JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Sales Manager
REPORT TO: Strategic Sales & Marketing Manager
DEPARTMENT: Sales
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JOB SUMMARY
The Incumbent must possess robust interpersonal skills, with evidence of teamwork and collaboration, be a self-starter and an independent thinker, with the aptitude to work autonomously and must be able to interpret trends and data, translating the information into actions and improvements.
He/she will be responsible for managing the sales team and for managing the day-to-day sales of the Company’s products. He/she must ensure consistent, profitable growth in sales revenues. The incumbent will work alongside the Brand /Marketing Managers to ensure that sales targets are achieved.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Commercial Strategy & Sales Leadership
- Own the private-market sales strategy across brands, channels, and customer segments.
- Translate corporate growth objectives into multi-year sales roadmaps and annual operating plans.
- Define channel priorities, customer segmentation, and portfolio focus.
- Provide strategic guidance on pricing corridors, promotional intensity, and margin protection (within approved governance).
Senior Accountability:
- Outcomes, not activities
- Growth sustainability and profitability
2. Sales Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting
- Lead the annual sales planning and budgeting process in collaboration with Finance and Brand teams.
- Own rolling forecasts and demand planning inputs.
- Identify gaps versus plan early and implement corrective commercial strategies.
- Ensure alignment between sales plans, inventory availability, and promotional calendars.
3. Leadership & Development of Sales Management Team
- Lead, coach, and performance-manage Sales Managers and senior field leaders.
- Establish clear performance expectations, governance standards, and escalation protocols.
- Build leadership capability and succession pipelines within the sales organization.
- Drive a performance culture anchored in accountability, coaching, and continuous improvement.
Senior Accountability:
- Quality of managers, not just reps
- Strength and stability of the sales organization
4. Key Account & Channel Strategy
- Own strategic relationships with major pharmacies, buying groups, hospitals, and institutional private accounts.
- Lead or approve negotiations for key commercial agreements, rebates, and customer programs.
- Oversee key account plans and ensure execution through Sales Managers.
- Balance customer growth with margin discipline and credit risk considerations.
5. Portfolio & New Product Commercialization Leadership
- Provide commercial leadership on new product launches in the private market.
- Approve launch priorities, target segmentation, and commercialization milestones.
- Review post-launch performance and adjust strategy based on market feedback and financial outcomes.
- Optimize portfolio performance by identifying underperforming SKUs and corrective actions.
6. Performance Management, Analytics & Governance
- Own sales performance dashboards, KPIs, and management reporting.
- Review performance trends, risks, and opportunities at brand, territory, and channel level.
- Chair monthly commercial performance reviews with Sales Managers.
- Ensure disciplined compliance with SOPs, pricing approvals, credit policies, and reporting standards.
7. Cross-Functional Commercial Leadership
- Act as the primary sales interface with Brand/Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and Customer Service.
- Ensure commercial plans are operationally feasible and financially sound.
- Provide structured market intelligence on competitors, pricing dynamics, and customer behavior.
8. Risk Management & Business Continuity
- Identify commercial risks including customer concentration, margin erosion, credit exposure, and market shifts.
- Implement mitigation strategies in collaboration with senior leadership.
- Ensure sales continuity through succession planning, territory resilience, and contingency coverage.
9. Other Duties
- Perform any other senior commercial responsibilities as required to support company objectives.
Education and required experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Life Sciences, or related discipline
- 8–12+ years pharmaceutical sales experience, including multi-level leadership
- Proven experience managing managers and/or regional sales structures
- Strong commercial, financial, and analytical acumen
- Track record of delivering sustained growth and margin performance
Core Competencies
- Strategic thinking and commercial judgment
- Leadership presence and decision-making authority
- Advanced negotiation and stakeholder management
- Financial literacy (budgets, margins, forecasts)
- Data-driven performance management
- Change leadership and organizational development