Central Africa Sales Engineer

Reporting to the Sales, the incumbent will be responsible for the promotion, sales, and support of the company’s products and services to key end-users and distributors in the East African market.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Proven Technical Sales experience in Africa.
• Good command of presentation skills.
• Competency in Microsoft Excel, MS Word, and PowerPoint.
• Experience in working on the SAGE ERP system.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to develop relationships with other stakeholders.
• Ability to eloquently communicate value propositions to customers.
• Ability to interact at all levels of the customer organization.
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team.
• Good command of the English language.
• Proficiency in Swahili language will be an added advantage.
• Sound theoretical and practical knowledge and experience with technical principles, specifically in the electro-mechanical field.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF JOB

The core responsibilities will include, but are not limited to the following:

• Develop and promote sustained sales growth to achieve company sales objectives in East Africa.
• Achieve sales and profitability in line with individual sales targets and company objectives.
• Visit and meet customers regularly to understand their requirements and provide necessary solutions.
• Build relationships with key personnel (decision makers) within a customer’s organization.
• Prepare presentations and proposals to communicate the value proposition, including a proper review of customer specifications and commercial requirements.
• Conduct market development plans and implement weekly activities aimed at growing the market share.
• Coordinate and resolve customer service issues in a manner that retains the customer and provides an opportunity for additional revenue in the future.
• Assist the department in collecting unpaid debts.
• Coordinate and communicate with other departments within LAS.
• Ensure completion of customer satisfaction reports.
• Ensure that the ERP system is utilized to the maximum possible extent.
• Maintain accurate customer database to ensure effective account management.
• Continuously acquire new skills to stay up to date with the latest best practices.
• Advise customers of product developments and special promotions.
• Represent the company at exhibitions, events, and demonstrations when required.

FORMAL TRAINING / EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• National Diploma or bachelor’s degree in a technical program and/or marketing/sales from a recognized institution.
• Postgraduate qualification will be a big advantage.
• A minimum of 2 years of relevant sales experience in the petrochemical and mining industry.
• Proven experience in complex sales requiring a fair understanding of commercial and legal terms.
• Proven experience in compiling complex commercial and technical proposals.
• Ability to manage complex sales with long purchase cycles, involving multiple stakeholders.
• Proven experience in B2B sales, at all levels of the customer organization.
• Ability to understand and grasp Opti-company MIM software functionalities and features.
• Ability to grasp new technological concepts, products, and systems in the ecosystem.
• A good appreciation of good governance principles, corporate practices, rules, and procedures.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Required to travel to any customer in the African continent, with a focus on Central Africa.
• Be required to work during normal operating hours, 08:00 to 16:30 Monday to Friday.
• Some flexibility is allowed to fit in with the requirements of the employee’s Manager.
• Be required to work reasonable extra hours from time to time as circumstances dictate.
• Be prepared to travel during non-working hours sometimes to respond to customer requirements.
• Intensive traveling outside of South Africa.