BAT is evolving at pace into a global multi-category business. Our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World.
To achieve our ambition, we are looking for colleagues who are ready to join us on this journey! Tomorrow can’t wait, let’s shape it together!
British American Tobaccohas an exciting opportunity for an Area Manager – Trade Marketing & Distribution in Singapore
The Area Manager will play a critical role in driving distributor performance, expanding business opportunities, and strengthening the company’s channel strategy. This role is designed for a commercially driven individual with strong stakeholder management, strong analytical and negotiation skills, and an entrepreneurial mindset. The incumbent will lead distributor people management, unlock new business through active pitching, data driven opportunity assessment, strategic negotiations, and channel development, while ensuring strong trade hygiene and operational excellence across the market. A portion of the role will also focus on educating retailers and trade partners to strengthen product knowledge and advocacy.
Your key responsibilities will include:
1. Distributor People & Performance Management
- Lead the day-to-day management, motivation, and performance monitoring of distributor teams.
- Drive alignment on monthly priorities, sales targets, and execution standards.
- Conduct regular business reviews with distributor leaders to evaluate performance and identify growth gaps using data driven insights.
- Provide coaching, capability building, and structured guidance to improve field execution quality.
- Strengthen distributor engagement and build a highly productive working culture.
2. Business Development & Channel Growth
- Identify, evaluate, and secure new business opportunities across existing or emerging channels using market data and competitive analysis.
- Lead pitching efforts and negotiate commercial terms with potential partners, retailers, and new channel prospects.
- Drive channel revamps and strategic improvements to unlock incremental distribution and visibility.
- Analyze competitive movements and consumer trends to recommend analytically sound channel specific growth strategies.
- Work cross functionally to build compelling commercial proposals and support complex listing or trading term negotiations.
3. Distribution & Trade Hygiene Excellence
- Ensure strong product availability with zero tolerance for out of stock (OOS) situations.
- Strengthen overall route to market quality through proactive planning and quantitative stock analysis.
- Conduct routine trade audits to ensure execution excellence and corrective actions where required.
- Collaborate with supply chain and distributor partners to resolve operational issues swiftly.
- Maintain high trade hygiene standards including pricing compliance, visibility, and planogram adherence.
4. Retail Product Education & Trade Engagement
- Deliver product knowledge training to retail staff, distributor sales teams, and trade partners.
- Support retailer engagement programs to strengthen advocacy and conversion.
- Develop simple training materials to improve product understanding and trade confidence.
What are we looking for?
- 3–5 years of experience in FMCG Customer Management, Business Development, Distributor Management, or Channel Development.
- Well familiar with Excel formulas and PowerPoint presentation.
- Ability to converse in Mandarin is essential.
- Strong interpersonal, leadership, analytical, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and steer distributor teams effectively.
- Commercially savvy with strong analytical thinking and the ability to identify and evaluate growth opportunities.
- Comfortable with pitching, leading negotiations, and driving new business conversations.
- Highly adaptable, self driven, and motivated by building business from the ground up, and passionate about driving distribution excellence and sustainable channel growth.
- Willingness to engage frequently in fieldwork and trade visits.
- Open to mobility and relocation to other countries as part of career progression or market needs.
- Open to Singapore Citizen/Permanent Resident only.
What we offer you?
- We offer a market leading annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility)
- Our range of benefits varies by country and includes diverse health plans, initiatives for work-life balance, transportation support, and a flexible holiday plan with additional incentives
- Your journey with us isn't limited by boundaries; it's propelled by your aspirations. Join us at BAT and become a part of an environment that thrives on internal advancement, where your career progression isn't just a statement – it's a reality we're eager to build together. Seize the opportunity and own your development; your next chapter starts here.
- You'll have access to online learning platforms and personalized growth programs to nurture your leadership skills
- We prioritise continuous improvement within a transformative environment, preparing for ongoing changes
WHY JOIN BAT?
We’re one of the few companies named as a Global Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute – certified in offering excellent employee conditions.
Collaboration, inclusion and partnership underpin everything we do here at BAT. We are looking forward to enabling every individual to thrive, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, skills, experience, education, socio-economic and professional background, veteran status, perspectives and thinking styles. We know that embracing talent from all backgrounds is what makes us stronger and best prepared to meet our business goals.
We see the career breaks as opportunities not obstacles. Through The Global Returners program, we support professionals looking to restart their careers after an extended absence from the workforce (e.g. time out caring for family, parental leave, national service, sabbatical and/or starting an own venture).
Come bring your difference and see what is possible for you at BAT. Learn more about our culture and our award winning employee experience here.
If you require any reasonable adjustments or accommodations to help you perform at your best during the recruitment process, you are encouraged to notify us. We are fully committed to support you by making appropriate arrangements for you to demonstrate your full potential.
