Job Purpose
The Export Sales Manager is responsible for leading the Company’s international commercial agenda, driving geographic expansion, optimizing distributor networks, and ensuring strong export profitability. The role provides executive-level insights, forecasting, and market intelligence, making it the central driver of export growth and cross-border operational excellence.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Export Strategy & Market Expansion

• Develop 1–3 year export growth plans with financial projections, market-entry strategies, and risk assessments.

• Identify new markets and categories through feasibility studies, competitor mapping, and regulatory reviews.

• Define channel strategies and optimize distributor route-to-market models to maximize profitable reach.

Distributor Network Leadership

• Recruit, negotiate, and manage high-performance distributors using structured governance frameworks.

• Conduct quarterly Distributor Business Reviews evaluating sell-in, sell-out, promotional ROI, inventory turns, compliance, and growth gaps.

• Implement distributor scorecards and enforce corrective action plans for underperforming markets.

Export Operations, Compliance & Logistics

• Oversee all export documentation, customs requirements, HS codes, certificates, and regulatory compliance for each market.

• Ensure 100% OTIF (On Time In Full) export fulfilment through close coordination with Logistics, QC, Warehouse, and Production.

• Maintain readiness for export audits, international food safety compliance, and updated labelling/packaging requirements.

Sales Forecasting, Planning & Performance Management 

• Lead export demand forecasting using distributor data, market intelligence, sales trends, and promotional calendars.

• Provide monthly, quarterly, and annual sales forecasts to support production, inventory planning, and financial budgeting.

• Monitor performance vs. forecast, analyse variances, and implement corrective measures where required.

• Lead export input into S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning), ensuring accurate demand signals and risk visibility.

Strategic Reporting & Executive Communication 

• Prepare and present monthly executive-level export reports including revenue and volume vs target, growth trends, profitability analysis, distributor scorecards, competitive intelligence, risks, and 30–60–90-day forecast updates.

• Produce weekly Flash Reports highlighting key commercial indicators such as shipment status, OTIF, order pipeline changes, stockouts, distributor escalations, and urgent market developments.

• Maintain the real-time Export Executive Dashboard (Power BI/CRM/Excel), ensuring KPI accuracy and providing decision-ready insights for the Executive Chairman and leadership team.

Internal Stakeholder Collaboration & Operational Alignment

• Align production plans with export forecast requirements, lead times, and new market needs.

• Communicate potential supply constraints, demand spikes, and capacity risks.

• Coordinate container planning, shipment scheduling, export documentation, lead times, and port activities.

• Resolve logistics bottlenecks, freight issues, clearance delays, or documentation discrepancies.

• Ensure all export products meet international standards, labelling requirements, shelf-life requirements, and destination-specific regulations.

• Support QC investigations related to export markets and manage corrective actions.

• Align export pricing, margin expectations, distributor payment terms, credit exposure, and FX impacts with financial leadership.

• Review trade spend, promotional funding, and profitability by market.

• Monitor export staging, container loading, stock accuracy, and inventory availability for export SKUs.

• Address any issues impacting OTIF or export readiness.

• Support export-specific product changes (packaging, formulations, nutritional panels, certifications).

• Provide market insights to guide new product requirements for international markets.

Risk Management & Compliance 

• Identify export-related risks (supply, regulatory, political, currency, distributor stability) and implement mitigation plans.

• Ensure compliance with international trade laws, food safety standards, and documentation requirements across all territories.

Leadership & Commercial Governance 

• Build strong relationships with distributor leadership teams and provide commercial coaching and strategic direction.

• Lead annual distributor performance reviews, contract updates, and market development plans.

• Represent the Company in export negotiations, trade shows, and strategic market visits.

Qualifications & Experience required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, International Trade, Marketing, or a related field.

• 10–12 years’ progressive experience in Export Sales, International Business, or Commercial Management within the FMCG or manufacturing sector.

• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership capacity, managing multi-market operations and distributor networks.

• Proven track record of driving international market growth, opening new markets, and improving distributor performance.

• Demonstrated success in export forecasting, margin management, and commercial planning.

• Experience working closely with Supply Chain, Production, Logistics, and Regulatory teams in a manufacturing environment.

• Familiarity with international labelling laws, food industry compliance, and export certification processes is strongly preferred.

• Experience using ERP systems, CRM tools, and advanced analytics platforms is an asset