Role Overview
My Client is looking for a highly capable, organised and systems-oriented individual to join their Sales Department.
This is a fast-paced operational role that sits at the centre of the sales order, invoicing, pricing and logistics process. The successful candidate will work as part of an experienced team but must also be comfortable taking ownership of tasks, identifying problems, following transactions through to completion and making sound decisions without requiring constant supervision.
Previous experience in a sales department is not essential. They are more interested in finding an intelligent, numerate and highly competent person with strong systems skills, excellent organisational ability and the capacity to understand how different parts of a transaction fit together.
My Client operates in the agricultural chemical industry and supplies products into both the South African and international markets. The environment involves multiple products, customers, pricing structures, stock movements, documentation and logistical requirements.
Key Responsibilities
The position will encompass a broad range of sales administration and sales operations functions, including:
- Processing and managing customer sales orders from receipt through to completion.
- Capturing and maintaining sales orders accurately on the company ERP system.
- Preparing and processing customer invoices and related documentation.
- Checking selling prices, customer-specific pricing and other commercial information for accuracy.
- Identifying pricing discrepancies and resolving queries before invoicing or dispatch.
- Coordinating with internal departments regarding stock availability, production, dispatch and customer requirements.
- Liaising with logistics providers, transporters, clearing agents and other service providers where required.
- Coordinating local and/or export logistics and ensuring required documentation is available.
- Monitoring outstanding orders and proactively following up on delays or potential problems.
- Maintaining accurate order, delivery and customer information.
- Using Excel extensively to reconcile, analyse, check and manage information.
- Investigating differences between orders, invoices, stock, pricing or logistical documentation.
- Assisting the Sales team with reporting, reconciliations and operational information.
- Communicating with customers and internal stakeholders regarding order status, delivery requirements and queries.
- Ensuring that transactions are processed accurately and within required timelines.
- Maintaining proper supporting documentation and audit trails.
- Identifying process problems and escalating or resolving them appropriately.
- Assisting with other sales operational and administrative responsibilities as required.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will be:
- Highly intelligent and able to understand new processes quickly.
- Comfortable working with numbers, systems and large amounts of information.
- Able to reason independently rather than simply follow a checklist.
- Naturally organised and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Detail-oriented without losing sight of the overall transaction or objective.
- Comfortable taking ownership of tasks and following them through to completion.
- Able to identify when something does not make sense and investigate it rather than simply processing it.
- Calm and effective in a very fast-paced working environment.
- Able to work independently while still functioning well as part of a team.
- Reliable, responsible and deadline-driven.
- Confident communicating with colleagues, customers and external service providers.
- Able to prioritise effectively when several urgent matters arise at the same time.
Systems and Technical Requirements
Strong Excel skills are essential.
Candidates should be comfortable working with spreadsheets containing significant amounts of information and should ideally have practical experience with functions such as:
- VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP or similar lookup functions
- Pivot tables
- Filters and sorting
- Basic formulas and reconciliations
- Data checking and comparison
- Working with larger datasets
Experience working on an ERP, accounting, order-processing or logistics management system is essential.
They currently use Sage X3, but prior Sage X3 experience is not required. Experience with another reasonably sophisticated ERP, accounting, inventory or logistics system would be suitable.
The successful candidate must demonstrate an ability to understand how system transactions affect sales orders, stock, invoicing and logistics rather than simply having data-capturing experience.
Experience
They are deliberately keeping the experience requirement broad.
Suitable candidates could come from backgrounds including:
- Sales operations
- Order processing
- Logistics
- Supply chain
- Imports or exports
- Finance or accounting administration
- Debtors / creditors with strong commercial exposure
- Procurement
- Inventory or stock control
- ERP administration
- Customer service within a manufacturing or distribution environment
Previous direct sales experience is not required.
Experience in a manufacturing, chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical, FMCG, distribution or similarly operational environment would be advantageous but is not essential.
Qualifications
A relevant tertiary qualification would be advantageous, particularly in areas such as:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Logistics
- Supply Chain
- Business Management
- Commerce
However, they will consider candidates without a specific tertiary qualification where they can demonstrate strong relevant experience, systems capability and problem-solving ability.
Key Selection Criteria
For this appointment, they would place particular emphasis on:
- Numerical and analytical ability
- Advanced practical Excel capability
- ERP / accounting / logistics systems experience
- Ability to think and reason independently
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Organisation and ability to handle a high workload
- Problem-solving ability
- Personal ownership and accountability
- Ability to learn quickly
- Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced team environment
This is not intended to be a purely administrative or data-capturing position. They are looking for someone with the mental capacity and initiative to understand the work, identify potential errors or problems, and take responsibility for getting transactions completed correctly.
In summary, a “highly capable” person is more important than finding someone who has already held exactly the same job title. A strong finance, logistics, procurement or ERP person could potentially be a better fit than a conventional sales administrator.
Email CV: cvs@agricruitment.co.za