General Manager, Tea Business - West Africa at Unilever

Job ID: R-13971

Background

• Unilever is proud of its Tea business, the biggest in the world, with world class purpose driven brands such as Lipton, PG tips and Pukka. Recently, Unilever decided to separate the Tea business to ensure it can best achieve its potential.
• Unilever is currently reviewing several options for separation, including a demerger, an initial public offering, a disposal or through partnership models. The Tea businesses in India and Indonesia, and the partnership interests in the ready-to-drink Tea joint ventures will be retained.  
• The balance of the Tea brands and geographies and all Tea estates, with generated revenues of €2 billion in 2019, is growing and profitable with proven potential both pre- and post-COVID-19. As a standalone entity, the Tea company remains number one in the world and is even better positioned to lead the industry and take full advantage of the opportunities in the category, with more focus and entrepreneurship driving greater growth and value.
• The current vision for the Tea company is to champion a tastier, healthier, more sustainable world of plant-based drinking.
• Purposeful thinking will be the core anchor of the business, its brands as well as its culture, and enables simple and agile decision making, supports an entrepreneurial mindset and is driven by passion for our consumers.
• As we move through this journey towards separation, we are seeking employees with a passion for exciting entrepreneurial experiences, who want to pursue unique career opportunities and have a desire to be an integral part in building the bright future of this plant-based company.

Main Responsibilities

• Act like an owner: Responsible for all business activities and growth of the business
• P&L end-to-end. Directly responsible for driving business growth and profitability within the assigned scope
• Lead & execute strategic growth plans across sales and marketing organization
• Build winning market positions by identifying new opportunities, developing, defining, negotiating strong business relationships
• Talent catalyst: Responsible for growing and nurturing talent including succession planning ensuring organization is fit to win short and long term
• Channel development: Go-To-Market partners, retail and away from home
• Key representative of Tea Co within organization as well as externally across various key stakeholders and organizational bodies

Key Tasks
Leadership and Stakeholder Management:

• Leading regular cross functional leadership team meetings monthly
• Develop and sign off annual and strategic business plans
• Represent direct market and assigned distributor markets in business reviews
• Drive growth agenda mindset throughout organization

Functional Tasks

• Sales: Lead development, execution and signoff of business plans including
  • Growth and profitability management
  • Negotiation with strategic partners and customers
  • New go to market business models and partners EG: Digital
  • Representing Tea Co externally at key trade events
• Marketing: Oversee short and long-term marketing and innovation plans ensuring organization is future fit to win (Digital)
• Supply chain: Oversee supply chain in line with sourcing and finance principals to optimize profitability, cash flow and customer service levels
• Finance: Responsible for all income & expenditure including cash flow management, budgeting, forecasting and reporting.
• Drive people agenda: Act as talent catalyst. Retain and recruit the best employees while promoting a performance culture agenda

Scope / Interfaces / Relevant Stakeholders for this Role

• The General Manager, Tea Business – West Africa will be fully responsible for both day to day as well as strategic direction and performance of the business within West Africa market.

Key Interfaces (Internal)
Internal:

• MU leadership team: Reporting into General Manager Tea Business Africa
• Global cross functional teams – EG: global marketing/ brand leads, Design for Channel
• Local cross functional leadership team
• Employees within local organization
• Other Tea market leaders.

External:

• Customers: Wholesalers, distributors, key accounts, away from home
• Suppliers: Products, services, raw materials
• Government organizations
• Labour unions
• Press
• Regulatory bodies
• Industry forums and trade events.

Flexibility for this Role (Working Model, Mobility):

• The role is a full-time role and is office based within the head office of the market
• Due to the hands-on nature of the role a flexible location or job sharing is not possible

Requirements
Must Haves:

• Commercial Degree
• 10+ years’ experience in a FMCG business
• Of which 5 years’ experience in a leadership role within customer development and marketing
• Experience leading a cross functional team
• Proven track record of delivery of business results

Nice to Have:

• Experience within the beverages/ tea category
• Digital/online sales and marketing experience
• ‘Away from home’ experience - Food Solutions

Professional Knowledge/Skill Requirements
Must Have:

• Experience and understanding of the local market
• Functional and technical knowledge
  • P&L – financial acumen
  • Marketing incl innovation
  • Strong communication and presentation skills
  • Key processes. EG: Annual planning, S&OP
• Proven track record of strong:
  • Leadership and strategic influencing skills towards multifunctional stakeholders
  • Communication skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Crisis management skills
• Language Requirements: English

Candidate Psychographics / Behavioral Competences (Soft skills):

• This role requires the confidence and fearlessness to take decisions, exercise autonomy and have a strong bias for action
• A strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Organizationally and analytically strong
• Ability to inspire and motivate
• A dot connector
• Curiosity: A customer centric mindset
• You love to win, and have fun doing it
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Strategy guru. Responsible for long term success of the business.
• Relevant values, drivers for this role
  • Performance and growth mindset
  • Agility to thrive in a VUCA world
  • Flexibility to drive change
  • Transparency and openness.