District Sales Manager at Sanofi

Purpose

• To lead and develop assigned geography and teams to deliver approved business strategy through effective coaching, support and commercial expertise. 
• Drive market growth and penetration tactics to unlock and maximise market potential through ensuring excellent execution by the team in an orchestrator mode to achieve business objectives.

Key Results / Accountabilities
Set direction and inspire team:

• Support the team in setting clear and compelling vision that guides them to deliver the strategy and goals at territory level.
• Transform the team to utilize digital channels to reach customers and build a mentality of customer centricity with focus on personalized customer journeys.
• Identify and explore opportunities for the assigned portfolio/ brands to ensure achievement of maximal market potential
• Timely and thorough business planning and in-depth market understanding, root cause analysis and competitive intelligence to ensure excellent execution to achieve agreed business key performance indices.
• Robust pathology, product, and promotion knowledge to support the team in achieving the required disease awareness, product differentiation and promotional versatility to be positioned as trusted partners to target HCPs.
• Solid understanding of the Nigeria market dynamics, operations, competition, and assigned KOLs

Drive performance:

• Achieve agreed district budget and forecast annually, quarterly, and monthly sales revenue to ensure timely sales delivery in by territory and by account.
• Assist the Franchise Head to conduct robust forecasting for assigned portfolio in Nigeria based on validated market insights.
• Ensure robust implementation of commercial strategy and tactical plans to maximize patient recruitment, market share, sales achievement, and patient number objectives for assigned brands.  
• Encourage and monitor the effective use of multiple marketing, sales effectiveness and digital tools.
• Develop a culture of performance and self-accountability for delivery of quality results within the team
• Lead and follow-up on team’s SFKPIs to optimize customers touchpoints, omnichannel experience and orchestrator rep model.
• Conduct regular business performance reviews to assess improvement and development versus plan of team member
• Analyze and evaluate Customer Journeys and coach the team to maximize the customer experience and ensuring end-to-end customer/patient solutions driven from accurate patient journey mapping and patient needs.
• Liaise with distributors to achieve the planned objectives.
• Drive robust key stakeholder’s management and relationship to achieve business success.

Cross Functional Collaboration:

• Cultivate a network of collaborative relationships among marketing, medical, regulatory, distributors and other departments to ensure alignment on strategy and optimize accessibility of assigned brands to patients.
• Support marketing team in field initiatives and plans with excellent execution - operational planning sessions, new campaign roll-out and market insights feedback.
• Lead tender management process and negotiate the commercial conditions where necessary
• Liaise with Supply Chain monthly to ensure that the sales forecasts are accurate, supply quantities are anticipated and set, manage any stock out situations or provisions. 
• Ensure robust management of the commercial cycle thus securing uninterrupted supply to the markets.
• Work closely with the medical team to ensure robust stakeholder management, diagnostics, and support on the success of planned medical activities.
• Ensure team productivity with monthly planning of POA and tracking of SF KPIs with the SFE team.
• Work in collaboration with the HSE Manager, Road Safety chairman and other relevant stakeholders to achieve a reduction in preventable road accident amongst the field force.

Develop team capability and talent:

• Maintain a positive working environment for the team by facilitating healthy and engaging interaction with all members
• Regular evaluation for each team member performance and delivery to assigned tasks for maximum efficiency and productivity as per assigned KPIs
• Provide appropriate and timely feedback and coaching to MSRs to support achievement of their sales and development goals
• Liase with HR in all salesforce hiring activities to attract identify and recruit talent
• Train and develop new/current members of the team and act as a role model for staff by setting standards and being an example in behaviour/actions
• Act as a change catalyst by having open and transparent communication based on trust and respect
• Support the professional and career development of the team by identifying the skills and competencies that employees need for their current and prospective roles
• Provide the team with opportunities to learn and apply new skills
• Motivate and engage the team using formal and informal recognition, regular communications, and the encouragement of cooperation between individuals and teams
• Support the team in developing tailored development plan fit for their career aspiration

Maintain Compliance:

• Abide by the requirements of the internal Code of Ethics including but not restricted to maintaining high professional standards of conduct in line with the Company procedure with a duty of care to the reputation of the Company 

Ethical Leadership:

• Takes personal accountability to use personal experience and knowledge, as well as the training and tools provided by Sanofi, to maintain a good knowledge and understanding of all ethics and governance relevant to the role (Sanofi Policies and Procedures and any relevant legal requirements) and demonstrate personal leadership in applying these to all work undertaken.
• Escalates any decisions or seek the support of colleagues or management if personal knowledge and understanding is not at the level required to carry out any part of the role.

Working Relationships

• Internal: Marketing, Medical, Market Access, Supply Chain, TRM, BOS, Finance, HR
• External: Medical practitioners, Pharmacists, HCP Associations, Distributors, HMOs

Skills, Experience & Knowledge Requirements
Core Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Medical / Scientific field preferable Pharmacy
• Minimum of 5 years’ in pharma sales experience
• Proven track record of outstanding sales performance and territory management
• Core commercial cycle management and financial planning
• Stakeholder management and external expert engagement planning
• End-to-End patient support and patient access experience

Advantageous requirements:

• Nigeria market dynamics, stakeholders, and access landscape understanding

The following skills are essential:

• Leadership, selling skills, forecasting, communication and negotiation skills, Cross functional collaboration, evidence of strong analytical skills, coaching and mentoring skills, interpersonal skills, teamwork, independence, initiative & perseverance.