Role Summary

The Sales & Marketing Head – Edible Oils & Fats leads the commercial agenda for our client’s largest and most strategic business.

The role owns the full P&L and is responsible for driving sales growth, market share, pricing discipline, and brand health across Kenya and regional markets. It combines strong sales leadership, deep category understanding, and marketing strategy to ensure our client retains and grows its leadership in the Oils & Fats segment.

The ideal candidate brings strategic depth and operational excellence equally adept at managing market realities, leading large teams, and driving innovation and transformation across the commercial value chain.

Key Responsibilities

1. Commercial & Category Leadership

• Define and implement the commercial strategy for the Oils & Fats category, aligned to profitability and growth goals.
• Own category P&L, driving performance across pricing, mix, margin, and volume.
• Lead business planning and forecast alignment with Production, Supply Chain, and Finance.
• Balance market defense (core brands) with innovation-led growth (value-added and premium subcategories).

2. Sales & Route-to-Market Excellence

• Lead national sales teams and regional heads to achieve revenue and distribution targets.
• Optimize route-to-market models to strengthen coverage, availability, and cost efficiency.
• Reinforce sales execution discipline through KPIs, dashboards, and structured reviews.
• Build distributor partnerships with focus on profitability, performance, and loyalty.

3. Marketing & Brand Development

• Manage portfolio strategy for leading brands such as Kimbo, Elianto, and Gold Band, ensuring relevance across consumer segments.
• Drive integrated marketing and communication plans to reinforce category leadership.
• Partner with R&D and DRT to identify new growth opportunities (healthier oils, value packs, regional formats).
• Strengthen consumer trust and brand differentiation through consistent storytelling and innovation.

4. Trade Marketing & Channel Development

• Oversee trade marketing programs, ensuring brand visibility and price-pack relevance.
• Build channel activation strategies that optimize ROI and strengthen share of shelf.
• Partner with Finance and Sales Ops to measure trade spend efficiency and profitability.

5. Digital & Data Enablement

• Champion adoption of BI tools, CRM systems, and digital dashboards to enhance decision-making.
• Use data analytics to guide pricing, promotions, and customer segmentation.
• Promote e-commerce and digital trade initiatives for select product lines.

6. Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and develop a large commercial team with clear performance standards.
• Build a culture of accountability, discipline, and customer obsession.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration with Supply Chain, Finance, and Transformation Office.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• MBA or advanced qualification preferred.

Experience:

• 12–15 years in FMCG commercial leadership, including at least 5 years managing a major category P&L.
• Proven track record in edible oils, fats, or related consumer staples.
• Strong background in both General Trade and Modern Trade execution.
• Experience integrating marketing, trade, and sales for category profitability.
• Demonstrated success leading large, diverse commercial teams.

Competencies:

• Strategic thinker with operational discipline.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen.
• Excellent stakeholder and distributor management.
• Data-driven, digitally literate, and results-oriented.
• Collaborative leader with high integrity and execution focus.

What Success Looks Like

• Sustainable growth in category revenue, market share, and profitability.
• Strengthened brand equity and leadership across consumer segments.
• Efficient route-to-market model with disciplined execution.
• Well-managed trade investments delivering strong ROI.
• Empowered, high-performing CRT team.

Cultural Fit

• You lead with integrity, speed, and discipline.
• You think commercially and act entrepreneurially.
• You thrive in fast-paced environments and lead through collaboration.
• You focus on impact building value for customers, teams, and the business.

• Define and implement the commercial strategy for the Oils & Fats category, aligned to profitability and growth goals.
• Own category P&L, driving performance across pricing, mix, margin, and volume.
• Lead business planning and forecast alignment with Production, Supply Chain, and Finance.
• Balance market defense (core brands) with innovation-led growth (value-added and premium subcategories).
• Lead national sales teams and regional heads to achieve revenue and distribution targets.
• Optimize route-to-market models to strengthen coverage, availability, and cost efficiency.
• Reinforce sales execution discipline through KPIs, dashboards, and structured reviews.
• Build distributor partnerships with focus on profitability, performance, and loyalty.
• Manage portfolio strategy for leading brands such as Kimbo, Elianto, and Gold Band, ensuring relevance across consumer segments.
• Drive integrated marketing and communication plans to reinforce category leadership.
• Partner with R&D and DRT to identify new growth opportunities (healthier oils, value packs, regional formats).
• Strengthen consumer trust and brand differentiation through consistent storytelling and innovation.
• Oversee trade marketing programs, ensuring brand visibility and price-pack relevance.
• Build channel activation strategies that optimize ROI and strengthen share of shelf.
• Partner with Finance and Sales Ops to measure trade spend efficiency and profitability.
• Champion adoption of BI tools, CRM systems, and digital dashboards to enhance decision-making.
• Use data analytics to guide pricing, promotions, and customer segmentation.
• Promote e-commerce and digital trade initiatives for select product lines.
• Lead, coach, and develop a large commercial team with clear performance standards.
• Build a culture of accountability, discipline, and customer obsession.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration with Supply Chain, Finance, and Transformation Office.

• Strategic thinking
• Operational discipline
• Analytical skills
• Financial acumen
• Stakeholder management
• Distributor management
• Data analysis
• Digital literacy
• Results-orientation
• Collaboration
• Integrity
• Execution focus

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• MBA or advanced qualification preferred.
• 12–15 years in FMCG commercial leadership, including at least 5 years managing a major category P&L.
• Proven track record in edible oils, fats, or related consumer staples.
• Strong background in both General Trade and Modern Trade execution.
• Experience integrating marketing, trade, and sales for category profitability.
• Demonstrated success leading large, diverse commercial teams.