Sales Specialist: Inland

Position Title:Sales Specialist: Inland
Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
Requisition ID: 44888
Are you a hunter? A coach? A connector?
At McCain, we don't just sell food - we fuel restaurants, hotels, and foodservice operators with products people love. And we're looking for a Regional Sales Specialist who is as passionate about growing markets as we are.
If you thrive in the field, love building relationships, and believe that great sales leadership starts with developing great people - this role was built for you.
About the Role
As a Regional Sales Specialist, you are the heartbeat of McCain Foodservice execution at the regional level. You will own a regional territory, lead a team of field Sales Representatives, and drive aggressive volume and revenue growth across distributors and operators. This is not a desk job - it's a high-energy, high-impact commercial leadership role where your results speak for themselves.
You will report into the Commercial Executive and sit at the critical intersection of strategy and execution: turning national account plans into in-market reality, converting competitors' customers into loyal McCain partners, and building the kind of distributor relationships that become true competitive advantages.
What You Will Do

• Drive Sales Results - Own regional tonnage and net sales value targets. Build and maintain an opportunity pipeline that always exceeds your future targets. Hunt aggressively for new operator and distributor volume with a relentless acquisition mindset.
• Lead and Develop Your Team - Coach, develop, and hold accountable a team of Area Sales Specialists and Sales Representatives. Conduct joint customer calls, run structured performance conversations, and build a high-performance sales culture where prospecting and customer acquisition are daily disciplines.
• Manage Distributor Relationships - Deliver exceptional, consistent service that positions McCain as the distributor partner of choice. Secure joint business development plans, drive call frequency and compliance, and expand McCain's regional footprint by converting competitor-held accounts.
• Execute National Account Plans - Ensure regional branch compliance with national promotional grids, activation activities, and pricing deals. Compile weekly and monthly tracking and reporting.
• Own Promotional and Trade Spend Discipline - Manage regional trade spend, deductions, and distributor programs with a clear focus on return on investment. Use Salesforce CRM to plan, execute, and track every campaign.
• Monitor Market Intelligence - Track regional distributor inventory pipelines and depot velocity. Feed timely, actionable market intelligence to National Account Managers to prevent stock-outs and support accurate demand forecasting.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally - Participate in structured reviews with National Account Managers, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Category teams. Champion cross-functional initiatives and remove barriers to conversion.

What You Bring
Experience and Education

• A BCom Degree in Business Management, Marketing, Commerce, Culinary or a related commercial or hospitality discipline (preferred).
• 5+ years of experience in FMCG or foodservice sales, with a proven track record in regional execution, distributor branch management, or field sales leadership.

Skills and Strengths

• Proven people leadership - you have led, developed, and held accountable a field sales team in a fast-paced environment.
• New business development - you have a demonstrated track record in B2B client acquisition and direct operator conversion in a competitive territory.
• Commercial acumen - you understand distributor route-to-market mechanics, pricing compliance, and gross profit contribution. You can read a Power BI dashboard and translate data into action.
• CRM discipline - Salesforce or equivalent CRM experience, with strong pipeline management habits.
• Customer obsession - you build trusted, multi-level relationships through consistent follow-through and responsive communication.
• Self-direction and resilience - you operate independently in the field, make sound commercial decisions autonomously, and rebound from setbacks without losing momentum.
• High mobility - you are willing and able to travel extensively across the assigned inland or coastal region.

The Kind of Person We Are Looking For
You are results-driven, collaborative, dynamic and proactive. You lead with courage - saying what needs to be said, stepping up to difficult conversations, and always holding yourself and others to the highest standard of accountability. You manage ambiguity well, thrive under pressure, and never lose sight of the customer.
Key Competencies
Business Insight | Customer Focus | Decision Quality | Drives Results | Plans & Aligns | Ensures Accountability | Collaborates | Attracts Top Talent | Drives Engagement | Being Resilient | Manages Ambiguity | Courage
Why McCain?
McCain is a global leader in frozen foods, present in over 160 countries and trusted by foodservice operators the world over. In South Africa, we are building a bold, high-performance commercial team - and the Regional Sales Specialist plays a central role in that story.
We believe in developing our people, rewarding results, and creating a culture where the best talent wants to stay and grow. When you join McCain, you join a team that is serious about winning - and serious about doing it the right way.
McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.
Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain's Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy , as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here .
Job Family: Sales
Location(s): ZA - South Africa : Gauteng : Johannesburg
Company: McCain Foods (S Africa)