Head – General Trade & Modern Trade (FMCG)

Key Responsibilities

• General Trade (GT)
• Build and expand the distributor/super-stockist network across target geographies, starting from the Ahmedabad/Gujarat base and scaling pan-India.
• Recruit, appoint, and manage distributors and wholesalers; set territory boundaries and appointment criteria.
• Own primary sales (company to distributor) and secondary sales (distributor to retailer) targets and forecasts.
• Build and lead a field sales team (Area Sales Managers, Sales Officers) to service kirana and general trade outlets.
• Design and run trade schemes, retailer incentive programs, and channel promotions.
• Ensure product availability, visibility, and merchandising at the retail point of sale.
• Own distributor claims, credit control, and secondary sales reporting and reconciliation.
• Modern Trade (MT)
• Build and manage relationships with key accounts - supermarket and hypermarket chains (e.g. DMart, Reliance Retail, and other national/regional chains).
• Lead listing negotiations: new SKU listings, category management, shelf space, and planogram compliance.
• Negotiate trading terms - margins, credit period, listing fees, promotional support, and slotting.
• Plan and execute in-store visibility, POSM, and promotional calendars with the Graphics team.
• Track sell-through, off-take data, and inventory health at MT accounts; manage stock rotation and returns.
• Own the P&L for the MT channel - pricing, margins, and scheme ROI.
• Cross-Functional & Leadership
• Build, lead, and manage the GT & MT team end to end - hiring Area Sales Managers and Sales Officers, defining territories and incentive structures, coaching for performance, and building a bench as the channel scales.
• Act as the direct owner of the GT & MT team - one of Estrip's four sales-facing channels feeding the company's #1 priority: Sales.
• Coordinate with the Graphics team for retail collateral/POSM and with Manufacturing for supply planning and fill rates.
• Build out the sales MIS/DMS (distributor management system), starting from the current Google Sheets base, in step with the broader Systems & CRM initiative.
• Forecast channel demand and align with Manufacturing on production planning for GT/MT.
• Report weekly and monthly on primary/secondary sales, distribution reach (towns and outlets covered), MT off-take, and scheme ROI directly to the Founder.
• 8-12+ years in sales, with direct ownership of both General Trade and Modern Trade channels - FMCG, home care, or personal care category experience preferred.
• Proven track record of building a distributor network from scratch, or scaling one significantly across territories.
• Direct experience negotiating listings and trading terms with national or regional modern trade chains (e.g. DMart, Reliance Retail, or comparable accounts).
• Experience managing distributor claims, trade scheme ROI, and secondary sales/DMS systems.
• Comfortable operating in a startup or D2C-to-offline transition context - building processes rather than inheriting them.
• Experience hiring and managing a field sales team (ASMs, Sales Officers) is a strong plus.