Distributor Account Manager - UFS Central, MY

JOB TITLE: DISTRIBUTOR ACCOUNT MANAGER - UFS CENTRAL

LOCATION: MALAYSIA

SCOPE: MALAYSIA

ABOUT FOOD SOLUTIONS  (UFS)

Act like a founder, be part of a Winning team, accelerate your growth, stay ahead of the curve, enjoy the journey: JOIN UFS

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) is the the 2nd largest Business Unit of Unilever, is one of the 3 Power brands of the Foods Business Group, and a global market leader in Food Service. We are an independent Global Business Unit that operates in over 76 countries, generating ~€3 Billion in Turnover, and employing ~4000 employees. We have a unique B2B business model focused on serving chefs and our purpose is to free them to love what they do.

We at UFS have a bold and clear ambition and strategy in place to reach €5bn by 2030 with accretive profitability, by being the best solution provider to our 5 million operators. We plan to do this via a product first focus on superiority, by becoming the leader in AI powered Customer experience and by nurturing a Winning culture. We have had a history of delivering with excellence and resilient performance in the past few years. We also strive to stay 3 steps ahead in the industry. For example, our Future Menus Report identifies emerging culinary trends, making us a trendsetter for inspiring innovative solutions for chefs worldwide.

We have a culture of caring deeply not just for our business but also for our people. We foster an entrepreneurial culture built on speed, simplicity, trust, and a deep hunger to grow. Our people thrive on their roles being empowered and end to end - across all functions. We also invest heavily in building future skills and leaders. Our People agenda of Accelerate-Grow-Thrive consistently helps us lead in employee engagement, with Univoice scores exceeding Unilever scores across all dimensions and being one of the most engaged teams at Unilever.

Here, you will continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn, challenging yourself to accelerate your development in an end-to-end business and in end-to-end roles.If you're dreaming of contributing to Unilever’s 2nd largest Business unit, a fast-growing business, where you're empowered so you can play to win and thrive as part of One Team with One Goal, then come and join us!

ROLE PURPOSE

Responsible for driving profitable business growth through effective distributor management, strong execution excellence, and market expansion. The Distributor Account Manager will build strategic partnerships with distributors, lead sales execution through the distributor network, and ensure achievement of business objectives across sales, distribution, visibility, and customer development.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Distributor Business Management

• Develop and manage strong relationships with assigned distributors to drive business growth and achieve sales targets.

• Own distributor performance including sell-in, sell-out, stock management, profitability, and execution standards.

• Lead joint business planning with distributors to identify growth opportunities, commercial priorities, and action plans.

• Monitor distributor inventory, order planning, and stock health to ensure optimal availability and reduce out-of-stock risks.

• Drive distributor capability development to improve coverage, productivity, and route-to-market effectiveness.

2. Sales & Market Execution

• Deliver sales, distribution, and revenue targets through effective distributor execution.

• Identify opportunities to expand customer base, improve numeric distribution, and increase UFS penetration.

• Ensure strong execution of commercial plans, promotions, launches, and activation programs in the market.

• Translate market insights into actionable plans to accelerate growth and improve competitiveness.

3. DT & DSR Management

• Lead and manage Distributor Team (DT) and Distributor Sales Representatives (DSR) to drive sales effectiveness and execution excellence.

• Set clear objectives, monitor performance, and coach DT/DSR teams to achieve business KPIs.

• Build sales capability through regular field coaching, joint visits, and performance reviews.

• Ensure DSR productivity, route efficiency, customer coverage, and call effectiveness are optimized.

• Drive adoption of sales tools, reporting discipline, and execution standards across the distributor sales force.

4. Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Develop strong relationships with key customers, distributors, and internal stakeholders.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Customer Development to deliver business priorities.

• Resolve customer and operational challenges to ensure high service levels and customer satisfaction.

5. Business Planning & Performance Management

• Analyze sales performance, market trends, and distributor KPIs to identify opportunities and risks.

• Prepare regular business reviews and performance updates with actionable recommendations.

• Manage budgets and trade investments effectively to maximize ROI.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related discipline.

• Proven experience in distributor management, FMCG sales, or foodservice industry.

• Strong track record in achieving sales targets and driving market growth.

• Experience managing distributor sales teams, including DT and DSR structures.

• Strong commercial acumen with ability to analyse data and translate insights into actions.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

• Ability to lead, coach, and influence teams to deliver results.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Distributor & Route-to-Market Excellence

• Customer & Relationship Management

• Sales Leadership & Execution

• Business Acumen

• Performance Management

• Problem Solving & Strategic Thinking

ARE YOU INTERESTED?

Please apply online and add your updated resume. Your application will be reviewed against our requirements and we will be in touch to provide you with an update on the status of your application if shortlisted. 

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.