Key Accounts Manager (KAM) 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: Key Accounts Manager (KAM)

Location: Nigeria

About the Job

• The Key Accounts Manager is responsible for effectively managing business dealings with contractors and customers by building strong relationships, prescriptive selling of tailored solutions to meet project needs, and influencing specifications to ensure the company is the supplier of choice whenever possible.
• The KAM is also responsible for converting business leads into sales, generating revenue, and driving profitability for the business.

What you'll be doing
Business Development:

• Searches and collects information on new and upcoming projects, especially within the region/channel of coverage.
• Monitors such developments and establishes contact with appointed contractors with the objective of influencing the project cement specifications.
• Gathers and shares up-to-date market information and trends relevant to the company (including market trends, market players, new products and innovations, and feedback on products/solutions) to support the development of impactful commercial and product development strategies (such as new products, market penetration, market development, etc.).
• Involves in the bidding and pre-selling phases of projects to offer professional advice to contractors and recommend VAPs where necessary, with the aim of prescriptively selling our products and securing projects.
• Constantly estimates the size of the contractors’ segment to increase the business share of wallet (SOW) and incorporate market growth forecasts into the total business volume model/plan.

Contractors & Institutional Customers Management: 

• Maintains up-to-date information on customers’ portfolios, including profiles, products in use, new/ongoing projects, and priorities. Executes delivery plans in line with customers’ schedules and advises on estimated time of arrival (ETA) for critical projects. Ensures a minimum of 70% of customers in the database are active.
• Positions self as an integral part of customers' businesses by developing a detailed understanding of their needs, structure, operations, organization, pain points, gains, and competition. Improves customers’ operations through effective planning and communication of deliveries, introduction of new/alternative products/solutions, and best practices.
• Addresses cement and cement application problems that may arise and are associated with product usage.
• Enables price and margin optimization, especially on VAPs, by creating additional value through demonstrating extensive knowledge of the distinctive features and benefits of the business products in application.
• Establishes relevance with all levels and stakeholders within customers’ structures, from top management down.
• Categorizes customers according to size, value, and potential, and establishes a collage plan—type of visit, frequency of visit, etc.
• Carries out periodic shortage reconciliation on bulk transactions with the objective of refunding customers with products for under-deliveries.
• Builds loyalty to the LH brand and manages customer relationships through all phases of the selling cycle, including addressing 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 Tier I customers; executes the sales strategy and customer action plans, focusing on customers/opportunities that bring 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 forecasts in collaboration with the Logistics team, ensuring that bulk resources are sufficient during high demand periods to maximize all available market opportunities and minimize idle time during low demand periods.
• Matches project locations with the most accessible business products to manage product application performance and identify possible solutions or alternatives when necessary. 

Volume, Profitabilty & Credit Management:

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

Accounts Receivables:

• Provides customers with accurate information on pricing and payment terms related to customer contracts, investigating and resolving any irregularities or inquiries.
• Supplies all necessary information to sales administration to ensure timely and accurate invoicing of customers.
• Provides customers with a monthly statement of account (SOA) and reconciles any differences.
• Effectively manages credit lines and maintains DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) of less than 45 days by ensuring customers receive invoices bi-monthly, along with a schedule, and matching credit payments with specific invoices to align with customers' records on outstanding/unpaid invoices for ease of reconciliation.
• Coordinates timely collection of payments and drives the 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’s 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 with quality information. 
• Registers and follows up on opportunities and customer action plans.
• Follows up on customer complaints and finds solutions by involving all relevant team members.

Customer Engagement:

• Involves in quotation and bidding activities where necessary.
• Introduces an array of products to customers and requests leads/referrals for pitching.
• Organizes avenues for top management of the business to meet and bond with top management of customers.
• Creates brand affinity by participating in memorable events within the international construction community (e.g., Chinese festivities, Indian celebrations).
• Maintains a professional and business-like appearance at all times.

What we are looking for

• Minimum 8 years of working experience, with at least 2 years in a technical role and 6 years in a Sales supervisory position
• Market Knowledge
• Lafarge Products & Services Knowledge
• Customer needs identification/investigation
• Selling skills (incl. negotiation)
• Price & Margin Management
• Financial Acumen & Analytical skills
• Product Application Knowledge
• Project Planning & Work Flow Process.

Key Interfaces:

• Technical Sales Engineers on key account sales and quality-related issues.
• Logistics Managers for product distribution
• Customer Services Manager for prompt and satisfactory services
• Sales Admin manager for sales processes
• Industrial team and planning team.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified. 

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online