Job Description

Role Title: Associate Director – Sales Capability

Level: L10

Function: Commercial / Sales

Location: Gurgaon, India

Role Purpose

Lead the design and execution of sales capability development across frontline sales teams to drive superior in-market execution and sustainable business growth. The role will blend structured capability building with hands-on field coaching to ensure translation of training into on-ground performance.

Success Metrics

• Improvement in frontline productivity and execution KPIs
• Capability adoption across regions
• Improvement in sales team effectiveness (CE/ASM capability scores)
• Measurable ROI from training interventions

Leadership Expectations

• Acts as a bridge between strategy and execution
• Leads by example through field immersion
• Builds a high-performance learning culture within sales teams

Key Responsibilities

1. Sales Capability Strategy & Program Design

• Develop a comprehensive capability-building roadmap for:
  • Frontline Salesmen (FLS)
  • Customer Executives (CEs)
  • Area Sales Managers (ASMs)
• Identify capability gaps across markets, channels, and roles using performance data and field insights.
• Design functional training modules covering:
  • Route-to-market execution
  • Perfect store / outlet execution standards
  • Sales fundamentals (coverage, distribution, visibility, productivity)
  • Negotiation and influencing skills
  • Distributor management
  • Pace/ tech Usage
  • WEC Adoption
• Ensure alignment of capability programs with business priorities and commercial strategy.

2. Training Delivery & Field Immersion

• Lead end-to-end rollout of training programs across regions.
• Institutionalize a “learn apply coach” model:
  • Classroom/digital interventions
  • On-the-job coaching in markets
• Spend significant time (~30–40%) in-market:
  • Work alongside salesmen, CEs, and ASMs
  • Demonstrate best practices
  • Provide real-time coaching and feedback
• Build structured field coaching guidelines and playbooks.

3. Capability Building for Sales Leadership

• Design and deliver targeted programs for CEs and ASMs on:
  • Team leadership and coaching effectiveness
  • Performance management
  • Territory planning and execution
• Enable ASMs to become strong capability multipliers through “train-the-trainer” approaches.

4. Measurement & Impact Tracking

• Develop metrics to track effectiveness of capability initiatives:
  • Sales productivity improvement
  • Numeric & weighted distribution gains
  • Execution scores (visibility, availability)
  • ROI of training interventions
• Establish feedback loops to continuously refine training content and delivery.

5. Content Development & Digital Enablement

• Create standardized, scalable training content (modules, playbooks, toolkits).
• Leverage digital platforms for training delivery and reinforcement (micro-learning, assessments).
• Partner with internal/external stakeholders to bring industry best practices into capability programs.

6. Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with:
  • Sales leadership (ZSMs, RSMs)
  • Commercial strategy teams
  • HR / L&D teams
• Ensure strong buy-in and adoption of capability initiatives across regions.

7. Team Leadership

• Lead and develop 1 direct report.
• Guide execution of capability initiatives through the team and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications & Experience

• MBA from a premier institute.
• ~8–14 years of experience in Sales / Commercial / Capability / L&D roles.
• Strong exposure to FMCG sales operations preferred.
• Prior field sales experience is highly desirable.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Deep understanding of FMCG sales processes & frontline realities
• Strong training design and facilitation capabilities
• Hands-on coaching mindset with field orientation
• Data-driven approach to performance improvement
• Stakeholder influencing & collaboration
• Leadership development and coaching skills
• High execution bias and ownership