Company: Backbone Tanzania Company Limited

Backbone Tanzania Company Limited Tanzaniajob listings

Job Purpose

The Head of Marketing is responsible for leading the company’s marketing function across Animal Feeds, Day-Old Chicks, Edible Oil and other assigned product categories. The role establishes marketing priorities, prepares activity and budget plans, coordinates the Marketing Department with Sales, Operations, Hatchery, Feed Mill Technical Management and other departments, and evaluates the commercial effectiveness of marketing investments.

The Head of Marketing provides leadership to the Trade Marketing & Market Insights Officer and other marketing personnel or service providers. The role’s primary responsibility is planning, coordination, decision-making, resource allocation and performance management.

Key Objectives

• Develop and execute marketing strategies aligned with the company’s commercial objectives.
• Strengthen the company’s brands across retail, ago-dealer, farmer and consumer markets.
• Allocate marketing resources to activities with the strongest commercial potential.
• Align marketing campaigns with sales priorities, production capacity and inventory availability.
• Improve the quality and consistency of field marketing execution.
• Establish reliable systems for measuring marketing outcomes.
• Turn market and competitor insights into practical business decisions.
• Build an effective and accountable Marketing Department.

Key Responsibilities

Marketing Strategy and Departmental Leadership

Lead the development and implementation of annual and quarterly marketing strategies in alignment with the Regional Marketing Department. Translate business and revenue objectives into product, channel and regional marketing priorities; establish marketing objectives across assigned product categories; lead the departmental marketing calendar; establish working procedures and reporting standards; and advise management on brand, customer, market and competitor developments

Activity Planning and Prioritization

Prepare and coordinate annual, quarterly and monthly marketing plans covering trade marketing, digital marketing, dealer branding, farmer engagement and promotional activities. Identify priority regions, customer segments, dealers, retail outlets, products and market opportunities, and ensure that major marketing activities have clear objectives, target audiences, expected outcomes and resource requirements

Marketing Budget Planning and Control

Prepare and manage the annual marketing budget in alignment with the National General Manager and Regional Marketing Department. Allocate resources across products, regions, channels, campaigns and activities; monitor expenditure against approved budgets; assess supplier proposals with Procurement and Finance; identify cost-saving opportunities; and evaluate the financial and commercial return of major marketing activities.

Cross Departmental Coordination

Act as the principal link between Marketing and other departments, coordinating with Sales, Operations, Logistics, Hatchery Management, Feed Mill Production, Technical and Customer Service teams, Finance and Procurement. Ensure marketing activities are aligned with sales priorities, product availability, production schedules, inventory, technical information and operational capacity

Trade Marketing and Channel Strategy

Develop and coordinate retail merchandising and agro-dealer branding strategies. Establish criteria for priority dealers and retail outlets, oversee investments in shop branding, display units and point of sale materials, maintain merchandising and brand-compliance standards, and recommend corrective actions based on field findings.

Events and Field Activation Oversight

Plan and oversee farmer seminars, trade exhibitions, agricultural shows, market roadshows and product launches. Coordinate internal departments and external service providers, establish objectives and success measures, provide leadership at strategically important events, ensure appropriate lead capture and follow-up, and evaluate post-event commercial outcomes.

Market Intelligence and Business Insights

Establish and coordinate structured market and competitor-intelligence activities. Review information relating to products, pricing, promotions, distribution, delivery, dealer incentives, customer service and market trends. Evaluate competitor positioning and commercial strategies and convert verified market findings into practical recommendations for management

Brand Management and Marketing Communications

Maintain corporate and product brand standards and ensure consistent brand presentation across retail outlets, dealer locations, events, packaging, digital channels and marketing materials. Approve major marketing messages, campaign concepts and promotional materials, coordinate digital marketing and communications activities, and ensure that technical product claims are approved by the responsible technical department

Performance Evaluation and Reporting

Establish and monitor departmental, campaign and employee KPIs. Evaluate marketing activities against measures including reach, visibility, qualified leads, conversions, sales growth and cost efficiency. Monitor Return on Ad Spend and other relevant measures, conduct post-campaign and post-event evaluations, prepare monthly, quarterly and annual performance reports, and recommend corrective actions.

Team and Supplier Management

Supervise, coach and evaluate Marketing Department personnel, set individual work plans and performance expectations, conduct planning and performance reviews, and ensure appropriate training. Coordinate external agencies, printers, fabricators, photographers and other marketing suppliers while ensuring quality, cost control and timely delivery.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Agribusiness, Communications or a related discipline.
• At least five years of relevant experience in marketing, trade marketing, channel development, field marketing or commercial planning.
• Previous experience supervising employees, suppliers, agencies or major projects.
• Experience in agriculture, animal feeds, poultry, agribusiness, FMCG or another distribution-led industry is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in marketing planning, budgeting and performance evaluation.
• Experience coordinating marketing activities with sales, production, operations and technical teams.
• Strong knowledge of the Tanzania retail, agro-dealer and agricultural market environment is desirable.
• A valid driving licence and willingness to travel are desirable.

