Head of Sales Operations at IFSS Group

IFSS group works with legalized agreements and is a System Integrator specialized in the industry of Life Safety & Security. Through our portfolio of market-leading brands we deliver a full-range of fire safety and security solutions to a diverse customer- base around Africa.
SUMMARY


The Head of Sales Operations is the leader of the entire sales operations department, overseeing all of its activities. The role involves developing and implementing sales strategies that align with the company's overall business strategy. The candidate will also be responsible for managing the sales budget and ensuring that the sales team meets or exceeds their sales targets. He/ She will also train staff, develop "go to market" models, and increase reps' efficiency. This will enhance the business’s position with consumers and solidify the position of the business in the market.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership/Supervisory Role

The Head of Sales Operations will monitor the effectiveness of sales team efforts and ensure that they are aligned with the overall business objectives. In this position
He/ She will create processes that enable visible and transparent management and that utilize the available tools or implement new ones that bring about increased sales effectiveness.
He/ She will ensure the availability of proper sales training initiatives as well as oversee the planning and management for roles, responsibilities, values, and rules of engagement in the sales department.
He/ She will also align planning, forecasting and budgeting initiatives with business objectives in addition to developing departmental goals and objectives for further sales effectiveness.
At this capacity, the Head of Sales Operations will also play a mentorship role to key sales operations personnel, assisting in the execution of their duties upon request, ensuring constant improvement in their professional skills, and preparing them to take up his position in his absence or retirement.

Strategy

The Head of Sales Operations will assist the sales department in driving sales growth strategies and ensuring that these strategies are adopted in all levels of the department.
He/ She will be charged with developing improvement plans that are based on sales performance reports and surveys.
He/ She will also implements consumer segmentation, targeting, and positioning initiatives that will assist senior management/executives in deciding resource allocation based on the internal requirements and the external market.
In this capacity, the Head of Sales Operations will assist in the identification of solutions and technologies that drive sales efficiency and, consequently, revenue growth.

Analytics 

The Head of Sales Operations will play an analytical role, where he/she will be responsible for sales analytics, sales tracking, sales effectiveness, and reporting of sales performance.
He/ She will also conduct market analysis in order to identify opportunities for growing the businesse’s sales and communicating key messages.
He/She will also provide smart consumer research and industry specific information through adoption of sales automation solutions; as well as prepare weekly/monthly/quarterly/annually pipeline reports.
He/ She will identify market trends and tracks, key competitors and on a regular basis, conduct a competitive and SWOT analysis.

Collaboration 

The Head of Sales Operations will work with cross-functional teams, for example, the marketing department, in the business in order to develop innovative integrated plans and strategies for the purpose of reaching mutually agreed upon targets.
He/ She will also work closely with the Executive Director in streamlining sales processes/strategies, allocating quotas, balancing territories, and enhancing visibility of pipeline management.

He/She will collaborate with the Head of Human Resource in determining the criteria for the department’s recruitment so as to determine effective performance in the department.
Knowledge & Opportunity

The Head of Sales Operations will be responsible for identifying and understanding trends within the market and amongst consumers. He will vigorously pursue opportunities that increase sales volumes for the business and keep track of prospective markets and consumers, developing processes that communicate key differentiators of the business/product in order to attract those prospects.
He/ She will also attend and actively participate in sales events, seminars and workshops, establishing the business as an industry leader while simultaneously identifying and capitalizing on any prospects.

Other Duties 

The Head of Sales Operations also performs other duties as he deems necessary in the execution of his functions or duties as assigned by the Executive Director

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 
Education 

·He/ She must have a master’s degree in Sales, Marketing, Finance, or any other business-related field and a Bachelor’s degree in Sales & Marketing.

Experience 

The candidate must have over ten (10) years’ working experience in a Sales Operation Department of a business in a fast-paced and highly competitive environment, preferably working as a Sales & Marketing Manager.
The candidate will also have a proven and successful experience managing a cross-functional team leading that team to the achievement of sales objectives and targets. A suitable candidate will also demonstrate strong business acumen and have proven planning skills and executive presence.

Communication Skills 

Communication skills are an absolute necessity in this position. The clarity of communication from the Head of Sales Operations will be a great determinate of the effectiveness of the performance in the entire sales operations department. Efficient communication skills will also be necessary in his/her external interactions with current and prospective client’s as well as internally with management and colleagues.
He/ She has to have excellent communication skills both in written and verbal form. Written skills will be necessary in drafting and tailoring reports, contracts and presentations to senior management and clients in a clear, concise, and convincing manner.

Ms Office 

The Head of Sales Operations must also demonstrate proficiency in the use of Ms Word, Ms Excel, PowerPoint, which are necessary in the creation of visually and verbally engaging reports and presentations to clients, management and the sales operations team.

Analytical Skills 

The candidate must demonstrate exceptional analytical skills and a passion for the insights that result from those analyses. The candidate for this position must, therefore, possess an ability to analyze complex information and data, translating these findings into actionable deliverables, strategies, targets, messages and presentations.

Interpersonal Skills 

The Head of Sales Operations must also possess certain attributes that make him/her even more suited for the position. He must be client-oriented and have a passion for serving others, must work comfortably in a group setting, be self-motivated and inspire the same in his team, be a problem-solver and thought-leader, have strong strategic and thinking skills, have a positive winning attitude and have an ability to maintain composure in stressful and uncertain situations.

People Skills

The Head of Sales Operations must have the ability to build and maintain strong and lasting relationships as a representative of the business, enabling him/her to lure in prospective consumers, therefore, furthering the business’s sales agenda. He/She must be an approachable individual with a likeable personality that makes working and associating with him/her and the business preferable.
Good people skills will also enable him/her to earn the trust of clients, colleagues and management, therefore, enabling smooth performance of his duties.