Regional Distribution Manager PSB - South East at Airtel

Purpose of the Job (Brief)

• To implement planned mobile financial services, go – to market strategy in assigned location. To strengthen and deepened the mobile financial services ecosystem through distribution excellence to grow usage and deliver customer and revenue market share objectives across assigned locations.
• To achieve maximum sales profitability and growth within the assigned market through implementation of planned sales & distribution and marketing strategies
• Responsible for the full operation of mobile financial services in assigned location by coordinating all activities, supervising and influencing multiple teams to ensure that operational excellence and performances are met.

Key Accountabilities
Provide leadership:

• Design parameters and strategic planning (work plan, customer forecast, target objective, mission briefs) and delivers GTM strategy
• Leading people/team to pursue and achieve the desired business objectives in accordance with established plans, sales goals and schedules
• Develop and motivate partners and agents to reach their sales and business targets
• Maintain the trust and respect of partners and agents within the network
• Co-ordinate direction for growth by analyzing changes in the competitive landscape, analyzing trends, costs, forecasts and implementing them into the business plan

Achieve distribution excellence - expand and manage the distribution and agent network:

• Identify and formulate regional sales plan to help drive growth of distribution
• Identify and recruit right partners to invest in the distribution expansion
• Ensure distribution development aligns to approved dimensioned touch points (scientific distribution).
• Establish viable touch points at every cluster of 2,500 and 3,000 people in urban and rural respectively.

Ensure financial planning and profitability of business and partner:

• Development of primary financial statements, such as balance sheets and profit and loss, for regional business
• Explain and ensure understanding of cost/benefit scenarios to potential partners
• Financial forecasting to plan partner acquisitions
• Overcoming objections from potential partners
• Reaching agreement with partners that are considering joining the network.
• Handling conflicts
• Assist in the preparation of a massive awareness strategy

Ensure appropriate liquidity management:

• Ensure partners maintain required float at all times to handle electronic and cash liquidity by the agents in branches and mini shops/kiosk
• Develop a system to ensure that agents can easily reach the branches for their liquidity needs

Ensure proper training of stakeholders:

• Provide periodic first line training for partners and retail agents in their network
• Follow through on providing new training modules as developed by the PSB
• Encourage team members and partners attend training workshops intended to strengthen their businesses and their ability to sell the MFS products
• Ensure effective training for agents
• Determine additional training, support, and other resources required
• Provide business with information about success of training as well as new training opportunities

Ensure strict compliance:

• Maintain compliance standards for PSB, KYC and any regulatory requirements across the distribution network
• Monitor agents’ effectiveness in meeting compliance and policy requirements
• Ensure all documentation is submitted in accordance with compliance requirements and within due dates to avoid suspensions or terminations
• Follow up on overdue or outstanding documentation – based on status report from PSB
• Obtain marketing and promotional materials from the PSB, provide materials to the agents, and ensure that it is properly displayed and discussed

Achieve sales performance and management scores in line with the target for the regional distribution area:

• Maintain a record system that tracks performance results for each retail agent across the distribution network
• Report sales results of area to management on a regular basis including the analysis of the market to identify new target customers, services, channels, competition activities or other opportunities
• Assess the performance and motivation of retail agents and franchise managers, developing strategies to increase their commitment to the business
• Deal with unsatisfactory performance, inappropriate behaviors or non-compliance among team members, partners and agents in accordance with PSB standards and procedures
• Communicate with partners and retail agents on a regular basis, keeping them informed of new policies, promotions, or other news coming from the PSB
• Analyze the market to identify new target customers, services, channels, competition activities or other opportunities
• Maintain a strong cross functional relationship with other channel managers, providing them with information about the product, network, and customers

Prepare and compile daily, weekly and monthly activities report including industry awareness/competition intelligence and share with relevant stakeholders:

• To effectively report competitive activities within assigned territory and implement adequate counter initiatives.
• Track on-going initiatives in market
• To immediately address or escalate any unusual competitor activity and sale support that may be a threat to performance of the business

Educational Qualifications & Functional Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in Management, Social Sciences or related field.
• MBA would be advantageous.
• Project management qualification will be an advantage.

Required Experience:

• 8+ years of varied experience in sales & marketing with at least 2 years at middle management level handling independent businesses.
• Relevant experience in telecom industry is desirable
• Minimum of three (3) years’ distribution management experience (with a proven track record and attention to detail) in relevant industries
• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience managing a distribution-oriented team towards success in relevant industries
• Excellent marketing and sales skills
• Strong experience in negotiating deals and concluding contracts
• Demonstrated commitment to getting the job done
• Strong operational experience in field visit to manage the day-to-day growth of the network
• Strong experience in expanding and managing the distribution of a mass market product or service
• Demonstrated experience in building a distribution network from the start and managing its expansion
• Worked across diverse cultures and geographies advantageous
• Strong experience in customer data a big plus
• Knowledge: ability to write comprehensive reports and communicate effectively with all levels of management and with all types of partners

Other Requirements

• Risk Control mindset: Should show mastery of risk disciplines at a bank-wide and integrated level, risk processes, tools and techniques, capital management, risk-related regulations and compliance.
• Technical Knowledge: Should have a strong understanding of statistics and quantitative data analysis methods. Should have an understanding of different risk management related IT/software applications.
• Keen business acumen - Business and financial judgment, and problem-solving skills are crucial requirements.
• Strong process orientation - A strong understanding of banking processes and operations.
• Intellectual curiosity and analytical approach to work
• Ability to influence a culture of risk awareness in the organization.
• Independent thought leadership to strategic decisions and debate.
• Ability to lead and exercise authority through expertise, and experience, showing both strategic and operational understanding of the business model.
• Strong big-picture and strategic orientation yet detail focused.
• Strong sense of collaboration and ability to develop positive relationships with key business stakeholders and demonstrate respectful, constructive negotiating skills.
• Leadership ability to inspire and motivate others to perform well through continuous feedback.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with proven ability to present and explain complex information and suggest process improvements to a diverse audience including operations and Senior Management and the Board.