Job Title: Trade Marketing Manager
Location: South Africa
Reports to: Head of Sales
Division: Sales
About the Company:
A leading global consumer goods organization, known for its diverse portfolio of health and wellness products, is expanding its footprint across Africa. The company is committed to delivering high-quality products tailored to local markets. As part of this growth, we are seeking a results-driven Trade Marketing Manager to lead regional trade marketing efforts across South Africa, Mauritius, Reunion Islands, and the SADC region.
Position Overview:
The Trade Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing and executing trade marketing strategies that drive sales performance, increase brand visibility, and optimize market penetration. This individual will work across multiple regions to align trade initiatives with overall business goals while ensuring strong execution at the point of sale.
You will collaborate closely with internal teams, retail partners, and distributors to lead trade campaigns, analyze market performance, and enhance customer engagement through tailored marketing activities.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Strategy Development & Execution
- Design and implement trade marketing plans for South Africa and regional markets (Mauritius, Reunion Islands, SADC).
- Align trade marketing strategy with overall business goals and adapt plans based on market dynamics.
- Track and evaluate the effectiveness of trade campaigns, promotions, and initiatives.
- Develop sales training modules focused on product knowledge, category management, and customer engagement.
- Ensure sales teams are equipped with up-to-date trade tools and marketing materials to support in-field execution.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with retailers and distributors to boost product visibility and availability.
- Execute tailored channel-specific strategies to optimize product placement both in-store and online.
- Monitor retail trends and competitor activities to adjust plans and maintain a competitive edge.
- Plan and manage trade promotions and incentive programs aimed at increasing product uptake.
- Coordinate with brand marketing teams to ensure cohesion between trade campaigns and broader brand messaging.
- Conduct market research and gather insights to inform strategy adjustments.
- Leverage data to monitor trade performance, identify opportunities, and drive actionable improvements.
- Partner with Marketing, Sales, Product, and Supply Chain teams to ensure consistent execution and availability of trade initiatives.
- Support supply chain planning to align with promotional cycles and retail campaigns.
- Define and monitor KPIs such as sales uplift, ROI, market share, and execution quality.
- Provide senior management with detailed reports and strategic recommendations.
Education:
- Bachelors degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field.
- Minimum 5 years experience in trade marketing, brand management, or sales within the FMCG or consumer goods sector.
- Proven success managing regional trade activities across multiple countries or markets.
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and decision-making skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management abilities.
- Familiarity with retail and distribution networks across Southern Africa.
- Skilled in interpreting sales and market data to influence business direction.
- Proficiency in MS Office (especially Excel and PowerPoint); experience with CRM and trade marketing tools is a plus.
- Fluent in English (written and spoken).
- Willingness to travel regularly across South Africa, Mauritius, Reunion Islands, and the SADC region.
