Location: 2 Lascelles Road, Meadowbrook, Edenvale
Job Role:
We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven National Retail Operations Manager to lead our retail merchandising and sales teams across multiple retail stores nationally.
The ideal candidate is strategic, hands-on, and confident managing large field teams in fast-paced retail environments. This role is responsible for driving in-store sales performance, merchandising excellence, operational compliance, payroll governance, and labour legislation adherence across a national footprint.
Job Description:
Key Responsibilities:
National Retail Team Leadership
- Lead and manage national retail merchandising and sales teams (250+ employees).
- Drive consistent in-store execution standards across all retail chains.
- Implement route planning and store clustering models to improve coverage and efficiency.
- Build a high-performance, sales-driven culture across regions.
Sales & Merchandising Performance
- Drive in-store sales growth through effective field execution.
- Monitor sell-in vs sell-out performance trends.
- Ensure strong merchandising standards, visibility, and brand representation in-store.
- Drive planogram compliance and promotional execution.
- Identify distribution gaps and resolve out-of-stock risks.
- Align field incentives to sales and execution performance.
Staff Performance & Development
- Manage team performance through structured KPIs and improvement plans.
- Oversee onboarding, training, and capability development.
- Develop regional leaders and supervisors.
Payroll Governance & Workforce Compliance
- Ensure payroll accuracy across merchandising and sales teams.
- Validate commission, incentive, and SPIV calculations.
- Oversee attendance, overtime, leave, and time management systems.
- Ensure correct application of all leave, attendance, overtime etc.
- Maintain payroll integrity and reduce compliance risk.
Labour Legislation & Industrial Relations
- Ensure compliance with South African labour legislation.
- Oversee disciplinary processes.
- Maintain compliant employment contracts and policies.
Retailer & Stakeholder Management
- Build and manage senior relationships with key retail groups.
- Align merchandising and sales execution with retailer compliance standards.
- Resolve store-level escalations efficiently.
- Ensure strict adherence to retailer protocols.
Financial & Operational Oversight
- Manage national operational budgets (labour, travel, tools, activations).
- Analyse manpower ROI and sales per representative.
- Control labour cost-to-revenue ratios.
- Drive cost efficiencies without compromising execution standards.
Systems, Reporting & Data Governance
- Oversee field reporting systems (e.g., Repsly).
- Ensure accurate sales and execution reporting.
- Implement audit controls and compliance checks across regions.
Qualifications:
- 8+ years experience in retail operations, merchandising, or field sales leadership.
- Proven experience managing 150+ retail or field staff nationally.
- Strong understanding of retail sales, merchandising standards, and execution models.
- Solid payroll governance and labour legislation knowledge.
- Experience working across multiple retail chains essential.
- Strong leadership, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.
Why Join SMD Technologies?
At SMD Technologies, you'll have the opportunity to make a significant impact by shaping our product offerings and driving our market success. You'll be part of an innovative team that values fresh ideas, creativity, and analytical thinking.
SMD Technologies is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the principles of employment equity. In accordance with the Company’s Employment Equity Plan and the requirements of the Employment Equity Act, preference may be given to suitably qualified candidates from designated groups. Applications from persons with disabilities are encouraged.