Business Development Manager at Lafarge Africa Plc

Lafarge Africa Plc is a member of the LafargeHolcim Group – the biggest building and concrete solutions company in the world. It is a publicly quoted company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and serves Nigeria with a wide range of building and construction solutions designed to meet housing and construction needs from small projects like individual home buildings to major construction and infrastructure projects.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business Development Manager 

Requisition ID: 11641
Location: Ikoyi, Lagos

About the Job

• The Business Development Manager is responsible for effectively managing business dealings with customers by building strong relationships, implementing prescriptive selling strategies to tailor solutions to specific customer needs, and influencing specifications to position the company as preferred supplier for all new building solutions. 
• The BDM is also responsible for converting business leads into sales, generating revenue and driving profitability for the business. 
• The Business Development Manager contributes to Holcim's Accelerating Green Growth objective by assisting the Head of Product, Innovation & New Solutions in developing growth projects and driving innovation across our markets with the goal to increase market share in a sustainable manner and penetrate untapped/underserved market segments with new solutions such as Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC), Precast, etc.

What you'll be doing
Business Development:

• Searches and collects information on new and upcoming customers that have the potential using new solutions like GCC. 
• Monitor such development and establish contact with customers with the objective of influencing the specification of solution they will be applying.
• Gathers and Shares up-to-date market information & trends relevant to the company(market trends, market players, new products and innovations, feedback on products/solutions) etc., with the purpose of supporting the development of impactful commercial and product development strategies (for new products such as GCC, market penetration, market development etc)
• Constantly estimates the size of new solutions market with the view of increasing the business SOW and build market growth forecast into the total business model/plan.

Institutional Customers Management:·

• Maintains up to date information on customers portfolio; product in use, new/on-going products and priorities. Execute delivery plans in line with customers schedule and advises on ETA for critical solutions. 
• Ensures a minimum of 70% of customers in the database are active.
• Positions self to be integral part of customer business by developing a detailed understanding of customers business- needs, structure, operations, organization, pain points, gains and competition o Improves customers’ operation by effective planning and communication of deliveries, introduction of new/alternative products/solutions and best practices.
• Addresses product and product application problems that may arise and is associated with the business product usage. 
• Establishes relevance with all levels and stakeholders along the customers’ structure, from the top most management down.
• Categorizes customers’ according to size, value and potential and establishes collage plan – type of visit, frequency of visit, etc. 
• Carries out periodic shortage reconciliation on bulk transactions with the objective of refunding customer with products for under-deliveries
• Builds loyalty to the Holcim brand and manages customer relationships through all phases of the selling cycle, including customer complaints or inquiries related to products, services, or solutions.

Sales Strategy Planning & Execution:

• Estimates and prepares forecasts of demand on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis across products, SKUs and plants.
• Develops and maintains a sales plan for the Tier I customers; executes the sales strategy & customer action plans focusing on customers/opportunities bringing the most sustainable returns to the company - In compliance with all sales policies in place.
• Analyses the required Logistics/bulk assets to meet the monthly, quarterly and yearly demand forecast in collaboration with the Logistics team in such a way that the bulks are sufficient enough during the high tides to max out on all opportunities available in the market and suffer only a minimal idle time during the low tides.

Volume, Profitability & Credit Management:

• Consistently strives to meet the customers’ need in the most profitable way by seeking to deliver from the plant with the most overall benefit, recommending the SKU with the most margin and ensuring functional, calibrated weighbridges on site for bulk related deals.
• Explores premium/differentiated pricing on specific solutions by capitalizing on available technical services and special project needs that our products meet.
• Achieves monthly, quarterly and annual allocated sales targets - volumes, prices/commercial margin.

Accounts Receivables:

• Provides customers with accurate information on pricing, payment terms related to the customer contract, investigates and resolves any irregularities or enquiries
• Provides all necessary information to sales administration to ensure timely and accurate invoicing of customers.
• Provides customers with a monthly SOA and reconciles any differences
• Effectively manages credit lines and maintains DSO < 45 days by ensuring customers get invoices on a bi-monthly basis along with a schedule and credit payments are matched off with specific invoices paid for so as to be in alignment with customers records on outstanding/unpaid invoices for ease of reconciliation.
• Coordinates timely collection of payments and drives recoupment of failed/overdue payments.

OH&S:

• Is accountable for ensuring the health and safety of self, colleagues and customers by complying with the company policies, procedures, guidelines, rules and regulations of Occupational Health & Safety.

Tools:

• CRM/SFDC Usage/Sales Planning:
• Creates contacts and prospects and keeps the database up to date
• Plans and reports customer visits in the tool in a timely manner and with quality information
• Registers and follows-up opportunities & customer action plans
• Follows-up on customer complaints and finds solutions by involving all relevant team members.

Customer Engagement: 

• Introduces array of products to customers and request for leads/referrals to pitch
• Organizes avenues for top managements of the business to meet and bond with top management of customers
• Creates brand affinity by participating in memorable events in the International communities within the industry – The Chinese festivities, The Indians, etc
• Maintains a professional and business-like appearance at all times

Who you'll be working with
Key interfaces, stakeholders and relationships:

• Internal stakeholders: Colleagues in Marketing, Sales, Industrial, Logistics, Procurement, Concrete and other functions ( Customer Service, finance, logistics, etc.)
• Group Innovation Centre.

What we are looking for

• Business Degree and / or Engineering
• 5 - 8 years experience ideally in:
  • Sales and Customer Management
  • New Business Development
  • Product Development
• Technical Sales
• Quality Management
• Stakeholder Management.

Mobility Requirements:

• Up to 40% local travelling.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.