Zonal Head - Sales - Pharmaceuticals

Zonal Head Sales

Job Summary:

Responsible for leading the business and sales operations for the assigned zone, with overall accountability for achieving revenue, growth, market expansion, and profitability objectives. The role will drive strategic planning, execution excellence, market development, and team performance while adapting to changing business and market requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Planning & Strategy:

• Develop and implement the annual business plan for the assigned zone.
• Set sales targets and priorities in line with overall organizational objectives.
• Identify opportunities for business growth, market expansion, and increased market share.
• Monitor market trends, customer needs, and competitor activities and adapt strategies accordingly.

Sales & Business Operations:

• Drive achievement of monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets.
• Monitor regional performance, productivity, and execution against business plans.
• Develop and strengthen relationships with key customers and stakeholders.
• Ensure effective implementation of sales strategies, territory plans, and key initiatives.
• Identify business gaps and take timely corrective actions to improve performance.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth business operations and achievement of objectives.

Market & Business Analysis:

• Analyze market trends, customer insights, competition, and regional business performance.
• Use data and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities and improve business outcomes.
• Support accurate sales forecasting and effective planning.
• Track key business metrics and provide regular performance updates to senior management.

People Leadership:

• Lead, manage, coach, and develop the zonal sales team.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations for team members.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Identify capability gaps and support training and development initiatives.
• Develop team members for future leadership responsibilities.

Compliance & Governance:

• Ensure adherence to company policies, processes, and applicable regulations.
• Maintain high standards of business ethics and professional conduct.
• Ensure disciplined execution of all sales and customer-related activities.

Key Stakeholder Interactions:

• Internal: Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Training, Customer Service, and other cross-functional teams.
• External: Customers, distributors/channel partners, key accounts, industry stakeholders, and other relevant business partners.

Candidate Profile:

Educational Qualification:

• MBA / PGDM or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in any relevant discipline.

Experience:

• 15+ years of relevant sales/business experience.
• Minimum 23 years of experience managing teams at a second-line leadership level.
• Strong experience in regional/zonal sales management, business planning, team leadership, and market development.
• Experience managing large geographies, diverse teams, and sizeable business portfolios will be preferred.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic and commercial acumen
• Sales and business development
• Regional business management
• People leadership and team development
• Market and competitive understanding
• Analytical and decision-making skills
• Stakeholder management
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Strong execution orientation
• Excellent communication and influencing skills