Sales Manager

Job Purpose

The Pharmaceutical Sales Manager is responsible for leading the pharmaceutical sales team and driving sales growth, market expansion, product performance, and customer development within assigned territories.

The role combines sales leadership, territory management, team development, key-account management, market analysis, forecasting, and execution of commercial strategies. The Sales Manager ensures that the sales team effectively promotes the company's pharmaceutical portfolio to healthcare professionals, institutions, pharmacies, distributors, and other relevant customers while maintaining compliance with company policies and applicable pharmaceutical regulations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Sales Strategy & Business Planning

• Develop and implement annual, quarterly, and monthly pharmaceutical sales plans.
• Translate company commercial objectives into clear sales targets for territories, products, and sales representatives.
• Develop strategies to increase product penetration, market share, customer coverage, and revenue.
• Analyze market potential and identify opportunities for territory expansion and business growth.
• Monitor sales performance and implement corrective actions when targets are not achieved.

2. Sales Team Management

• Lead, supervise, coach, and motivate Medical Representatives and other field-sales personnel.
• Set individual and territory sales targets based on market potential and business objectives.
• Conduct regular field visits and joint customer calls with sales representatives.
• Monitor call frequency, customer coverage, product detailing, territory activity, and sales productivity.
• Provide coaching and constructive feedback to improve team performance.
• Identify training and development needs and support continuous professional development.
• Participate in recruitment, onboarding, and performance evaluation of sales staff.

3. Pharmaceutical Product Management

• Ensure effective promotion and sales of the company's pharmaceutical portfolio.
• Maintain strong knowledge of assigned products, indications, benefits, safety information, competitors, and therapeutic areas.
• Monitor product performance by territory, customer segment, and sales representative.
• Support new-product launches and promotional campaigns.
• Work closely with Marketing and Medical teams to ensure appropriate product positioning and communication.

4. Territory & Customer Management

• Develop and maintain effective territory plans.
• Ensure appropriate coverage of physicians, pharmacists, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, distributors, and other relevant healthcare customers.
• Develop relationships with key healthcare accounts and business partners.
• Identify high-potential customers and develop strategies for customer acquisition and retention.
• Support the sales team in managing important or strategic accounts.

5. Market Intelligence

• Monitor competitor products, activities, pricing, promotions, market penetration, and customer strategies.
• Collect and analyze customer and market feedback.
• Identify changes in prescribing, purchasing, distribution, and customer behavior.
• Provide management with timely market intelligence and recommendations.
• Identify new market opportunities and potential areas for portfolio expansion.

6. Sales Forecasting & Reporting

• Prepare accurate sales forecasts based on territory performance, market potential, historical data, and pipeline opportunities.
• Monitor actual sales against monthly, quarterly, and annual targets.
• Prepare regular sales and management reports.
• Analyze sales trends by product, territory, customer, and representative.
• Present performance results and recommended actions to senior management.
• Track and monitor the inventory per product at distributor level and ensure healthy inventory all time

7. Compliance & Professional Standards

• Ensure sales and promotional activities are conducted ethically and professionally.
• Ensure the sales team communicates approved product information accurately.
• Follow company policies, pharmaceutical promotional standards, and applicable Ethiopian regulatory requirements.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and reporting of sales activities.
• Promote professional conduct in all interactions with healthcare professionals and customers.

Qualification

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in (Pharmacy, Medicine, Health Sciences, Marketing, Business Administration, Management, or another relevant field).
• 5–8 years of overall relevant experience, including approximately 2–4 years in a pharmaceutical sales supervisory or management position.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical sales and healthcare markets.
• Strong leadership and team-management skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving abilities.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work effectively in a field-based and target-driven environment.
• Willingness to travel regularly within assigned territories.