National Sales Manager - Sri Lanka

LIPTON Teas and Infusions is the world’s largest tea business, with world-class, purpose-driven brands such as Lipton, Pukka, Tazo, T2, PG Tips AND Brooke Bond. We are truly united in one purpose: growing a world of wellbeing to generate value for all. In July 2022, CVC Capital Partners Fund VIII took over the full ownership of the LIPTON Teas and Infusions business (previously called ekaterra) from its former owner, Unilever. As a standalone entity with a dedicated single-category focus, we are even better positioned to lead the tea industry, delivering higher growth and value, and a greater impact on the communities we serve / wider world. Under the ownership of CVC, LIPTON Teas and Infusions has an exciting future ahead with opportunities for increased investments in our iconic brands, our people, and our capabilities, underpinned by our Value Creation Plan (VCP) strategy. Combining the strength and scale of our brands with a focus on speed and agility, LIPTON Teas and Infusions is brewing a corporate start-up mindset that’s opening-up new opportunities for its people to flourish every day. E-commerce acceleration is at the heart of the strategy, and we are keen to have talented experts to join us on this exciting journey. We put consumer love & science at the heart of every decision. We celebrate diverse thinkers who take personal ownership to connect ideas and make impactful things happen; people who share our values around humanity and courage and give their commitment to nurturing the wellbeing of all. In return, we offer a working culture that gives our people freedom and flexibility, and where they can grow both personally and professionally to master their field. Role Summary The National Sales Manager — Sri Lanka is a lean, senior individual sales leader accountable for full multi-channel commercial delivery across General Trade (GT), Modern Trade (MT), eCommerce and the newly launching HoReCa (Out-of-Home) channel. Unlike a single-distributor market, Sri Lanka's commercial structure runs through a portfolio of established GT and MT customer relationships (6+ GT, 8+ MT) and eCommerce partners (3+), requiring hands-on senior account leadership. The role also carries a green-field mandate: building HoReCa from zero — identifying, approaching and onboarding hotels, restaurants, cafés and catering accounts for the new Out-of-Home ready portfolio, in a channel with no existing route today. The role operates with a deliberately lean team structure, requiring strong individual ownership, cross-channel prioritisation and the ability to lead independently with minimal layers of support. Key Tasks in the Role 1. Multi-Channel Sales Strategy & Delivery Own end-to-end sales delivery across GT, MT, eCommerce & HoReCa, translating country commercial targets into channel-specific plans. Set and deliver volume, revenue, distribution and profitability targets for each channel. Prioritise resource and investment allocation across a lean structure to maximise overall business return. Monitor performance across all four channels and lead corrective action where needed. 2. General Trade & Modern Trade Account Leadership Directly lead commercial relationships with GT and MT customers (6+ GT, 8+ MT), negotiating trading terms, promotional plans and joint business plans. Drive numeric & weighted distribution, visibility and in-store execution across the existing customer base. Identify and unlock incremental growth opportunities within the established customer portfolio. Bring renewed commercial rigour and negotiation strength to existing trading relationships, even where channels are already at a decent level of maturity. 3. eCommerce Channel Management Manage and grow relationships with eCommerce partners (3+), embedding Lipton's portfolio in a fast-evolving channel. Develop channel-specific assortment, pricing and promotional strategies suited to online shopper behaviour. Track eCommerce sales performance, digital shelf presence and share of search/visibility. 4. HoReCa Channel Build-Out (New Channel Development) Build the HoReCa channel from the ground up: define target segments (hotels, restaurants, cafés, catering, QSR) for the new Out-of-Home (OOH) ready portfolio. Identify, prospect and approach prospective HoReCa clients; build and manage a structured sales pipeline. Design a differentiated go-to-market and commercial approach appropriate for HoReCa — pricing, contracts, service levels and equipment/vending where relevant. Establish the operating playbook, pricing architecture and servicing model for this channel, given it has no established route today. Convert prospects into signed accounts and manage onboarding through to sustained repeat business. 5. Commercial Negotiation & Trading Terms Lead all customer-level trading term negotiations, ensuring profitable and sustainable agreements across all channels. Apply Revenue Growth Management (RGM) principles to pricing, promotions and trade investment. Continuously benchmark trading terms against market practice to protect margin. 6. Sales Operations & Cross-Functional Coordination Given the lean team structure, personally coordinate closely with Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Customer Service to ensure order fulfilment, forecasting accuracy and service levels. Own forecast input for all channels, ensuring alignment with demand planning. Ensure disciplined, accurate sales reporting and channel performance tracking despite limited support resources. 7. Market Intelligence & Business Development Monitor competitor activity, channel dynamics and emerging trends across GT, MT, eCommerce and HoReCa. Proactively identify white space and new business opportunities, particularly in the nascent HoReCa channel. Bring an entrepreneurial, business-development mindset to a role that combines established account management with new-channel creation. Stakeholder Management & Key Interfaces Internal Country Manager — Sri Lanka & Bangladesh Marketing Team Trade & Shopper Marketing Finance Team Supply Chain Team Customer Service External GT & MT Key Accounts (Owners / Buying Teams) eCommerce Platform Partners Prospective & Onboarded HoReCa Clients (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés, Catering) Distribution / Logistics Partners Skills & Experience Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing or a related discipline; MBA preferred. 8–12 years of FMCG sales experience, including direct key account management across General Trade and Modern Trade. Proven experience opening new channels or new business development — HoReCa/Out-of-Home experience strongly preferred. Strong negotiation skills and commercial/financial acumen. Demonstrated ability to operate independently in a lean structure, managing multiple channels simultaneously. eCommerce/digital channel exposure preferred. Excellent stakeholder management and executive presence, given senior, direct customer-facing exposure. Proven leadership experience in guiding teams, managing stakeholders, and delivering business outcomes in a dynamic environment Strong track record of winning new business, developing key customer relationships, and achieving revenue growth targets. Travel required: 40-50% Please apply online by clicking on “Apply” below. Your application will be reviewed against our requirements. Should you not meet our immediate requirements, your profile will be registered in our talent pool system and we will match your profile to suitable future vacancies.