Permanent - Sales Executive - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) - South Africa

Position Overview

• The Sales Executive is responsible for driving revenue growth, developing new business opportunities, strengthening customer relationships, and executing sales and marketing strategies. The role requires proactive market intelligence, strong customer engagement, commercial insight, and the ability to identify and convert new business opportunities in a changing marketplace.
• In addition to sales, marketing, and commercial responsibilities, the Sales Executive retains accountability for customer liaison; customer interphase (“window person”), and customer care; customer developments; customer performance measurements and corrective measures where required; project management of new projects; primary and secondary localization activities; and/or product and portfolio expansions.
• The role ensures that customer requirements, forecasted demand, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain resources are aligned to support operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• The position requires close collaboration with internal departments, customers, industry partners (e.g. naacum and dtlc), and logistics service providers to support timely delivery, competitive pricing, service excellence, and effective communication across all marketing, sales and commercial activities.
• The incumbent must demonstrate strong technical, sales, analytical, negotiation, and management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Key Performance Areas

Sales, Business Development & Marketing:

• Conduct market research and analyze market trends to identify business opportunities.
• Develop and implement sales and marketing strategies to grow the customer base within South Africa and relevant target markets.
• Actively pursue new customers and markets to ensure sustained growth in new business opportunities.
• Define market-specific product requirements and provide technical support and advice to customers.
• Strengthening the company image and product brand through proactive customer engagement, market visibility, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Customer Relationship Management:

• Set and meet customer-specific sales strategies and relationship plans.
• Ensure a customer visit schedule is in place, maintained, and achieved.
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships through effective communication and service delivery.
• Respond to customer complaints timeously and ensure appropriate corrective feedback is provided to relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct customer satisfaction surveys on a quarterly basis and implement improvement actions where required.

Pricing, Profitability & Sales Administration:

• Ensure product pricing remains competitive whilst supporting agreed company profit targets.
• Maintain a sales administration system that is accurate, current, and aligned with organisational policies and procedures.
• Collate and present marketing intelligence to support commercial decision-making.

Inventory, Logistics & Supply Chain Management:

• Monitor inventory levels to avoid overstocking or stockouts and support accurate demand forecasting.
• Coordinate with production, logistics, finance, and customers to align forecasted demand, manufacturing capacity, and resource availability.
• Conduct regular cycle counts across all sales logistics warehouses – both onsite, offsite and abroad – and coordinate quarterly stocktake events.

Supply Chain Optimization, Compliance & Reporting:

• Analyze data to identify inefficiencies in the supply chain related to all facets of sales logistics, and propose improvement or cost-saving initiatives while maintaining product quality.
• Develop strategies to mitigate risk and manage potential supply chain disruptions.
• Ensure compliance with South African legal and regulatory requirements, company procurement policies, supplier governance requirements, B-BBEE objectives, POPIA obligations, and applicable commercial contract controls.
• Maintain accurate records of shipments, inventory, customer contracts, and related commercial documentation.
• Prepare regular reports for senior management on sales, marketing, irregular expenditure, strategic incentives, and overall outbound supply chain performance.

Strategic Incentives:

• Identify, acquire, and implement strategic incentives with relevant governmental and industry-specific institutions and extended customer base, where applicable.
• Ensure timeous and effective compilation, submission, and finalization of all strategic incentive applications and claims.
• Ensure compliance with applicable strategic incentive rules, regulations, and procedures.

People Management:

• Manage employees within the marketing & sales, and sales logistics functions to optimize business performance and customer service and satisfaction.
• Plan, organize, assign, review, and evaluate the work of assigned professional and technical support staff.
• Ensure staff have the required skills and experience to execute their tasks effectively.
• Conduct performance planning sessions, compile performance management documentation, provide coaching and feedback, conduct performance reviews, and take corrective action where necessary in line with company policies and procedures.
• Proactively focus on succession planning and career development of employees in the marketing & sales and sales logistics functions.
• Ensure subordinates are effectively managed and measured against set objectives

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Additional training or certification in marketing & sales management, commercial management, and/or contract management will be advantageous.

Experience Required:

• 10 years’ combined experience in sales, commercial management, business development, supply chain management, procurement, and/or logistics, with at least 5 years in management role.
• Proven experience in marketing & sales, business development, or customer relationship management roles within South Africa.
• Experience in customer relationship management, market research, pricing, forecasting, project management, cost accounting, and e-business/e-procurement systems.
• Experience in ERP, sales administration, and supply chain systems such as SYSPRO or similar platforms.
• Experience in the manufacturing or automotive sector will be advantageous.

Knowledge, Attributes and Skills Required:

• Strong analytical, commercial, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, customer engagement, and stakeholder management skills.
• Knowledge of industry trends and best practices in sales, marketing, customer service, procurement, logistics, and supply chain management.
• Strong global awareness, good business ethics, and a sound understanding of legal contracts and commercial agreements.
• In-depth knowledge of sales administration, supply chain planning, procurement controls, cost management, and legal contract management.
• Familiarity with company procurement policies, B-BBEE requirements, POPIA/confidentiality principles, and commercial contract governance.
• Financial and commercial management skills, including pricing, profitability, and cost control.
• Strategic and analytical thinking skills.
• Interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Cross-departmental query resolution and decision-making skills.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Adaptability, flexibility, professional demeanor, attention to detail, integrity, and ability to handle confidential information.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple priorities, and deliver against sales, customer, and operational requirements.

Key Performance Indicators

• Sales growth and achievement of agreed revenue, margin, and profitability targets.
• Number and value of new business opportunities identified, developed, and successfully converted.
• Customer satisfaction levels, customer retention, complaint resolution turnaround time, and customer visit schedule adherence.
• Supply (OTIF) performance, pricing competitiveness, delivery reliability, and compliance with agreed terms.
• On-time delivery, logistics efficiency, cost control, and supply chain continuity.
• Achievement of approved inflationary economics, forex and material cost movement targets and objectives.
• Timely and accurate submission of marketing & sales reports.