Sales Learning - Associate Director

Job description

Overview 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 Responsibilities 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 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