Regional Sales Lead, Beverages - Central Region, Kenya

About the role

Career Directions Limited is looking for a Regional Sales Lead for its beverage business across the Central Region of Kenya. The role is highly hands-on and market-facing, with significant time spent alongside distributors, customers, Distributor Sales Representatives, agency vans, order bookers and the internal sales team. It covers modern trade, general trade, wholesale and distributor-led sales channels.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and run regional sales plans to hit volume, revenue and market-share targets, and drive corrective action on primary and secondary sales.
• Manage the beverage product mix, support new product launches and address slow-moving stock.
• Oversee distributor networks, agency vans and territory coverage, aiming for at least 80% of Route-to-Market targets.
• Manage distributor relationships, stock levels, sales targets and profitability, and conduct regular business reviews.
• Drive customer acquisition, retention and growth, and ensure effective merchandising, promotions and brand visibility.
• Lead and coach the regional sales team, including 100% completion of monthly DSR training.
• Monitor competitors, pricing and promotions, and prepare sales forecasts, demand planning and inventory control.
• Ensure compliance with pricing, credit, discounts and commercial policies, and report on overdue payments and claims.
• Prepare regional sales reports, dashboards and distributor scorecards, and review performance with management.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, Commerce or a related field; a postgraduate qualification or professional certification is an advantage.
• Minimum eight years of progressive sales experience, with strong beverage category experience.
• At least three years in a regional sales leadership or senior area management role in FMCG or Beverages.
• Proven experience managing distributors, primary and secondary sales, large field sales teams and Route-to-Market strategies.
• Experience across modern trade, general trade and wholesale, and coaching DSRs, agency teams and order bookers.

Required skills

• Sales planning, forecasting and commercial controls.
• Distributor, channel and product portfolio management.
• Excel, CRM and sales automation tools.
• Strong leadership, negotiation and analytical skills, with willingness to travel.