Job Description Questionnaire

Transcription

1 Job Description Questionnaire 1 JOB TITLE: SALES ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS TO (TITLE): Sales Data & Administration Manager DEPARTMENT: SALES DIVISION: ACADEMIC JOB HOLDER: TBC DATE: 1 Oct PURPOSE OF YOUR JOB Begin with an action verb and summarise the main objectives of the job in a single sentence. To support sales of Academic titles in for their assigned market and territories, and provide comprehensive customer service/admin support to the Academic Division s Sales Managers, Sales Reps and Customers so that the Division s sales are maximised. 2 DIMENSIONS List: 1 Current year income and expenditure budgets relevant to your job 3 ORGANIZATION Academic Division turnover for FY 2009/10 = 84, Staff numbers of those whose reporting lines come up to or through your job 3 Other relevant statistics about the scope of your job The jobholder is responsible for the analytical and administrative support for assigned market. The Academic Division publishes c 3000 new titles each year, and has a backlist of c 35,000 titles in print Draw an organization chart which clearly shows the position of your job and the job title of your manager, colleagues who also report to the same manager, and also the job titles of any staff reporting to you. Head of Sales & Operations, EMEA Sales Data and Administration Manager Sales Administrator Sales Administrator Sales Administrator Senior Sales Administrator 4 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES List the principal accountabilities - please refer to the guide notes.

2 1. MANAGEMENT OF CREDIT AND NON CREDIT MANAGED ACCOUNTS: To open and maintain all territory credit managed accounts, and oversee appropriate action for non-credit managed accounts. 2. PRE-SALES ORDER MANAGEMENT: Provide pre-sales order management service to customers, understanding their requirements and interpreting these requirements into operational plans. 3. POST-SALES ORDER MANAGEMENT: Provide post-sales order management service to customers, handling subsequent follow up on complaints, claims and queries, and resolving customer problems. 4. COMMUNICATION/COORDINATION BETWEEN IN-HOUSE DEPARTMENTS: Communicate and co-ordinate effectively with other in house service providers such as Customer Services, Stock Admin, Credit Control and Publications. Develop close working relationships with other internal departments such as Production, Editorial and Marketing so as to co-ordinate details of promotions and customer specific requirements. 5. WORKING WITH AND SUPPORTING SALES TEAM AND SALE ADMIN MANAGER: Assist Sales Managers and Reps with the management of their markets, by keeping them regularly informed on progress of customer orders and subsequent complaints and queries, having a detailed understanding of market requirements and Trading Terms and market restriction. 6. PROCEDURES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Identify, recommend, develop and implement strategies to improve sales administration procedures, and improve communication and effectiveness of processes in other Departments in which the Sales Admin department plays a pivotal role. 7. SPECIAL SALES: by agreement with Sales Management, negotiate special deals for books, sheets/book blocks to achieve maximum volume sales with the appropriate level of gross margin. 8. REPORTING AND ANALYSIS: Identify, produce and analyse key information required by the Sales Manager to support Sales activities. 5 EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES FOR EACH ACCOUNTABILITY AREA Describe the impact of the work by giving examples of activities which illustrate each accountability statement in 4 above. 1. MANAGEMENT OF CREDIT AND NON CREDIT-MANAGED ACCOUNTS: In consultation with Credit Control, obtain and action all information about the opening of potential credit accounts. Ensure customer, sales management and other Divisions are informed when the account is operational Establish what customer master data is required, and supervise the loading and maintenance of this on SAP. Monitor the turnover on credit managed accounts, and in consultation with sales management, make decisions about whether accounts should be closed (see Analysis). For non-credit managed account orders under 1000, give instructions to customer services to override credit limits and credit terms without prior consultation with credit control; follow up on these orders and ensure that payment has been made; assist in debit collection as necessary. 2. PRE-SALES ORDER MANAGEMENT: For complex requirements such as drop shipments, special promotions etc, interpret customer order processing requirements and be the link between the customer and customer services, giving specific instructions to the Distribution Centre. Authorise and maintain on SAP any special terms of trade as required (e.g. Extra discounts, extra credit terms, special prices, special stock). Negotiate and agree customer specific requirements relating to service levels, packaging, despatch method, despatch dates etc Schedule shipments and large stock orders with the Distribution Centre Support responses to customer queries on publication dates, pricing, availability, book content, re-print schedules etc where information not easily obtainable through standard channels i.e. Customer Services 3. POST SALES ORDER MANAGEMENT: Resolve customer claims for credits due to incorrect price or discount being applied, establishing whether claim is valid, issuing clear instructions to Customer Services for the timely raising of these credits. Investigate reason for error so that future errors can be avoided. Analyse (see analysis) customer complaints relating to incorrect supply of order, problems with stock availability, damaged stock etc. Authorise and process returns requests from customers in line with OUP Returns Policy, and ensuring that returns are credited at the correct price. Administer the recall of stock from Customers and Branches as required by Editorial, and communicate with Corby returns department so that returned stock is isolated and customer is credited or re-supplied with good stock. 4. COMMUNICATION/COORDINATION BETWEEN IN-HOUSE DEPARTMENTS Make decisions about stock allocation for major stock orders, including dropshipments from binders worldwide. Ensure all relevant dropshipment forms have been completed and that other departments (such as Production & Publications) have followed correct procedures. Monitor deadlines for incoming stock for specific events or academic courses/adoptions, and make arrangements for the scheduling and timely despatch of relevant customer orders Discuss overdue accounts with Credit Control and the Sales Team, and make decisions about whether credit terms or credit limits can be overridden, taking returns and credits into account Establish and maintain close communication links with the publishing departments (Production, Editorial, Marketing) and effectively manage the information flow to other departments Ensure that Publications make the necessary changes on SAP relating to exclusive distribution arrangements or special market restrictions. Advise Stock Planning of priorities for the dues release process as required Work closely with the Sales & Marketing Liaison Team to recommend how marketing plans can be developed into effective action plans

