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