B2B Sales Manager

BURN is seeking a hands-on Sales Manager to lead the growth of our B2B business (improved charcoal stoves and LPG stoves) in-country. This is a high-impact role for a commercially minded operator who will drive growth by recruiting wholesalers and retailers into BURN's distribution network and ensuring BURN wins in general trade channels across the country.

This is not a desk-bound role. The successful candidate will spend the majority of their time in the market, moving from trading hub to trading hub, building relationships with small and medium-sized retailers and wholesalers, recruiting them as partners, and activating demand on the ground. They will own the country B2B P&L and, working closely with the B2B Strategy team in Nairobi, design and implement a clear path to profitability, with the goal of reaching break-even within six months.

As this is a resource-constrained environment with limited above-the-line marketing budgets, the role calls for someone who knows how and where to deploy below-the-line (BTL) activations and digital channels for maximum impact at the lowest possible cost.

The ideal candidate brings a proven track record within the FMCG / consumer goods trading ecosystem in their country, with strong personal networks among key retailers and wholesalers across the major trading markets. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, BURN is Africa's leading clean cooking company. Since 2011, BURN has sold over 6.3 million clean cooking appliances and today operates in 14 African countries, employing more than 3,000 people, with production facilities in Kenya, Nigeria, and Malawi.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Country Sales Strategy & Go-to-Market: In collaboration with the B2B Strategy and Operations teams in Nairobi, design, implement, and manage the national sales, distribution, and go-to-market strategy for general and modern trade. Drive the expansion of numeric and weighted distribution across all channels.
• Distributor & Retailer Recruitment: Identify, recruit, and onboard wholesalers and retailers (including small and medium-sized traders), as well as corporations, government institutions, and NGOs, into BURN's network. Negotiate favorable trade terms and distribution partnership agreements that enable profitable, sustainable growth.
• P&L Ownership & Path to Profitability: Own and manage the country B2B P&L. Working with the B2B Strategy team, design and implement a coherent path to profitability and deliver break-even within six months - balancing volume growth with margin discipline and tight cost (OPEX) management.
• Account Management: Manage existing distributor relationships and key accounts, co-developing simple Joint Business Plans (JBPs) that align on sales targets, stock, and trade investment, and providing support where needed.
• Marketing, Activations & Merchandising (BTL & Digital): On a lean budget, design and run cost-effective BTL activations and digital campaigns that create end-consumer demand and pull product through the channel. Hire (or outsource), train, and manage an on-the-ground activation/merchandising team to deliver live demos, store displays, and point-of-sale visibility in line with BURN's market strategy.
• Logistics & Forecasting: Plan order schedules together with distributors and the 3PL partner, support sales forecasting, and track the country sales and marketing budget.
• Market Intelligence & Reporting: Produce monthly reports for senior management in Nairobi covering sales performance, trends, activation effectiveness, and growth opportunities. Benchmark competitor pricing, products, and channel presence, and support the Market Research team in Nairobi with market-specific research projects.
• Training: Train distribution partners and their sales teams on BURN's products.
• Government Relations: Serve as BURN's key on-the-ground contact with government officials, with guidance and support from the Global Business Development team in Nairobi.

Skills and Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience in sales and trade marketing within FMCG / consumer goods, with strong "boots-on-the-ground" field experience in-country.
• Strong personal networks with small and medium-sized retailers and wholesalers across the country's major trading markets, with the ability to recruit them into BURN's network quickly.
• High level of comfort working with wholesale and general-trade clients, and solid familiarity with general and modern trade dynamics and Route-to-Market.
• Demonstrated experience designing and running BTL activations and digital campaigns to create end-consumer demand on lean budgets.
• Managerial experience; ability to hire, train, and manage a small team of promoters/activators.
• Commercial and P&L acumen, with a strong analytical / number-crunching background and comfort with sales forecasting and budgets.
• Enthusiastic, entrepreneurial, creative, and a genuine desire to 'sell for good'.
• Experience developing new distribution channels and negotiating trade terms/distribution agreements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in French; working proficiency in English an advantage.

Qualified Female Candidates encouraged to Apply

BURN does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).