Sales Engineer - B2C Channel Manager

About ROMELROMEL General Trading PLC is an Ethiopian company with more than twenty years in the electrical sector, certified to ISO 9001 and audited by TUV Rheinland. We manufacture, import and distribute electrical products, lighting fixtures and wiring accessories, and we also operate in premium green coffee export and building materials. Our B2C division serves households, contractors, electricians, consultants and project clients through our showroom, trade counter and retail channel.We are expanding this division and are looking for a qualified electrical engineer who can sell technically, lead a sales team, and raise the technical standard of the whole channel.Purpose of the roleThis is a hybrid technical and commercial leadership position. You will be the technical authority of the B2C channel and, at the same time, the manager accountable for its sales performance. You will convince customers on technical grounds, transfer that knowledge to the sales team so they can do the same, prepare accurate proforma invoices and technical offers for project clients, and make sure the products the market demands are available on the shelf when customers ask for them.Key responsibilities1. Technical sales and customer advisory

• Advise walk-in customers, contractors, electricians, consultants and project clients on the correct selection of switches, sockets, circuit breakers, distribution boards, cables, lamps, indoor and outdoor luminaires, decorative and chandelier lighting, and electrical accessories.
• Explain and defend technical differentiators - protection rating, breaking capacity, current rating, luminous output and efficacy, colour temperature and rendering, driver quality, material and finish, standards compliance, warranty - in language the customer understands.
• Handle price objections against low-cost, uncertified alternatives on the basis of safety, lifespan, total cost of ownership and after-sales support.
• Carry out or supervise basic lighting layout and load calculations where a project client requires them.
• Act as the escalation point for technical complaints and warranty cases, and coordinate the resolution with the supplier and the technical team.

2. Project and B2B quotations

• Prepare complete, accurate and competitive proforma invoices and technical offers for project-based and institutional clients, including product substitution and value-engineering options.
• Read bills of quantity and technical specifications and match them to our product range; identify where our products meet or exceed the specified requirement.
• Follow up quotations through to closing, and maintain a record of issued offers, conversion and reasons for loss.
• Work with management on pricing and discount decisions within the approved margin policy.

3. Leading and developing the sales team

• Manage the day-to-day performance of the showroom and channel sales team; set individual targets, monitor them, and hold regular performance discussions.
• Design and deliver structured product knowledge training on a regular schedule, and verify through assessment that the team has absorbed it.
• Build practical selling tools for the team: product comparison sheets, objection-handling guides, cross-selling matrices, standard talking points for each category.
• Coach on the floor. Observe live customer interactions and give direct feedback.
• Motivate the team and administer the incentive and commission scheme fairly and transparently.

4. Sales target and channel management

• Own the monthly, quarterly and annual sales target of the B2C channel and report performance against it.
• Analyse under-performance properly - customer traffic, conversion rate, stock availability, pricing, competitor activity, individual skill - and act on the actual cause.
• Monitor competitor products, pricing and promotions in the local market and report the implications to management.
• Identify and develop new customer segments and channel partners for the division.

5. Product availability and demand planning

• Forecast demand by product and category based on sales history, seasonality, project pipeline and market trend.
• Raise replenishment requirements to procurement in good time so that fast-moving and demanded items are continuously available in the showroom and the channel.
• Flag slow-moving and dead stock and propose action to clear it.
• Give structured feedback to management on gaps in the product range and on new products the market is asking for.

PositionSales Engineer - B2C Channel Manager (Electrical & Lighting Products)DepartmentB2C Division - Showroom, Trade Counter & Retail ChannelReports to[ Sales Director / Managing Director ]Direct reports[ number ] showroom and channel sales staffLocationAddis Ababa, EthiopiaEmployment typeFull time, permanent (with probation period)Required numberOne (1)SalaryNegotiable and competitive, plus performance-based incentive [ specify or leave as is ]Application deadline[ date ]