Trade Marketing Manager | Fourways, Johannesburg | Full-Time

Are you a commercially minded FMCG marketing professional who knows how to turn brand strategies into impactful in-market execution? Do you understand what it takes to win at the point of purchase, build brand visibility and drive sales across diverse trade channels?

An exciting opportunity is available for a Trade Marketing Manager to taking ownership of trade marketing strategy and execution across both formal and informal trade channels.

This role sits at the intersection of brand marketing and sales, translating broader brand objectives into practical, channel-specific initiatives that strengthen distribution, improve product visibility and create meaningful consumer engagement. From trade activations and promotional campaigns to point-of-sale execution, budget management and market intelligence, the successful candidate will play an important role in supporting the brand's commercial growth.

Our client operates in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, with a focus on the competitive beverage and energy drinks market. This is an opportunity to join a brand where speed, visibility, strong trade relationships and effective execution are essential to building market presence and driving sales performance.

What You'll Do

• Develop and implement trade marketing strategies and annual activity plans aligned with brand and commercial objectives.

• Translate brand positioning and marketing campaigns into effective trade marketing initiatives.

• Develop channel-specific marketing plans for formal and informal trade environments.

• Work closely with sales teams to identify commercial opportunities, channel requirements and customer needs.

• Develop initiatives that strengthen brand visibility, distribution support and consumer engagement at the point of purchase.

• Plan and execute trade promotions, sampling campaigns, competitions and in-market activations.

• Develop and oversee point-of-sale materials, promotional branding and other trade marketing assets.

• Identify opportunities to improve brand presence across independent retailers, wholesalers, distributors and larger retail environments.

• Manage the annual trade marketing budget, including allocation, expenditure tracking and forecasting.

• Brief and manage external agencies, suppliers and production partners.

• Oversee the end-to-end delivery of trade marketing projects, from concept and planning through to execution and evaluation.

• Conduct regular market and trade visits to assess brand execution, identify opportunities and gather market insights.

• Monitor competitor activity, category developments and emerging trade trends.

• Analyse campaign performance, budget utilisation and return on investment, providing recommendations to improve future activities.

• Ensure trade marketing initiatives support broader brand objectives and measurable sales performance.

What You Bring

• 3–5 years of relevant experience in trade marketing, brand marketing or a related marketing function.

• Proven experience within the FMCG or CPG industry.

• Previous experience in the beverage industry, ideally within energy drinks or fast-moving beverage categories.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute trade marketing strategies and channel-specific campaigns.

• Experience working closely with sales teams to support commercial objectives.

• Understanding of both formal and informal trade channels.

• Practical experience managing trade activations, promotions, sampling initiatives and point-of-sale materials.

• Experience managing marketing budgets and monitoring expenditure.

• Experience working with external agencies, suppliers and production partners.

• Strong project management, coordination and execution capabilities.

• Commercial awareness and an understanding of how marketing investment contributes to sales growth.

• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills.

What Success Looks Like

• Effective translation of brand strategies into impactful trade marketing activities.

• Increased brand visibility and stronger execution across formal and informal trade.

• Successful delivery of trade activations, promotions and point-of-sale initiatives.

• Strong collaboration with sales teams and key trade stakeholders.

• Effective management of trade marketing budgets and supplier relationships.

• Improved understanding of channel dynamics, competitor activity and market opportunities.

• Measurable improvements in campaign effectiveness, trade execution and return on investment.

The Ideal Candidate

You are a hands-on, commercially driven marketing professional who understands the realities of the FMCG environment. You can move comfortably between strategic planning and practical execution, build strong relationships with sales teams and take ownership of initiatives from concept through to delivery.

You are organised, proactive and analytical, with the ability to manage multiple projects, budgets and stakeholders while remaining adaptable to the demands of a competitive beverage market. Most importantly, you understand that successful trade marketing is about more than visibility; it is about translating brand investment into commercial results.

Employment Details

Location: Fourways, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: FMCG / Beverages

If you have the relevant FMCG experience and enjoy working in a fast-paced, commercially focused marketing environment, we would like to hear from you.