Required Competencies

• Strategic and commercial thinking
• Leadership and people management
• Marketing and activity planning
• Budget preparation and control
• Trade and channel marketing
• Brand management
• Market and competitor analysis
• Performance measurement
• Cross-functional coordination
• Project and supplier management
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Analytical decision-making
• Written and verbal communication
• High professional and ethical standards

Working Conditions

The role combines office based leadership with regular market and field visits. Travel to dealers, retailers, farms, regional markets and exhibition venues will be required. Occasional work outside normal business hours may be necessary during major events and product launches.

• Lead the development and implementation of annual and quarterly marketing strategies in alignment with the Regional Marketing Department.
• Translate business and revenue objectives into product, channel and regional marketing priorities.
• Establish marketing objectives across assigned product categories.
• Lead the departmental marketing calendar.
• Establish working procedures and reporting standards.
• Advise management on brand, customer, market and competitor developments.
• Prepare and coordinate annual, quarterly and monthly marketing plans covering trade marketing, digital marketing, dealer branding, farmer engagement and promotional activities.
• Identify priority regions, customer segments, dealers, retail outlets, products and market opportunities.
• Ensure that major marketing activities have clear objectives, target audiences, expected outcomes and resource requirements.
• Prepare and manage the annual marketing budget in alignment with the National General Manager and Regional Marketing Department.
• Allocate resources across products, regions, channels, campaigns and activities.
• Monitor expenditure against approved budgets.
• Assess supplier proposals with Procurement and Finance.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Evaluate the financial and commercial return of major marketing activities.
• Act as the principal link between Marketing and other departments, coordinating with Sales, Operations, Logistics, Hatchery Management, Feed Mill Production, Technical and Customer Service teams, Finance and Procurement.
• Ensure marketing activities are aligned with sales priorities, product availability, production schedules, inventory, technical information and operational capacity.
• Develop and coordinate retail merchandising and agro-dealer branding strategies.
• Establish criteria for priority dealers and retail outlets.
• Oversee investments in shop branding, display units and point of sale materials.
• Maintain merchandising and brand-compliance standards.
• Recommend corrective actions based on field findings.
• Plan and oversee farmer seminars, trade exhibitions, agricultural shows, market roadshows and product launches.
• Coordinate internal departments and external service providers.
• Establish objectives and success measures for events and field activations.
• Provide leadership at strategically important events.
• Ensure appropriate lead capture and follow-up.
• Evaluate post-event commercial outcomes.
• Establish and coordinate structured market and competitor-intelligence activities.
• Review information relating to products, pricing, promotions, distribution, delivery, dealer incentives, customer service and market trends.
• Evaluate competitor positioning and commercial strategies.
• Convert verified market findings into practical recommendations for management.
• Maintain corporate and product brand standards and ensure consistent brand presentation across retail outlets, dealer locations, events, packaging, digital channels and marketing materials.
• Approve major marketing messages, campaign concepts and promotional materials.
• Coordinate digital marketing and communications activities.
• Ensure that technical product claims are approved by the responsible technical department.
• Establish and monitor departmental, campaign and employee KPIs.
• Evaluate marketing activities against measures including reach, visibility, qualified leads, conversions, sales growth and cost efficiency.
• Monitor Return on Ad Spend and other relevant measures.
• Conduct post-campaign and post-event evaluations.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual performance reports.
• Recommend corrective actions.
• Supervise, coach and evaluate Marketing Department personnel.
• Set individual work plans and performance expectations.
• Conduct planning and performance reviews.
• Ensure appropriate training for marketing personnel.
• Coordinate external agencies, printers, fabricators, photographers and other marketing suppliers.
• Ensure quality, cost control and timely delivery from marketing suppliers.

• Strategic and commercial thinking
• Leadership and people management
• Marketing and activity planning
• Budget preparation and control
• Trade and channel marketing
• Brand management
• Market and competitor analysis
• Performance measurement
• Cross-functional coordination
• Project and supplier management
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Analytical decision-making
• Written and verbal communication
• High professional and ethical standards

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Agribusiness, Communications or a related discipline.
• At least five years of relevant experience in marketing, trade marketing, channel development, field marketing or commercial planning.
• Previous experience supervising employees, suppliers, agencies or major projects.
• Experience in agriculture, animal feeds, poultry, agribusiness, FMCG or another distribution-led industry is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in marketing planning, budgeting and performance evaluation.
• Experience coordinating marketing activities with sales, production, operations and technical teams.
• Strong knowledge of the Tanzania retail, agro-dealer and agricultural market environment is desirable.
• A valid driving licence and willingness to travel are desirable.