Head - Retail Sales

Head - Retail Sales (National Sales Manager NSM) the Role

We are looking for a seasoned and hands-on Head of Retail Sales (NSM) to lead offline retail growth across General Trade, Modern Trade, and Standalone Modern Trade (SAMT) channels.

The products are currently available in 1,500+ stores across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The next big goal is to scale to 1.5 lakh stores in the next three years across South India and this role will be central to achieving that.

Were looking for a leader who has previously built or scaled retail distribution networks at this scale, combines strategic clarity with field execution excellence, and is ready to spend around 50% of their time in the market driving on-ground momentum.

Key Responsibilities :

• Own the Retail Sales P&L for all offline channels General Trade, Modern Trade, and Standalone Modern Trade (SAMT).
• Lead and develop a 2530-member sales team including Regional Managers, Area Sales Managers, FSIs, and Key Account Managers.
• Drive expansion from 1,500 stores to 1.5 lakh stores across South India through strong distribution strategy, network building, and execution discipline.
• Strengthen distributor and stockist partnerships to improve availability, billing frequency, and range selling.
• Deliver consistent primary and secondary sales growth, outlet expansion, and visibility in both urban and rural markets.
• Work closely with Trade Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance for alignment on schemes, supply flow, and cost efficiency.
• Track and drive KPIs : sales value, outlet coverage, productivity, ROI on trade spends, and team performance.
• Recruit, train, and motivate field teams to deliver consistent performance and process discipline.
• Foster strong collaboration between GT, MT, SAMT, and Quick Commerce channels to ensure unified market 10+ years of FMCG / Consumer Sales experience, including at least 34 years in a regional or national leadership role.
• Proven success in scaling retail distribution ideally from a few thousand to tens of thousands of outlets.
• Deep expertise in South India markets, with strong hands-on experience in Tamil Nadu and Kerala (mandatory).
• Demonstrated P&L ownership and ability to balance growth with cost optimization.
• Strong distributor management, trade relationship, and negotiation skills.
• Data-driven approach with focus on sales analytics, productivity metrics, and profitability levers.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time across South India.
• Fluency in Tamil, with working knowledge of Malayalam / Telugu / Kannada preferred.

(ref : iimjobs.com)