Associate Director

**Who we are**:
Founded in Japan in 1887, Kao is passionate about making a difference in people's lives with our high quality products and services to create a Kirei Life for all - a beautiful life that respects the needs of our consumers and customers as well as the planet. We never compromise on quality and craft our products with care for the consumer and the environment. As a company driven by purpose and strong corporate values we pride ourselves to be listed among the World´s Most Ethical Companies since 16 consecutive years. Our corporate philosophy, the Kao Way, guides us in everything we do - acting with integrity, courageously driving innovation and treating each other with trust and respect.

**The Role**:
he objective of the Associate Director Sales Germany is to own the channel and customer strategy, managing the trade terms and develop the German Sales team. Furthermore, the position holder is responsible for driving profitable growth (leads the customer P&Ls), developing and executing strategic plans, managing Key Accounts (together with a team of KAMs and RAMs) and is leading a high-performing sales team. This is a senior leadership role that requires strong business acumen, deep understanding of the German Retailer landscape offline & online, knowledge in Hair care or any similar FMCG Category and the ability to navigate the competitive landscape.

In addition, you will be responsible for leading and developing the Sales team (4 direct reports, plus 7 indirect reports of 3 Regional-managers / Junior Account Managers and 4 Ass. Sales Support).

**This is a permanent, full-time position based in Darmstadt (hybrid working model).**

**What you will do**:

- Responsible to ensure short term and long-term sales and profit targets are met.
- Develop and execute the commercial strategies: Creates and implements comprehensive commercial strategies aligned with the company's overall goals and objectives for the Hair care & Skin Care Business in Germany.
- Drive revenue (Topline) and profitability (Bottom-line): Achieves revenue targets by identifying market opportunities, analysing consumer trends, and developing effective Sales and customer specific marketing ideas - w/ strong link to Category management, Trade Marketing, and local Marketing-teams.
- Manage Key Accounts: Cultivate and maintain strong relationship with Key Accounts. Playing an active role with the Year-end-negotiations. Ensure strong collaboration by defining joint business plans.
- Lead sales teams: Provide leadership, guidance, and support to the sales teams. Set clear performance objectives, monitor progress, and foster a high-performance, innovative, and creative culture.
- Responsible for improving trade terms which satisfy the organisations business metrics, following the trade term strategy and customer segmentation and fully implement this into all customers.
- (Customer P&L) Budgeting and financial management: Develop annual budgets, forecast sales and expenses, and monitor financial performance. Implement cost control measures and optimize resource allocation to achieve profitability targets.
- Reporting and analysis: Prepare regular reports and presentations on sales performance, market trends, and key metrics. Provide insights and recommendations to senior management to support strategic decision-making.
- Market analysis and intelligence: Stay ahead of market trends, competitor activities, and consumer preferences. Analyse market data, consumer insights, and sales reports to identify growth opportunities and make informed business decisions.
- New product launches: Collaborate with Marketing to successfully launch NPDs in the mass market. Develop go-to-market strategies, pricing plans, and promotional activities to maximize product adoption and sales.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with internal teams, including supply chain, finance, and operations, to ensure seamless execution of commercial strategies and alignment with overall business objectives.

**What you will need**:

- University Degree in business administration / Business Sales /Category Management
- profound experience in Sales & Marketing functions, preferably in the FMCG or/and the cosmetic business plus experience in people management.
- Knowledge of German trade
- Proven experience and results in Key Account Management and developing a Sales team
- Working knowledge of the competitive set and challenges ahead for the brands / categories
- Understanding of mass/premium market in Hair Care and Skin Care
- Established network with main trade partners (key: drugstores)
- Proven track record in developing and growing profitable business
- Proven change management experience
- Brand aware, experienced in developing the strength of brands with the customers and in the market place

**How we work**: Having been selected among the World´s Most Ethical Companies for 16 consecutive years, we are a company with a purpose and strong corporate values