Sales Manager - Solar

Our client, a leader in the solar energy industry in Nigeria, is currently seeking a Sales Manager with strong experience in B2B sales and PaaS for their operations in Kano. In partnership with the key executive team, the Sales Manager, operating from Kano State, is responsible for the success of the company's growth ambitions in the northern region of Nigeria.

Main Responsibilities:

Sales

• Enhance existing and new customer relationships to place the company as the preferred renewable energy partner.
  
• Development/deployment of best-in-class sales/business development strategies.
  
• Develop and maintain a healthy opportunity pipeline for the region and see to the commercial maturation and deal closure of significant C&I opportunities.
  
• Implement a sales plan required to drive growth and deliver on pre-agreed sales targets that meet or exceed approved levels of returns (with support from the analytics team).
  
• Lead the onboarding/KYC process and prepare submission for the onboarding committee for new customers in region.
  
• Collaborate with cross functional teams to deliver on client project expectations cutting across business analytics, supply chain, legal, technical design, finance and operations.
  
• Lead commercial account management plans with support from Customer Service and financial account managers.
  
• Build / entrench C-suite client relationships and escalate client-related matters in the appropriate manner to resolve.
  
• Contribute to the timely resolution of (i) price adjustment discussions with existing clients and associated implementation, (ii) other contractual disputes, with support from the legal team.
  
• Work closely with the Finance team to ensure timely issuance and payment of invoices.
  
• Periodic reporting on sales performance against budget and reporting on variances from management reporting.
  
• Development and execution of clear market intelligence plan on key competitors in the industry to benchmark competitor offering with the company offering.
  
• Liaise with the Marketing Manager and other Product Development departments to ensure brand consistency and develop competitive products to meet customer needs.
  
• Identify and develop key areas of improvement in the sales process
• Identify and be responsible for potential major non-technical risks related to project opportunities, highlighting any potential concerns in an appropriate and timely manner. For identified risks, priorities and ensure that a robust action plan, with monitoring is put in place.
  

Requirements

Qualification & Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree (BSc/BA) in a Business-related field.
  
• At least 7 years’ relevant experience in sales and business development, with at least 2 years in the power sector.
  
• Excellent understanding of the renewable energy marketplace, market dynamics and its legal and regulatory landscape.
  
• Possess extensive knowledge of sales principles and practices and experience with commercial contracts.
  
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills; ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions, recommendations, and drive actions.
  
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams.
  
• Strength in problem solving, issue-resolution, ability to work in a deadline-driven work environment, attention to detail, and ability to multitask.
  
• Excellent team player with the ability to work with a team to meet the corporate objectives of the organization.
  
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office tools such as Excel, PowerPoint etc.