Sales Director
Job Fit Check
Base Career helps you apply smarter for this job.
Key skills for this role
About the Role
The Sales Director leads the company's commercial sales strategy across Modern Trade, General Trade, and International Sales channels. This role owns national and export revenue, market share, and profitability targets, and leads channel heads to drive growth.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Define and execute annual and long term national and international sales strategy aligned to company goals
- Translate overall commercial strategy into channel specific plans for Modern Trade, General Trade, and International Sales
- Build annual sales budget (volume, value, trade spend) and secure leadership sign off
- Own P&L for sales function including revenue, gross to net, trade spend ROI, and distribution costs
- Deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual targets for sell in, sell out, and market share across all channels
- Monitor pricing, trade terms, and margins to ensure healthy channel economics
- Lead, coach, and develop Channel Heads and wider field sales organization
- Build strong sales talent pipeline through recruitment, training, and succession planning
- Set clear KPIs and incentive structures driving channel behaviors and cross channel collaboration
- Partner with Marketing on brand plans, NPD launches, and channel specific activation calendars
- Work with Supply Chain and Finance to ensure forecast accuracy, fill rates, and working capital
- Align with Trade Marketing/Category Management on merchandising, promotions, and shelf strategy
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; MBA in Sales/Marketing strongly preferred
- 15+ years of progressive FMCG sales experience
- At least 5 years in a senior leadership role spanning multiple channels
- Demonstrated experience managing Modern Trade, General Trade, and International/Export sales
- Track record of delivering sustained revenue growth and building high performing sales teams
Full Job Posting
About the role
- The Sales Director is responsible for leading and integrating the company's total commercial sales strategy across Modern Trade, General Trade, and International Sales channels.
- The role owns national and export revenue, market share, distribution, and profitability targets, and leads the Heads of each channel to build a unified go to market approach.
Strategic Leadership
- Define and execute the annual and long term national and international sales strategy, aligned to company revenue, profitability, and market share goals.
- Translate the overall commercial strategy into channel specific plans for Modern Trade, General Trade, and International Sales.
- Build the annual sales budget (volume, value, and trade spend) and secure leadership sign off.
- Identify new growth avenues — new channels, geographies, categories, and route to market models.
Business & Financial Performance
- Own the P&L for the sales function, including revenue, gross to net, trade spend ROI, and distribution costs.
- Deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual targets for sell in, sell out, and market share across all three channels.
- Monitor pricing, trade terms, and margins to ensure healthy channel economics without compromising competitiveness.
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop the three Channel Heads and, through them, the wider field sales organization.
- Build a strong sales talent pipeline through recruitment, training, and succession planning.
- Set clear KPIs and incentive structures that drive the right channel behaviors and cross channel collaboration.
- Foster a high performance, accountable, and customer centric sales culture.
Cross Functional Alignment
- Partner with Marketing on brand plans, NPD launches, and channel specific activation calendars.
- Work with Supply Chain and Finance to ensure forecast accuracy, optimal fill rates, and healthy working capital (inventory, receivables).
- Align with Trade Marketing/Category Management on channel specific merchandising, promotions, and shelf strategy.
Modern Trade
- Owns the strategy and relationship management for organized retail — supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail chains, and e commerce/quick commerce platforms.
- Drive key account management with national and regional retail chains, negotiating trading terms, listings, and joint business plans (JBPs).
- Ensure optimal shelf share, planogram compliance, and in store visibility across accounts.
- Expand presence in e commerce and quick commerce channels, managing online assortment, pricing, and digital shelf performance.
- Balance promotional intensity and trade spend to protect brand price architecture and profitability.
General Trade
- Owns the traditional trade network — distributors, wholesalers, and retail outlets — which typically forms the volume backbone in FMCG.
- Manage and expand the distributor and wholesaler network to maximize numeric and weighted distribution.
- Drive route to market efficiency, secondary sales productivity, and outlet coverage/expansion (rural and urban).
- Oversee distributor claims, credit terms, and ROI to maintain a healthy, motivated distributor base.
- Strengthen field sales force effectiveness through beat planning, DMS/SFA tools, and frontline training.
International Sales
- Owns export growth and overseas market development, working through regional distributors, importers, and partners.
- Identify and prioritize international markets based on regulatory feasibility, demand potential, and margin profile.
- Appoint, develop, and manage overseas distributors/agents, including contracts, credit terms, and performance reviews.
- Ensure compliance with export documentation, customs, labeling, and country specific regulatory requirements.
- Adapt product, pricing, and packaging strategy to local market and cultural requirements where needed.
Job Requirement
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; MBA in Sales/Marketing strongly preferred.
- 15+ years of progressive FMCG sales experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role spanning multiple channels.
- Demonstrated experience managing Modern Trade, General Trade, and International/Export sales — either directly or through leading channel heads.
- Track record of delivering sustained revenue growth and building high performing sales teams.
Apply for this job in 1 click
Skip the repetitive application forms
Install the Base Career Chrome Extension and autofill job applications across major job boards with your profile.
Trusted by over 500,000 job seekers on Base Career
More from this employer
More jobs at Confidential Careers
Marketing Manager
Dubai, UAE
Confidential Careers seeks a Marketing Manager to drive marketing strategy and brand visibility across multiple channels. The role involves developing annual marketing plans, executing integrated campaigns, managing soci
Event Planner
Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE
A confidential company seeks a Protocol & Events Planner to coordinate official events, VIP visits, and protocol engagements. The role involves end-to-end event planning, stakeholder coordination, and logistics managemen
Director of Sales – Corporate & Partnerships
Dubai, UAE
A leading luxury hotel in Dubai seeks an experienced Cluster Director of Sales to drive corporate and partnership sales across a portfolio of properties. The role involves developing sales strategy, leading a team, and a
Administrative Assistant
Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE
Confidential Careers is seeking an Administrative Assistant to provide effective administrative and procurement support in Abu Dhabi. The role involves coordinating daily office activities, maintaining records, and suppo
Sales Team Lead - Foodservice
Abu Dhabi, UAE
A confidential company is seeking a Sales Team Lead for Foodservice in Abu Dhabi to lead and develop a sales team, achieve targets, and expand market share within the Horeca channel. Requires 4-6 years of foodservice exp
Timekeeper - Immediate joiner only
Dubai, UAE
A construction project in Dubai is seeking a Timekeeper to maintain accurate attendance and manpower records. Responsibilities include recording daily attendance, preparing timesheets, verifying overtime, and supporting
Digital Performance & Governance lead
Abu Dhabi, UAE
We are seeking a Digital Performance & Governance Lead to support governance, performance management, and execution of strategic digital transformation initiatives. You will work with senior stakeholders to monitor progr
Head of AI Enablement & Strategic Partnerships
Abu Dhabi, UAE
We are seeking an experienced Head of AI Enablement & Strategic Partnerships to lead AI enablement initiatives, build high-impact partnerships, and drive capability development across government, industry, academia, and
Marketing Manager
Dubai, UAE
Event Planner
Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE
Director of Sales – Corporate & Partnerships
Dubai, UAE
Administrative Assistant
Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE
Sales Team Lead - Foodservice
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Timekeeper - Immediate joiner only
Dubai, UAE
Digital Performance & Governance lead
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Head of AI Enablement & Strategic Partnerships
Abu Dhabi, UAE