About the role:

The Zonal Business Manager will be responsible for driving sales, managing collections, and overseeing all business operations within the assigned zone for the direct distribution of Sun King Solar products under the Pay-As-You-Go (“EasyBuy”) model.

EasyBuy enables customers to access solar products through affordable instalment payments, making clean energy solutions more accessible to off-grid and rural communities. Sales are driven through a large network of Field Agents who engage in door-to-door sales, supported by EasyBuy’s innovative technology and services.

The Zonal Business Manager will be accountable for achieving sales targets, ensuring timely and accurate collections, and expanding the distribution network sustainably and rapidly. They will lead and support a team consisting of Regional Business Managers, Area Business Managers, Sun King Store Executives, and Field Agents across the zone.

What you would be expected to do:

Hire, retain and motivate the entire zonal team for the best performance:

• The Zonal Business Manager’s team typically consists of a Regional Business Manager, Area Business Managers, Sun King Executives, and Field Sales Executives (there may be some variations based on the region).
• The Zonal Business Manager is expected to ensure they create a world-class winning team in their zone that is disciplined, process-oriented, and devoted to delivering the best customer experience.

Training:

• Provide training on several aspects of the business, such as sales, collections, product, technical, inventory and logistics related.
• Ensure the team is fully aligned and managed professionally, demonstrating the highest level of integrity, ethics, and professionalism while dealing with Sun King customers.

Provide role clarity to Regional Business managers, Area Business Managers and Sun King Store Executives:

Provide complete clarity to the team related to their day-to-day tasks, sales & collections plans, routes, and targets. This includes ensuring that your sales team has a pre-settled sales route/area to sell in, they acknowledge how to demonstrate and sell Sun King products, they have the confidence to be able to present and resolve basic customer queries on the spot, and they have access to Regional Business Manager at all times in case of questions and concerns.

Conduct Joint Fieldwork with Regional Business Managers:

• Conduct joint fieldwork with Field Sales Executives to provide sales and collection training on a weekly basis and drive Field Service Executives' engagement. This includes doing night activations, market activations, visiting local communities and gatherings such as SACCOs, Self Help groups, retail centres and markets to make group sales.

Exceed your sales & collections targets:

• Meet or exceed sales and collection targets established and consented upon on the second of every month with your sales supervisors.
• Provide daily and weekly updates on sales, Field Sales Executive recruitments, customer issues and resolutions, and New Area Launch preparations as expected and aligned with the Country Business Leader.

Drive robust field sales processes:

• Review sales and collection progress daily and provide adequate training to the team on better collections in your areas. This includes customer and area profiling, ensuring regular and timely collection follow-ups, resolving customer issues to ensure they make payments, and repossessing the systems as a last recourse if the customer defaults.

Resolve Customer Issues:

• Provide world-class assistance to your customers as it relates to product delivery, training on how to use and make payments, installation, and after-sales warranty issues.
• Ensure that you work with Field Sales Executives to establish clear expectations and processes to resolve all customer issues within 24 hours.

Control Marketing and other assistance spend:

• Provide adequate marketing assistance and equipment (such as smartphones) to all your areas.
• Ensure we get maximum return on investment for all the costs we incur in areas of marketing, supply chain, store maintenance and smartphone issuance.

Review meetings with Areas:

• Ensure that Regional Business Managers and Area Business Managers are conducting periodic table meetings and reviews with all Field Sales Executives under their purview.
• Conduct surprise visits to field meetings and areas to ensure that the sales processes and standards observed are of the highest quality.
• Recognise outstanding performers from time to time and ensure the motivation of the entire zonal team is maintained at an all-time high.

You might be a strong candidate if you have:

• Have a degree in a Business-related field, with an MBA as an added advantage.
• Have at least 6 years’ experience in sales, of which 3 years at a senior managerial position, preferably having worked in Distribution, Micro-Finance, Banking or BOP Business
• Proven strategic business capability with the ability to engineer solutions, transform teams and drive business processes.
• Passionate about working with rural, off-grid consumers and resolving their issues.
• Motivated by the social mission to provide energy to consumers and employment to rural communities. Should be value-oriented.
• Good communication skills and be able to build and manage large field sales executive teams.

What we offer (in addition to compensation and statutory benefits):

• A platform for professional growth in a rapidly expanding, high-impact sector.
• Immerse in a collaborative culture, energised by employees of Sun King who are collectively motivated by fostering a transformative, sustainable venture.
• A genuinely global environment: Engage and learn alongside a diverse group from varied geographies and backgrounds.
• Tailored learning pathways through the Sun King Centre for Leadership to elevate your leadership and managerial capabilities.

• Hire, retain and motivate the entire zonal team for the best performance.
• Provide training on several aspects of the business, such as sales, collections, product, technical, inventory and logistics related.
• Ensure the team is fully aligned and managed professionally, demonstrating the highest level of integrity, ethics, and professionalism while dealing with Sun King customers.
• Provide role clarity to Regional Business managers, Area Business Managers and Sun King Store Executives.
• Conduct joint fieldwork with Field Sales Executives to provide sales and collection training on a weekly basis and drive Field Service Executives' engagement.
• Meet or exceed sales and collection targets established and consented upon on the second of every month with your sales supervisors.
• Provide daily and weekly updates on sales, Field Sales Executive recruitments, customer issues and resolutions, and New Area Launch preparations as expected and aligned with the Country Business Leader.
• Review sales and collection progress daily and provide adequate training to the team on better collections in your areas.
• Provide world-class assistance to your customers as it relates to product delivery, training on how to use and make payments, installation, and after-sales warranty issues.
• Ensure that you work with Field Sales Executives to establish clear expectations and processes to resolve all customer issues within 24 hours.
• Provide adequate marketing assistance and equipment (such as smartphones) to all your areas.
• Ensure we get maximum return on investment for all the costs we incur in areas of marketing, supply chain, store maintenance and smartphone issuance.
• Ensure that Regional Business Managers and Area Business Managers are conducting periodic table meetings and reviews with all Field Sales Executives under their purview.
• Conduct surprise visits to field meetings and areas to ensure that the sales processes and standards observed are of the highest quality.
• Recognise outstanding performers from time to time and ensure the motivation of the entire zonal team is maintained at an all-time high.

• Sales
• Collections
• Team Management
• Training
• Customer Service
• Strategic Business Planning
• Communication Skills

• Degree in a Business-related field
• MBA as an added advantage
• At least 6 years’ experience in sales
• 3 years at a senior managerial position
• Experience in Distribution, Micro-Finance, Banking or BOP Business preferred
• Proven strategic business capability
• Ability to engineer solutions, transform teams and drive business processes
• Passionate about working with rural, off-grid consumers and resolving their issues
• Motivated by the social mission to provide energy to consumers and employment to rural communities
• Value-oriented
• Good communication skills
• Ability to build and manage large field sales executive teams