Principal Channel Management

When it comes to putting people first, we're number 1. 

The number 1 Top Employer in South Africa. 
Certified by the Top Employer Institute 2025.

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

Develop new channels to market, including new SME partnerships. The Principal: Channel Management will also manage the overall SME sales and revenue targets across all channels. Channels will include Direct, Branded Stores, Digital Channels, Telesales, Inside Sales and Partner Channels. Management of pipeline and in year revenue across all sales channels by managing the sales operation and cadence. Support the sales channels with training, collateral and proposition playbooks, driving sales enablement. Drive incentives and GTM campaigns to stimulate sales activities and demand to meet sales targets.

Your responsibilities will include:

Channel Development

• Perform channel dimensioning exercises and support in determining where additional coverage is required for SME distribution
• Development and setup of new distribution channels, where the market opportunity warrants this
• Channels will include Direct, Branded Stores, Digital Channels, Telesales, Inside Sales and Partner Channels.
• Setup of SME strategic partner channels where required to support sales targets across the micro, small and medium sub segments

Channel Management

• Managing the SME sales operational performance targets per channel and overall for SME
• Management of existing sales channels where required
• Manage the sales pipeline cover, velocity, conversion and in year revenue across all channels
• Manage the weekly sales cadence to track SME pipeline, sales and in year revenue targets through weekly reporting
• Provide daily, weekly and monthly sales cadence reporting
• Manage customer NPS by subsegment

Sales Collateral

• Define sales guides and cheat sheets for the sales teams to understand the value proposition
• Provide collateral (brochures, digital artwork, presentations) that sales can use as sales material to position the value proposition to customers
• Provide case studies to the various sales channels, that can be used in micro targeting and positioning propositions in particular sectors
• Analyse competitor collateral, based on market intelligence and feedback to the value propositions teams for response where required

GTM Enablement

• Managing channel enablement through training, collateral development, campaigns and incentives
• Defined curriculum and proposition training material, housed within the academy
• Sales training on the customer value proposition and underlying products that meet the customer needs
• Support the sales teams with GTM strategies and campaigns to drive demand in the channels (Roundtables, Activations, Retail Campaigns, etc.)
• Align sales compensation plan to sales behavior towards selling propositions
• Create incentives to drive sales activity and uptake of various propositions
• Incentives performance tracking
• Sales performance reporting and cadence management

Stakeholder Management & Business Development

• Collaborate, champion and enable effective leadership and cross-functional working relationships to create a unique, superior customer experience based on leadership practice. Connect and leverage the skills of various functional teams to generate synergy across all the different customer touch points
• Collaborate with industry vertical leads and teams on Sales Strategies and Plans to unlock growth in scaling industries and/or strategic accounts
• Present to customers/partners on Value Propositions to close strategic / high value deals
• Internal and External stakeholder engagement and partner management related to growth of segment
• Establish and monitor healthy, diverse internal and external relations and implement remedial actions where required, in the achievement of organisational goals.
• Develop and maintain key account relationships with channel partners, ensuring that channel partners are aligned to the customer experience expectations and to the sales partner strategy framework.

Delivering through People:

• Oversee the activities of the team to ensure effective delivery of business outcomes.
• Supports and enables the team to succeed by encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members amongst other enablement initiatives.
• Create fit for future organization capability through skills development informed by skill gap analysis in line with business strategy and ensuring that the identified skills gaps, are addressed through training.
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance management process, informal coaching through continuous 1:1 performance discussion
• Embed the Spirit of Vodacom by living the Spirit behaviours and ensuring consistent Spirit engagement initiatives.
• When required, initiate disciplinary processes for team members calling on support from HR when required
• Resolve grievances raised by team members and escalate only if required
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognised by using Vodafone Stars platform.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• B. Com/Business Science, IT, Engineering Degree or Equivalent
• A Post Graduate Degree in Business Science, IT, Engineering OR related field an advantage
• 7+ years’ experience in Channel Management through direct selling, telesales, inside sales, partnerships and digital channels
• ICT or financial services experience essential
• 3+ years management experience

Technical Competencies

• Strategic mind set and out of box thinking
• Experience in solution selling within enterprise customers
• Deep understanding of the customer’s business, it’s market and industry alongside key decision-makers and influencers in account organisation
• Ability to translate customer’s objectives and strategy into relevant Vodacom Business propositions
• Robust understanding of account P&L
• Experience working in multinational matrix organisation
• Successful track record of managing multi- industry sales teams and demonstrate profitable revenue growth
• Strategic Thinking: Effectively delivers against assigned strategy, exceeding expectations. Translates strategy into clear areas of focus and priorities for
• In depth understanding of segmentation strategies and proposition management
• Experience in developing new B2B channels through direct selling, telesales, inside sales, partnerships and digital channels
• A broad understanding of the ICT Landscape and Strategic ICT enablers.
• A thorough understanding of converged and networking technologies and services.
• Demonstrated understanding of important financial concepts, the IT&T environments, purchasing practices and industry specific aspects of corporate customers.
• Understanding of the Value Chain Analysis with regards to various customer businesses

Behavioural Competencies

• Customer Focus: Prioritizing customer needs and delivering excellent service
• Accountability: seeks feedback and identifies opportunities for improvement or innovation
• Collaboration: Actively fosters collaboration, seeks input and effectively partners
• Resilience: Actively seeks opportunities for growth, demonstrates a strong commitment to self-improvement and has a growth mindset
• Flexibility: uses various techniques to influence others (lobbies, approaches decision makers, finds sponsors)
• People Management: Ensure team work together to deliver on their responsibilities creating accountability and ownership
• Organizational Savvy: Demonstrates strong understanding of assigned strategy for the Business/ Function and creates strong team alignment to the strategy.

We make an impact by offering:

• Enticing incentive programs and competitive benefit packages
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits
• Cell phone and data benefits, advantages fibre connection discounts, and exclusive staff discounts offered in collaboration with partner companies

Closing date for Applications: 16 May 2025. 

The base location for this role is Vodacom Midrand Campus.

The company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.
Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.