UI – Business Development Executive – Levant & Iraq - 1 Year contract

Unilever International is Unilever’s White Space Arm!

As the ninth global cluster, we work across the world to fill white spaces for Unilever.

We treat the business as our own.

As intrapreneurs, we introduce Unilever’s brands into white space geographies like Korea, Pacific Islands, Mongolia, and spearhead launches of iconic household brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Sunlight, Fair & Lovely, TRESemme into big markets like U.S, China, Western Europe and SEAA.

As Unilever’s growth engine, we establish global white space businesses in key channels such as Health & Beauty, Discounters, E-Commerce and alternate channels such as travel retail, marketing to institutional partners like the United Nations, and seeding Unilever brands to overseas diaspora who crave for a taste of their familiar home brands.

Singapore is our global hub leading strategy, marketing thinking, seeding plans, and alignment with the global categories and supply chain. 

Game changing business

SPEED is the mantra for our resounding success. To serve the underserved, we embrace a founder’s mentality, explore unchartered territories, redesign end-to-end business models to establish successful businesses. We make a difference by working fast and smart, nurturing our tribe, winning together and living by five tenets:

We will be the fastest route-to-market globally; We go where no (man, woman or distributor) has ever explored; Impossible is an opinion, not a fact; Speed is our currency; When brands are built right, they can last a lifetime.

About Business Development in UI…

• We build market positions in white spaces by identify new opportunities, developing, defining, negotiating and nurturing strong business relationships. We own the business’ P&L end-to-end, partner with customers, distributors and internal cross-functional teams to manage and grow existing businesses, to deliver growth through flawless execution of projects.  

This role is important because …

• You’ll be responsible for identifying potential whitespace opportunities, collaborating with distributors to execute market entry and launching products in Levant & Iraq.
• You’ll be responsible for brand-building activities in Levant & Iraq and the end-to-end P&L of various seeding initiatives in UI.

Your key responsibilities include…

Prospecting

• Leading, mapping and developing business and seeding opportunities in Levant & Iraq through data and insight activation from idea to launch.
• Screening and recommending potential businesses through market analysis, deal requirements, potential and financial analysis
• Conducting end-to-end market opportunity assessment with customers

Customer Selection and Appointment

• Conducting comprehensive research and checks to identify suitable business distributors

Establishing and Executing Business Plans

• Developing and managing business plans internally and externally to craft end-to-end launch plans to drive route-to-market for new product development (NPD)
• Monthly partnering with supply chain on demand planning cycle & forecasting (End to End)
• Establishing networks for new product launches with the supply chain team and alignment with Category team on launches
• Implement thematic events, perfect store, outletwise assortment, and brand blocks.

Tracking and Monitoring Performance

• Tracking and managing key business metrics and KPIs across marketing and trade activities.
• Budget tracking on a monthly basis including claims validation reconciliation & processing
• Conducting reviews on a broad spectrum of topics (performance, registration, forecast etc.)
• Monthly EPOS, IMS and Stock cover analysis

Stakeholder Management

• Leading and aligning cross functional teams to effectively manage projects
• Collaborating with local OpCo for synergies

You’ll work closely with…

• UI Business Development, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams
• External distributors / Unilever OPCO

To be a star, you’re likely to …

• Proven sales track record
• Proficient in Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and CRM software (e.g. Salesforce)
• Must be an Arabic & English speaker.
• Be a strategic, highly adaptable and entrepreneurial person
• Embrace a high growth mindset with strong love for consumers, shoppers and customers
• Have strong financial acumen and analytical skills
• Have strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills with senior stakeholders
• Have experience working and leading in cross-functional teams

To be great at this, you’ll have…

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Customer Development in FMCG industry

• A bachelor’s degree in any discipline

To be extra AWESOME at this, you’ll have…

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Customer Development in FMCG industry – preferably in key account management and/or marketing
• Experience in international trade and capability building
• Experience working in cross-functional teams within a matrix environment both F2F and virtually

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.