3 5. WORKING WITH AND SUPPORTING SALES TEAM AND SALES ADMIN MANAGER: Attend regular meetings with Sales Team to exchange information relevant to the markets and customers, feeding back on complaints/issues from major customers, and identifying possible service improvements In the absence of the Sales Manager/Rep and for non-rep managed accounts, act and take decisions on account matters, including negotiating special discounts and terms for bulk orders in order to achieve maximum volume sales with appropriate levels of gross margin. Travel to markets and attend Book Fairs (e.g. Frankfurt, London) as required to better understand local requirements Monitor Distribution and Credit Control performance, and escalate problems to sales management as appropriate. Develop and maintain market notes and customer profiles, updating trading terms, market restrictions, exclusive distribution arrangements, special requirements etc. (including cross-divisional requirements) Use SAP and Themis to produce sales reports as required for key customers and sales management (also see 8. below). Assist in the training of new recruits to the Sales Department Provide general assistance to Sales Management as required on ad hoc projects. 6. PROCEDURES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Recommend and implement standard procedures and improvements to improve workflow, reduce errors and improve performance. Take part in cross-departmental workshops to improve effectiveness of processes in which the department plays a pivotal role Record & monitor service provision in line with agreed targets. 7. SPECIAL DEALS Prompt (territory customers) for orders, and provide quotations on request by balancing customer needs against the needs of OUP for adequate profit margin and maximum sales Obtain costs from Production and Editorial for special printings, including sheets, bookblocks, jackets, duplicate film etc Provide feedback to sales management on the status and outcome of special deals and inform customer of any delays in supply Identify the market for special deals, including remainders Calculate and maintain special prices on SAP for individual markets and customers in a timely manner to avoid the need for costly remedial action 8. REPORTING AND ANALYSIS Use SAP, Themis and other business sytems as required to extract key business data to meet requirements of Sales Managers reports and schedule to be reviewed and agreed quarterly with Sales Managers Analyse data to identify trends and anomalies and highlight market and internal issues or activities Identify and examine potential actions in response to analysis and provide recommendations for actions to relevant internal parties or Sales Managers Produce ad hoc reports / analysis to support Sales Managers where required 6 JOB CONTEXT a Describe the main features of the part of the organization in which you work in terms of its purpose, where it fits into the overall organization, where the work comes from/goes to, and work which it necessarily self-generates. The role of the Academic Sales Department it to ensure the widest possible sales of the Academic Divisions publications worldwide, and is the central point of contact between all parts of the Academic Division and Trade customers. It seeks constantly to improve on sales activities in existing markets, whilst seizing new opportunities in developing markets. b Briefly describe the responsibilities of your own staff (if any), how you supervise them, and how you in turn are supervised by your manager. The jobholder works autonomously without close supervision but within established guidelines, managing their own workloads and making decisions on priorities, and referring to their Manager on matters with policy or financial implications as necessary. Regular one-to-one meetings take place with their manager, and other regular meetings take place fortnightly and monthly to discuss issues relevant to the department as a whole. c Briefly describe how your job is constrained by professional, technical or policy practices and procedures. Cultural differences and different time zones are a major constraint within the export department. The lack of SAP links or training to the Branches/Reps constrains the flow of information. The jobholder is required to work within the Divisions Trading Agreements on the one hand, whilst the Branches own financial and market policies and targets (set by the International Division) can materially affect local stockholding and pricing policies on the other hand. The distance between Corby and Oxford necessitates close and regular contact to ensure customer needs are understood and met and good working relations are maintained. Balancing the needs of the Academic Sales Department with the needs of the four marketing departments of the Academic Division who in turn have different objectives and priorities, and different working practices. d State the three or four most important groups or individuals, internal or external and by job title, with whom you deal and say why.

