouts and excess inventory.
- Flag promotional volume requirements, listing uplift, and seasonal demand peaks to Supply Chain in advance.
- Ensure ACCBC’s service levels meet MT account SLAs and avoid compliance penalties.
- Use sell-out data, Nielsen, and MT loyalty card insights to build category development recommendations.
- Prepare and present regular performance reviews to MT buyers using fact-based, category-led analysis.
- Monitor competitor performance, shelf share, and promotional activity across MT stores.
- Identify growth opportunities within MT accounts – new channels, categories, or shopper occasions.
- Provide the Regional / National Sales Manager with regular MT performance insights and risk assessments.
- Ensure all MT commercial activities comply with ACCBC governance, trade regulations, and ethical standards.
- Maintain accurate records of trade terms agreements, promotional contracts, and spend deployment.
- Monitor and resolve credit notes, deductions, and billing discrepancies with MT accounts promptly.
- Escalate compliance concerns, SLA breaches, and commercial risks to the Regional / National Sales Manager.
- Uphold ACCBC’s commercial values and governance standards in all MT account interactions.
4. Decision Rights
- Negotiate trade terms, promotional support, and listing agreements with MT accounts within approved parameters
- Approve MT promotional execution plans and in-store activation programs within allocated budget
- Manage MT trade investment deployment and post-promotional evaluation
- Recommend range changes, de-listing prevention actions, and pricing adjustments to Regional / National Sales Manager
- Resolve account service issues, billing disputes, and compliance penalties within defined authority
- Escalate material trade term changes, de-listing threats, and margin risks to Regional / National Sales Manager
5. Key Relationships
Internal: Direct reports, peer managers, senior leadership, and cross-functional project sponsors.
External: Key customers and suppliers, industry bodies, and professional networks.
6. Leadership & Behavioural Profile
- 5–8 years of FMCG commercial experience, with at least 3 years managing Modern Trade or Organised Trade accounts
- Proven track record of managing major retail chains (e.g. LuLu, Carrefour, Spinneys) with JBP and trade term negotiation experience
- Experience delivering volume growth, listings success, and trade investment ROI in MT channel
- Strong knowledge of category management, planogram compliance, and MT in-store execution standards
- Experience in GCC or MENA MT environments preferred; understanding of both mature and emerging MT landscapes
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field
- Key account management or category management certification preferred
- Deep understanding of Modern Trade / Organised Trade channel mechanics, trading terms, and buyer behaviour
- Strong commercial negotiation skills – able to manage complex, multi-stakeholder retailer relationships
- Proficiency in category management tools, Nielsen / IRI data, and MT performance analytics
- Solid trade investment management skills – ability to plan, deploy, and evaluate MT spend
- Strong understanding of in-store execution standards – planograms, OSA, secondary displays, and POSM
- Excellent presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills
- Fluency in English and local market language(s) as required
- MT Sales Supervisor(s)
- In-store Merchandisers / MT Execution Representatives
7. KPI Framework
- MT channel volume (cases) vs plan
- NSR from MT accounts vs target
- NSR per case in MT channel
- Gross margin contribution from MT
- Priority SKU listing rate across MT accounts
- Innovation listing rate within 4 weeks of launch
- De-listing prevention – % of at-risk SKUs retained
- Perfect Store compliance score across MT accounts
- OSA % in MT priority outlets
- Secondary display and POSM compliance
- Shelf share % by category
- MT trade spend as % of NSR
- Promotional ROI vs target
- Listing fee and promotional spend efficiency
- On-time in-full (OTIF) delivery rate to MT accounts
- Stockout incidents per month
- MT account satisfaction score
