Associate Manager Stationery, Trade Marketing

Main Responsibilities / Tasks Trade Marketing Strategy & Planning: Build and implement annual Trade Marketing plans by category, channel and customer, aligned with cluster growth objectives and the stationeries acceleration priority in Nigeria Translate global and regional brand strategies into locally relevant trade initiatives that drive penetration, distribution, visibility and demand growth Adapt plans to Nigerian market specificities: traditional trade dominance, wholesalers, sub-distributors and emerging channels Identify growth opportunities to recruit new consumers and increase category penetration: assortment recommendations, visibility programs and channel activation… Distributor Management & Capability building: Act as the distributor's primary counterpart for all Marketing matters (activation plans, POSM, merchandising, trade programs), in coordination with the Business Development Manager, who owns the commercial relationship Build strong relationships and ensure alignment on priorities, execution standards and business objectives Build distributor marketing and merchandising capabilities through training and best-practice In-store Execution Excellence: Define and deploy merchandising and visibility guidelines across channels; ensure best-in-class execution of trade initiatives (POSM, activations, promotions) Monitor execution quality, improve shopper conversion at POS, take corrective actions where needed Budget & Performance Management: Manage Trade Marketing budgets with optimal allocation of resources, tracking ROI and continuously improving trade spend efficiency and execution effectiveness Track performance of trade initiatives through relevant KPIs and recommend corrective actions Cross-functional Collaboration: Monitor and analyze market, customer, competitor and shopper data (incl. Nielsen where available) to generate actionable insights Work closely with Marketing, Sales and Supply teams to ensure alignment of plans and priorities Share market insights, consumer and customer understanding, execution feedback and best practices with regional teams Price Monitoring and Market Intelligence Gathering: Conduct regular store visits, market walks, distributor check to capture competitor shelf price, promo price and trade offers. Share ad-hoc, monthly value chain analysis by channel and competitive activities reports with local management team Translate data into what we should do in trade. Key Performance Indicator / Key Figures Sales Growth in line with company's Rolling Forecast for the region Volume & Value Market Share as per targets (when tracked) Numeric and Weighted Distribution across priority channels On time In Full Marketing plans executions, with results and ROI as per plan, and in compliance with brand standards Spend within approved budget with phasing respected quarterly In-store execution quality and activation effectiveness with measurable uplift from plans Qualifications and Experience Education: University degree in Marketing, Business, Engineering or equivalent Experience: Min 5 years of trade marketing experience in an FMCG company. Experience in multi-market or distributor-led environment including Egypt is a strong asset Languages: Fluent in English, written and spoken. Tools: Proficient in MS Office, intermediate/advanced Excel and PowerPoint Finance/RGM: Exposure to merchandising, animation and POSM agencies / suppliers. Familiarity with Revenue Growth Management principles, and prior experience in sales or account management with agencies is also valuable. Professional Competencies: Customer & shopper understanding: Understands retail landscape: traditional trade, sub-distributors, modern trade Analyzes shopper trends and market insights, translating them into actionable trade initiatives Interprets research (Nielsen, consumer studies) and translates into clear actions Understands retail landscape: traditional trade, sub-distributors, modern trade Analyzes shopper trends and market insights, translating them into actionable trade initiatives Interprets research (Nielsen, consumer studies) and translates into clear actions Interacts with various levels in a customer organization to discuss opportunities and resolve issues Category knowledge: Deep knowledge of BIC portfolio and competitive landscape Capable of recommending assortment, pricing, and promotional strategies to drive growth Trade Execution & Campaign Management: Plans and executes trade campaigns end-to-end based on the annual Initiative Master Plan Monitors ROI and adjusts plans based on performance Communication & Collaboration: Articulates ideas clearly in a written and verbal format Shares best practices and escalates risks and opportunities early with proposed solutions Presents plans confidently to distributors, customers and sales teams Project & budget management: Manages multiple projects simultaneously with attention to detail Meets deadlines and tracks spend vs plan rigorously Distributor & stakeholder management: Builds productive relationships with distributor partners Influences without direct authority.