Distributor Development Manager Coding&marking for

**Description**

**Our Company**

Hitachi is one of the world's leading social innovation companies and strives to provide sustainable solutions for our modern society. Energy & mobility, connected industries and digital solutions are the key segments of our offering. Hitachi's product range has changed significantly in recent years to become an innovator in future technologies. More than 325,000 employees work every day to deliver products that improve people's lives.

**What you’ll be doing**

To proactively acquire Distributors in Africa to build up a Distributor network which covers actual customer needs for Coding&Marking solutions.

Proactively support the distributors to develop and grow their Hitachi business by creating and delivering sales & marketing initiatives that will increase sales in the geographical area of responsibility.
Strengthen distributor sales team performance by delivering product training and best practice sales training. Ensure implementation of processes that improve market visibility for Hitachi and provide coaching and support to ensure that they deliver outstanding levels of customer satisfaction.

By successfully establishing new Distributors and engaging with independent distributors in Africa and using credible business and selling skills, Hitachi will gain significant Market share in Africa. Establishing Hitachi as a supplier that leads in technology. Provide coaching and training to ensure that Hitachi wins a greater mindshare and influence in the market that will lead them to grow Hitachi Coding&Marking business.

**What you bring to the team**

We’re looking for a team player, who is motivated by delivering great work and the Hitachi vision.

**Key skills**:

- Motivate and drive distributors to win with Hitachi coding products in their market, ensuring that a value-add sales approach is adopted.
- Gain respect and acknowledgement from distributor principals and staff, demonstrating the value that you can add.
- Good organisational skills with the ability to set priorities and effectively manage time.
- Collaborate with marketing to develop campaigns, support new product launches and initiate lead generation plans through exhibitions and Distributor organised events.
- Ensure that the sales and marketing team deploy CRM to record and monitor sales process, market customer and distributor performance.
- Maintain a deep understanding of customer needs and monitor their preferences against defined satisfaction performance KPIs.
- Support the negotiation and periodic renewals for Distributor and customer contracts.

**Qualification & Experience**
- With excellent communication, presentation & coaching skills will have the ability to build relationships with independent business entrepreneurs and help their sales teams to improve selling performance and closure rates.
- Show empathy and the ability to work well with different cultures and personalities
- Ideally with a background in sales of industrial equipment or packaging within FMCG manufacturing and experience in support of selling technical products through indirect sales channels.

**Location and reporting**:
The role reports to the Coding Group Manager who is based in Dusseldorf and will work directly with distributors in the defined geographical region of responsibility. Cooperative working with the technical team, the logistic group and shared marketing resource.

**Our Values**

We strive to create an inclusive environment for all and we are proud to say we are an equal opportunity employer.

With Japanese roots going back over 100 years, our culture is founded on the values of our parent company expressed as the Hitachi Spirit:
Wa - Harmony, Trust, Respect

Makoto - Sincerity, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity

Kaitakusha-Seishin - Pioneering Spirit, Challenge