Regional Business Manager

Greenlight Planet is a multinational, for-profit business that designs, distributes, and finances solar-powered home energy products, with an underserved population in mind: the 1.3 billion global consumers for whom the old-fashioned electrical grid is either unavailable or too expensive.  Over a decade in business, the company is now a leading global brand in emerging markets across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.  Greenlight’s Sun King™ products provide modern light and energy to 44 million people in more than 65 countries and have sold over 13 million products worldwide.

From the company’s wide range of trusted Sun King™ solar lamps and home energy systems, to its innovative distribution partnerships, to its EasyBuy™ pay-as-you-go consumer financing model, Greenlight Planet continuously strives to meet the evolving needs of the off-grid market.

Greenlight stays in touch with underserved consumers’ needs in part by operating its own direct-to-consumer sales network, including thousands of trusted sales agents (called as “Sun King Energy Officers”) in local communities across local communities. For Sun King Energy Officers, this is not only a good source of income and employment but also, they become an important member of their community, bringing light and catering to local energy needs within their communities.

Today, with over 1300 full-time employees in 11 countries, we remain continuously impressed at how each new team member contributes unique and innovative solutions to the global off-grid challenge, from new product designs to innovative sales and distribution strategies, to setting up

better collection mechanisms, to better training strategies, to more efficient logistical and after-sales service systems.  We listen closely to each other to improve our products, our service, and ultimately, the lives of underserved consumers.

How Sun King EasyBuy Products Work:

Sun King Energy Officers (or the Field Agents) are tasked to visit their communities and household (Door-to-Door) to demonstrate and sell Sun King EasyBuy Solar Products, every day. Customers can purchase a Sun King EasyBuy Solar Home Systems and other products from the Energy Officers, by making a small down-payment and agreeing to pay the remainder of the amount in installments over a pre-agreed period of time. Energy Officers are also responsible to ensure that the Customers make the payment to Greenlight Planet, using the multiple available avenues that Greenlight Planet makes available to them.

Customers make small, affordable periodic payments (at a standard daily rates established & pre-agreed for each product) to purchase light for a number of days. Their solar products will turn off automatically once the amount they have paid for, is exhausted until another re-charge is done. Once the product is fully paid off, it is unlocked and customers can enjoy unlimited access to the product without any further payments. Area Business Manager is accountable for establishing and growing the channel of Energy Officers and ensure that the units are sold, the money.

The Role:

The Regional Business Manager will lead sales, collections and entire business operations in the region they are assigned to, for the direct distribution of Sun King Solar products sold on Pay-As-You-Basis (also called and recognized as “EasyBuy” Business unit). This is done through a large network of agents called Field Agents who visit door-to-door and sell. EasyBuy technology and services allows customers to purchase units by paying for their Solar products in small installments, thus ensuring they are extremely affordable for off-grid or rural customers. The Regional Business Manager is ultimately accountable for generating sales, ensuring collections are timely and accurate and keeping the entire direct distribution network growing rapidly in a sustainable manner, with the help of his team that typically consists of Area Business Managers, Sun King Store Executives, Customer Loyalty Executive and all field agents in the region.

Key responsibilities:

• Hire, retain and motivate the entire regional team for superior performance: Regional Business Manager’s team typically consists of Area Business Managers, Sun King Executives, Customer Loyalty Executives and Field agents. RBMs are expected to ensure they create world-class winning team in their regions, who are disciplined, process-driven and committed to deliver the best customer experience.

• Training: Provide training to the Area Business Managers and field agents on several aspects of the business such as sales, collections, product, technical, inventory and logistics related. Ensure that they are fully supported and lead in the best professional manner demonstrating highest levels of integrity, ethics and professionalism while dealing with Sun King customers.

• Provide role clarity to ABMs, Regional Mentors, and Sun King Store Executives and Customer Loyalty associates: Provide complete clarity to the regional team related to their day to day tasks, sales & collections plans, routes and targets. This includes, ensuring that your sales team has a pre-agreed sales route/area to sell in, they understand how to demonstrate and sell Sun King products, they have the confidence to be able to present and resolve basic customer queries on the spot and they have access to Regional Business Manager at all times in case of questions and concerns.

• Field visits: Have a weekly touchpoint with every Area Business Managers and Top Field Agents in each area – either through in-person meetings, making a joint sale or having a call. Resolve all possible issues faced by the team.

• Conduct Joint Field work with Area Business Managers: Conduct joint field work with a group of Field agents to provide sales and collection training on a weekly basis and drive agent engagement. This includes doing night activations, market activations, visiting local communities and gatherings such as SACCOs, Self Help groups, retail centres and markets to make group sales.

• Exceed sales & collections targets: Meet or exceed sales and collection targets established and agreed on 2^nd of every month with your sales leadership. Provide daily, weekly updates on sales, EO recruitments, Customer issues and resolutions, New Area Launch preparations as expected and agreed with your Manager.

• Drive robust field sales processes: Review sales and collection progress with your ABMs daily and provide adequate training to them on driving better collections in your areas. This includes, customer and area profiling, ensuring regular and timely collection follow-ups, resolving customer issues to ensure they make payments and ultimately repossessing the systems as a last recourse in case the customer defaults.

• Remain externally focused: Keep an eye on competition within your region and ensure you take adequate measures to protect and grow our business from competitive pressures. Pro-actively inform your leadership team and take measures to ensure Sun King remains a paramount brand name in solar products for your area.

• Resolve customer issues: Provide world-class support to your customers as it relates to product delivery, training on how to use and make payments, installation, after sales warranty issues. Ensure that you work with your Energy Officers to establish clear expectations and processes to resolve all customer issues within 24 hours.

• Control Marketing & Other Support spend: Provide adequate marketing support & equipment (such as smartphones) necessary to all your Areas. Ensure we get maximum return on investment for all the costs we incur in areas of marketing, supply chain, store maintenance and smartphone issuance.
• Review meetings with Areas: Ensure that ABMs are conducting periodic table meetings and reviews with all Energy Officers under their purview. Conduct surprise visits to field meetings and areas to ensure that the sales processes and standards observed are that of the highest quality. Recognize outstanding performers from time to time and ensure the motivation of the entire regional team is maintained at an all-time high.

The ideal candidate has:

• Degree or Diploma in any educational background.
• At least 4 years of field sales experience in the same region. Preferably having worked in Micro-Finance, Banking or Telecom field sales role.
• Passionate about working with rural, off-grid consumers and resolving their issues.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit with qualities of being able to work independently and figure things out with innovative thinking, problem-solving skills and presence of mind.
• Process oriented individual and work style, is able to work independently and lead the area.
• Driven by the social mission to provide energy to consumers and employment to rural communities. Should be a values driven individual.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills to be able to build and lead large field agent’s teams.

We are looking for someone who is driven, passionate and excited about the opportunity to bring honest, affordable, energy to homes in Africa and Asia.  If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

Greenlight Planet offers competitive compensation, a fun, supportive work environment, and opportunities for continued professional growth within a fast-growing global enterprise.

Greenlight Planet believes in equal opportunity for all people:  We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, HIV/AIDS status, or disability.

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