Internal Sales Assistant

SUMMARY:
Leading pharmaceutical manufacturer requires an experienced "Internal Sales Assistant" to join their team based in Centurion.  FMCG or pharmaceutical industry is required.

POSITION INFO:
To provide efficient and value-added clerical and operational support services to the Sales Manager/s and Sales team as outlined in the principal responsibilities listed
Administrative and operational support experience with key accounts in the FMCG channel will be an advantage
4-5 years’ experience in an administrative function in a sales support role within the FMCG or Pharmaceutical industry is essential

Skills:
Good knowledge of clerical and assistant processes
Good knowledge of general administrative processes
Good understanding of organisational processes and practices
Basic understanding of marketing and sales processes
Excellent planning, organising, coordinating, and prioritising skills (able to cope with a variety of tasks, reporting to several senior staff members)
Superior telephone etiquette
Solid written and verbal communication skills
Good people and networking skills
Good time management skills
Strong computer literacy especially in Microsoft applications

Deliver efficient clerical service:

Provide general administration service
Manage external interfaces
Manage communications - written (filing, faxing, email, etc.) and verbal (telephone, direct, etc.).
Manage documentation – filing, record keeping, travel documents, distribution of mail, etc.
Compile documents and presentations according to organisational outlines and templates for both the Sales Manager and sales team.
Update schedules timeously according to requirements and priority.
Prepare provisions for meetings (e.g. documents, presentations) timeously and make it available for review by the Sales Managers in advance of scheduled meetings.
Take minutes for the sales department meetings and distribute it to the appropriate recipients.
Research and handle delegations according to relevant protocols.
Housekeeping – ensuring that the office space is neat and tidy at all times

Provide efficient operational services:

Daily office and operational duties to ensure a smooth flow of the office.
Serve as the point of contact person for office duties including Equipment, Bills, Errands & Shopping.
Expense management responsibilities:
Manage the teams’ functional budget and expenses for Sales Manager and Sales team monthly, specific reference to Credit Cards expense reconciliation
Accurately process and record all relevant business transactions and general purchase orders, payment requisitions (include providing general project codes), and petty cash responsibilities.
Transaction’s and records should be easily accessible and traceable; a strict reconciliation process
Follow up on expense queries and ensure changes are made.
Travel arrangement responsibilities:
Planning and execute international and national business travel arrangements including flights, accommodation, transfers, and Visa applications efficiently and timeously.
Check invoices and ensure that it is correct; prepare payments
Effective record keeping.
Events responsibilities:
Co-ordinate and schedule general meetings
Plan and execute quarterly training, events, and conferences
Source catering suppliers and provide appropriate refreshments/catering for various events.
Update, compile and distribute relevant department reports timeously i.e. department-specific reports.
Keep updated filing system for Sales Manager and team where required i.e. reports, confirmation, contracts, and operational documents

Manage internal/external interfaces:

Effectively provide a gate-keeper function to ensure only priority interfaces at Management level.
Provide effective, professional interface with internal and external suppliers’ i.t.o recruitment, consultants, equipment suppliers, travel co-ordinators, conference and meeting venue providers, etc.
Screen incoming calls and all visitors for relevance and re-direct as appropriate.
Take (telephonic) messages accurately and communicate messages to the relevant recipient.
Screen both internal and external requests to meet with the Sales Manager and Sales team.
Deal with visitor queries promptly, professionally, and effectively.
Maintain a frontline image that’s professional, courteous, and helpful at all times for both internal and external customers.

Provide efficient sales team support service:

Maintains and organizes all customer deal sheets, promotional grids, etc., working closely with the Sales Manager.
Assist with retail listing and update key account item codes for the Sales team when required.
Ensure all relevant account/customer and other marketing claims are processed timeously accurately and as per the procedure.
Record, communicate, and track (channel-specific) sales orders if and when required. Include to point of delivery.
Prepare, update and distribute various sales reports when applicable.
Arrange and assist to prepare/ deliver all hampers, samples, stock, and assisting with promotional and advertising material, etc. for the Sales Manager and Sales Team. Keep track of expenses. Update, recon, and report.
Coordinating of allocations of Point-of-Sale items and stands with necessary control documents.
Keep track of expenses.
Update, recon, and report.
Support, coordinate, record, and reconciliation of various operational functions of the team: Inventory of promotional items, documents and stock, monthly agents photos and feedback, etc.