Work Location: Durban, South Africa
Job Type: Fulltime
Travel required: Now limited due to CV19 restrictions
About the Tea Business
Unilever is proud of its Tea business, the biggest in the world, with world class purpose driven brands such as Lipton, PG tips and Pukka. Recently, Unilever decided to separate the Tea business to ensure it can best achieve its potential. Unilever is currently reviewing several options for separation, including a demerger, an initial public offering, a disposal or through partnership models. The Tea businesses in India and Indonesia, and the partnership interests in the ready-to-drink Tea joint ventures will be retained.
The balance of the Tea brands and geographies and all Tea estates, with generated revenues of €2 billion in 2019, is growing and profitable with proven potential both pre- and post-COVID-19. As a standalone entity, the Tea company remains number one in the world and is even better positioned to lead the industry and take full advantage of the opportunities in the category, with more focus and entrepreneurship driving greater growth and value.
The current vision for the Tea company is to champion a tastier, healthier, more sustainable world of plant-based drinking. Purposeful thinking will be the core anchor of the business, its brands as well as its culture, and enables simple and agile decision making, supports an entrepreneurial mindset and is driven by passion for our consumers.
As we move through this journey towards separation, we are seeking employees with a passion for exciting entrepreneurial experiences, who want to pursue unique career opportunities and have a desire to be an integral part in building the bright future of this plant-based company.
Role Description:
Main Responsibilities:
- Act like an owner: Responsible for all business activities and growth of the business
- P&L end-to-end. Directly responsible for driving business growth and profitability within the assigned scope
- Lead & execute strategic growth plans across sales and marketing organization
- Build winning market positions by identifying new opportunities, developing, defining, negotiating strong business relationships
- Talent catalyst: Responsible for growing and nurturing talent including succession planning ensuring organization is fit to win short and long term
- Channel development: Go-To-Market partners, retail and away from home
- Key representative of Tea Co within organization as well as externally across various key stakeholders and organizational bodies
Key Tasks:
Leadership and Stakeholder management:
- Leading regular cross functional leadership team meetings monthly
- Develop and sign off annual and strategic business plans
- Represent direct market and assigned distributor markets in business reviews to lead MU and Global team
- Drive growth agenda mindset throughout organization
Functional Tasks
- Sales: Lead development, execution and signoff of business plans including
- Growth and profitability management
- Negotiation with strategic partners and customers
- New go to market business models and partners EG: Digital
- Representing Tea Co externally at key trade events
- Marketing: Oversee short and long-term marketing and innovation plans ensuring organization is future fit to win (Digital)
- Supply chain: Oversee supply chain in line with sourcing and finance principals to optimize profitability, cash flow and customer service levels
- Finance: Responsible for all income & expenditure including cash flow management, budgeting, forecasting and reporting.
- Drive people agenda: Act as talent catalyst. Retain and recruit the best employees while promoting a performance culture agenda
Scope/interfaces/relevant stakeholders for this role?
The General Manager, Tea Business – Africa will be fully responsible for both day to day as well as strategic direction and performance of the business within his/her market(s).
Key interfaces (internal)
- Internal:
- MU leadership team: Reporting into MU Lead
- Global cross functional teams – EG: global marketing/ brand leads, Design for Channel
- Local cross functional leadership team
- Employees within local organization
- Other Tea market leaders
- External:
- Customers: Wholesalers, distributors, key accounts, away from home
- Suppliers: Products, services, raw materials
- Government organizations
- Labour unions
- Press
- Regulatory bodies
- Industry forums and trade events
Flexibility for this Role (Working Model, Mobility):
- The role is a full-time role and is office based within the head office of the market
- Due to the hands-on nature of the role a flexible location or job sharing is not possible
Requirements:
Candidate Background:
Must haves:
- Commercial Degree
- 12-15 years’ experience in a FMCG business
- Of which 5 years’ experience in a leadership role within customer development and marketing
- Experience leading a cross functional team
- Proven track record of delivery of business results
Nice to have:
- Experience within the beverages/ tea category
- Digital/online sales and marketing experience
- ‘Away from home’ experience – Food Solutions
Professional Knowledge/Skill Requirements:
Must have:
- Experience and understanding of the local market
- Functional and technical knowledge
- P&L – financial acumen
- Marketing incl innovation
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Key processes. EG: Annual planning, S&OP
- Proven track record of strong
- Leadership and strategic influencing skills towards multifunctional stakeholders
- Communication skills
- Problem solving skills
- Crisis management skills
- Language Requirements: English
Candidate Psychographics/Behavioral Competences (Soft skills):
- This role requires the confidence and fearlessness to take decisions, exercise autonomy and have a strong bias for action
- A strong sense of ownership and accountability
- Organizationally and analytically strong
- Ability to inspire and motivate
- A dot connector
- Cuiriosity: A customer centric mindset
- You love to win, and have fun doing it
- Ability to perform under pressure
- Strategy guru. Responsible for long term success of the business.
- Relevant values, drivers for this role
- Performance and growth mindset
- Agility to thrive in a VUCA world
- Flexibility to drive change
- Transparency and openness
The qualities we look for in you
The Tea business is made up of a special blend of individuals which make our teams exciting and diverse. To be part of our tea family we are looking for individuals who think Green and are environmentally conscious, who understand the power of simplicity and who are accountable for their actions. We want those who infuse mastery and passion in everything they do to create great products and unforgettable experiences for our consumers.
What’s in it for you?
We believe that growth is for everyone, we believe in growing leaders and making space to grow an owner’s mentality and like nature we adapt, we change and we grow. We believe in connections over hierarchies and (work)levels. We have a ‘corporate start-up’ approach ; we act with speed and agility and we have the strength and scale of a large corporation. We are building a better world of wellbeing and a better you.
Diversity and Inclusion statement
Unilever is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. We are intentional in employing the best talent that reflect the demographics of our country. We therefore invite applications from all candidates representing diversity of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. When appointing potential candidates, the South African Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation will be considered.
We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. If you are applying as a Foreign National, please note that you may be requested to provide supporting documents supporting this.
Excited about the Role?
Please apply online. Your application will be reviewed against our requirements and we will be in touch to provide you with an update on the status of your application.