Distribution Development Manager

Role Purpose

The Distribution Development Manager is responsible for driving sustainable sales growth through effective management and development of distributors and their field sales organizations across Kazakhstan. The role ensures excellence in execution, alignment between company and distributor strategies, and strong commercial performance through planning, control, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Strategy & Business Planning:

• Develop and execute national and regional sales strategies by distributor, channel, and SKU
• Translate strategic objectives into actionable plans and KPIs
• Deliver against volume, revenue, distribution, and assortment targets

S&OP and Demand Planning:

• Lead Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process with distributors and internal stakeholders
• Align demand forecasts with supply capabilities to ensure product availability
• Monitor forecast accuracy and inventory levels to prevent out-of-stock and overstock situations
• Coordinate closely with Supply Chain, Finance, and distributors to optimize service levels and working capital

Sales Performance Management:

• Define, track, and manage distributor KPIs and performance targets
• Conduct regular performance reviews and implement corrective actions
• Develop incentive schemes for distributor sales teams
• Lead forecasting, budgeting, and reporting processes

Distribution & Field Sales Management:

• Optimize distributor field sales structure and coverage
• Expand numeric and weighted distribution across all channels
• Drive execution excellence in-store (visibility, availability, assortment)
• Support customer base expansion and new client acquisition

Market Analysis & Insights:

• Monitor market trends, competition, and pricing dynamics
• Translate insights into actionable commercial strategies
• Improve route-to-market effectiveness

Leadership & Collaboration:

• Lead and coach distributor sales teams
• Build a high-performance culture focused on results and accountability
• Ensure strong cross-functional alignment with Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain

Reporting & Analytics:

• Ensure accurate and timely reporting (weekly/monthly)
• Analyze sales trends, POS productivity, and distribution performance
• Utilize data tools (Excel, Power BI, CRM systems) for decision making

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field
• 7+ years in FMCG/tobacco/pharma sales or distribution management
• Proven leadership of geographically dispersed teams

Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen and analytical mindset
• Advanced planning and forecasting skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Proficiency in CRM and analytics tools (Power BI, Excel, Salesforce, etc.)

Personal Attributes

• Results-oriented and proactive
• High ownership and accountability
• Strong problem-solving capability
• Willingness to travel