4 Customers to deal with all aspects of special sales administration and claims on their accounts Academic Sales Team Head of Sales Administration for assistance and guidance on OUP policy and SAP issues; Sales Director/Area Sales Manager/Rep for feedback on sales trips, to discuss any problems or issues, and to discuss any special arrangements or promotions they have arranged Customer Services and Stock Planning to manage customer accounts i.e. ensure the smooth processing and delivery of orders, ensure documentation meets customer requirements, and that the operation teams meet deadlines in accordance with customer requirements and internal service levels; discuss stock allocations, stock reservations, priority of dues releases, arranging drop shipments etc Credit Control to discuss overdue accounts; ensure that the current status of pending credits are communicated to ensure smooth account management; assist in debt chasing as required Editorial/Production - to obtain costs to enable special deals negotiations, to verify stock dates on reprints and new publications, to inform editors of special deals or large stock orders which will affect printruns; to obtain jackets/proofs/duplicate film etc Publications Officers to give instructions for the set up/maintenance of market restrictions, batch strategies, faulty recalls etc. Marketing Departments - to discuss marketing plans and obtain information relevant to specific promotions 7 MAJOR CHALLENGE/PROBLEMS FACED Describe the most difficult, complex or challenging part of your job, either now or in the future, and explain why. It is a challenge to gain the diverse nature of problems experienced by customers in all market areas in order to apply that knowledge when handling queries for both assigned markets and in supporting other team members. The job requires a tactful and organised approach when dealing with people at all levels, both internally and externally, across a wide range of cultural and commercial environments. Flexibility to support new business and market requirements including adopting new processes and procedures. Continuous process improvement is required to ensure that Sales Admin maximise on organisational and system changes to the benefit of our customers. System constraints mean that vigilant attention to communication with Customer Services and Stock Planning is essential to ensure that orders are processed effectively. Improving interdepartmental communications to help foster and develop positive relations in order to ensure that cross department/divisional processes are carried out effectively. Working closely with other team members to provide additional support their market requirements when business requirements dictate. Maintaining focus on core value adding activities whilst continuing to provide ad hoc support where necessary to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the sales team and promoting positive inter-departmental relations. 8 NECESSARY EXPERIENCE What kind of education, professional qualification(s), training and experience are the minimum necessary for the effective performance of your job? And which additional would be desirable? Essential: Higher Education qualifications Commercial experience Strong analytical skills High standard of numeracy and literacy Highly customer focussed Excellent organisational, administrative, communication and inter-personal skills Ability to multi-task and to work on own initiative under pressure Computer literacy particularly MS Excel Broad supply chain functions Ability to adapt quickly to change Desirable: 2 years experience in a commercial environment Knowledge of all aspects of OUP s business and systems Knowledge of SAP Knowledge of CRM Negotiating skills Training documentation and delivery Process documentation and improvement Awareness of sales activities and processes Awareness of different cultural backgrounds and attitudes Publishing or Bookselling experience Foreign language skills 9 APPROVALS Job Holder:

5 Manager: Board Director: Personnel Director: (Academic)

6 Title: Job Role: JOB NEEDS ANALYSIS Sales Administrator Core Skill Target Communication Skills Has established structured regular 2 - Has established Has had some pre-organised way comm's with key who are the key (i.e. not organised by contacts in area contacts in area self) contact with including face-to-face & contacts when named required individual(s) in area Analytical Skills Systems Knowledge Market Knowledge Product Knowledge Decision Making Problem Solving Working to Deadlines / Meeting Targets Marketing Credit Control Customer Services (1) Publications Editorial (3) SAP (R3) Themis ABC (3) STAR (3) Bookscan (3) (3) Can produce thorough & accurate analysis with meaningful interpretation for cross-functional or sales team Has in-depth full functionality relevant parts of system Has in-depth key customers & good understanding of market position & strategy Has in-depth key titles & good understanding of market position & strategy Can make informed & objective decisions easily which impact others Is proactive in identifying issues / problems & takes ownership of establishing & executing a solution Continuously strives to improve on targets & deliverables Can produce accurate regular & ad hoc reports requested by Sales team Has good some pieces of functionality Has good some customers and general understanding of market position Has good some titles and general understanding of market position Can make informed & objective decisions easily which impact self Can establish & execute a solution on request Continously meets targets & deadlines (or provides strong communication / recovery plans where Can provide regular reports but not ad hoc Has used basic functionality of relevant areas Has fair some key customers Has basic a few titles Can contribute as part of a team to decision making Can contribute as part of a team to problem solving Meets targets & deadlines most of the time Has had no contact with named individual in area Cannot conduct analysis / limited Has not used the system Has little or no any key customers Has little or no any titles involved in little or no decisions Involved in little or no problem solving activity Misses targets & deadlines most of the time

7 necessary) Team Work Adaptability / Flexibility Actively develops & helps others. Has a positive influence on the motivation of the team. Adapts quickly & positively to change Helps others on request. Is enthusiastic and motivated. Has a positive attitude towards change Is enthusiastic & motivated Adapts to change with structured coaching & leadership Does not work well with team members. Has a negative impact on team motivation. Does not adapt well to change. Negative.