Unilever is currently hiring for an Assistant Business Development Manager
Function: Customer Development
Reports to: UI Business Development Lead, East Africa
Location: Kenya
Terms & Conditions: Full time
Role Purpose
Drive sustainable and profitable growth across assigned East African markets by leading distributor performance, commercial planning, customer development and market execution. The role will combine hands-on business delivery with the development of capability for broader regional leadership responsibilities and operates within a regional business covering Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia
Core Responsibilities
Business Delivery: Own turnover, growth, profitability and market execution targets for the assigned approximately EUR 7M business. Lead annual plans, monthly performance reviews and corrective actions.
Distributor Leadership: Build and execute joint business plans, lead distributor governance, strengthen capability and hold partners accountable for agreed commercial outcomes.
Commercial Planning: Own forecasting, demand planning, pricing, portfolio mix, trade investment and promotional planning in collaboration with relevant functions.
Market Development: Identify and convert growth opportunities across priority geographies, brands, customers and channels. Expand distribution, coverage and execution quality.
Operational Excellence: Maintain healthy inventory, service, working-capital and order discipline. Proactively manage supply risks and prevent avoidable out-of-stocks.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Customer Operations to deliver end-to-end business priorities and resolve execution barriers.
Governance and Compliance: Ensure distributor operations, commercial investments and market activities comply with company policies, controls and regulatory requirements.
Scale and Succession: Demonstrate readiness to assume additional markets, customers and P&L responsibility as the East Africa business grows.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Business, Commerce, Marketing or a related discipline; postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
Approximately 5-8 years of progressive FMCG commercial experience in Sales, Customer Development, Distributor Management or a related field.
Proven record of delivering sales and business targets through distributors and customers.
Strong commercial acumen, analytical capability and understanding of P&L drivers.
Comfort operating independently across multiple markets and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
East Africa or comparable emerging-market exposure is strongly preferred.
High ownership, learning agility, resilience and an entrepreneurial growth mindset.
Skills and Experience
Distributor management - Joint business planning, governance, performance reviews and capability building.
Commercial delivery - Demonstrated delivery of growth, revenue targets and disciplined execution.
Planning and analytics - Forecasting, demand planning, performance analysis and action-oriented reporting.
Financial acumen - Working knowledge of P&L, gross margin, trade investment, ROI and working capital.
Route to market - Experience improving coverage, channel execution and distributor productivity.
Stakeholder leadership - Ability to align customers and cross-functional teams around clear decisions and actions.
Communication - Executive-ready written and verbal communication, including customer negotiation and business reviews.
Unilever Behaviors
Care Deeply: We care deeply about how consumers experience our brands every day, everywhere; about our people’s growth and development, and our impact on the planet. We care about our performance, to a point where it hurts when we don’t win.
Focus on What Counts: We ruthlessly prioritise what truly matters, and so do fewer things brilliantly. We set clear goals & direction and recognise others for maximum impact.
Stay Three Steps Ahead: We think boldly and creatively to make breakthroughs in performance. We are always curious and confident -anticipating and staying ahead of consumer needs and external trends, to beat the competition.
Deliver with Excellence: We deliver excellence in what we do at pace. We take personal ownership and hold each other to account – always finding a way to do what we said we will do.
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Commerce, Marketing, or a related discipline
- Postgraduate qualification
- Approximately 5–8 years of progressive FMCG commercial experience in Sales, Customer Development, Distributor Management, or a related field
- Proven record of delivering sales and business targets through distributors and customers
- Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability
- Understanding of P&L drivers, gross margin, trade investment, ROI, and working capital
- Experience with distributor management, joint business planning, governance, performance reviews, and capability building
- Experience with forecasting, demand planning, performance analysis, and action-oriented reporting
- Experience improving route-to-market coverage, channel execution, and distributor productivity
- Ability to operate independently across multiple markets and influence stakeholders without direct authority
- East Africa or comparable emerging-market exposure
- High ownership, learning agility, resilience, and entrepreneurial growth mindset
- Executive-ready written and verbal communication, including customer negotiation and business reviews
Unilever Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Unilever and has not been reviewed or approved by Unilever.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and occupational health support alongside a 24/7 employee assistance program. Wellbeing offerings such as health checks, resilience tools, and counseling support the perceived depth of health-related benefits.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support includes a 401(k) match that reaches up to 5% of base salary, strengthening the overall value of the package. Share and savings options are also referenced as part of longer-term financial support beyond salary.
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Flexible Benefits — Benefits customization is enabled through tools such as a “My Reward” system and a “Benefits Envelope” that allows employees to personalize selections. Flexible working approaches are also associated with improved overall satisfaction, reinforcing perceived choice and adaptability in the total rewards offering.
Unilever Insights
What We Do
Be part of the world’s most successful, purpose-led business. Work with brands that are well-loved around the world, that improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We promote innovation, big and small, to make our business win and grow; and we believe in business as a force for good. Unleash your curiosity, challenge ideas and disrupt processes; use your energy to make this happen. Our brilliant business leaders and colleagues provide mentorship and inspiration, so you can be at your best. Our portfolio ranges from nutritionally balanced foods to indulgent ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos and everyday household care products. We produce world-leading brands including Lipton, Knorr, Dove, Axe, Hellmann’s and Omo, alongside trusted local names and innovative-forward thinking brands like Ben & Jerry’s, The Dollar Shave Club and Dermalogica. Every individual here can bring their purpose to life through their work. Join us and you’ll be surrounded by inspiring leaders and supportive peers. Among them, you’ll channel your purpose, bring fresh ideas to the table, and simply be you. As you work to make a real impact on the business and the world, we’ll work to help you become a better you.
