Channel Manager

Abbott Laboratories · No. 8

Core Job Responsibilities:

1. Business Growth & Customer Leadership

Strategic Customer Management

Lead and develop strategic partnerships with key pharmacy customers and retail chains to drive profitable growth and category leadership.
Establish and execute Joint Business Plans (JBP) and customer scorecards aligned with organizational objectives.
Conduct regular Top-to-Top engagements, business reviews, and performance discussions with customers.
Drive customer negotiations and secure business opportunities to achieve sales, market share, and profitability targets.
Lead customer-specific business analysis and develop insights-based growth strategies.
Continuously identify emerging market opportunities, competitive threats, and customer needs to strengthen channel performance.

Sales & Market Share Delivery

Deliver annual sales, market share, distribution, and profitability objectives for the Pharmacy channel.
Develop and execute commercial action plans to accelerate growth and strengthen category leadership.
Monitor business performance, identify risks and opportunities, and implement corrective actions to ensure target achievement.
Ensure effective investment management and optimize trade spending to maximize return on investment.

2. Channel Development & Execution Excellence

Channel Strategy & Go-to-Market Excellence

Develop and execute comprehensive channel strategies, Route-to-Market (RTM) initiatives, and customer development plans to accelerate growth.
Lead the design and deployment of differentiated channel programs aligned with business objectives.
Drive channel-specific Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies and ensure effective execution across all pharmacy customer segments.
Evaluate evolving market dynamics and recommend strategic interventions to improve channel competitiveness.

In-Store Excellence & Sales Fundamentals

Ensure superior execution of all customer and channel initiatives through strong field deployment and compliance.
Drive excellence in product availability, distribution, shelf visibility, share of shelf, share of display, and promotional execution.
Conduct regular market visits, customer reviews, and execution audits to identify improvement opportunities.
Partner with merchandising and field sales teams to strengthen in-store presence and customer experience.
Lead monthly business reviews and deployment of key priorities to ensure flawless execution

3. Commercial Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Business Planning and Forecasting

Lead annual and quarterly business planning processes for the channel.
Develop accurate sales forecasts and demand plans in collaboration with Supply Chain and Demand Planning teams.
Monitor inventory health, stock availability, and service levels to ensure uninterrupted business operations.
Review supply plans and proactively mitigate supply risks impacting channel performance.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Collaborate with Trade Marketing, Commercial Excellence, Finance, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and Sales teams to deliver business objectives.
Translate customer and market insights into actionable recommendations and business-building initiatives.
Provide channel expertise and strategic inputs to support broader commercial planning and portfolio initiatives.
Ensure alignment between internal stakeholders and customer requirements to drive effective execution.

4. Customer & Distributor Management

Customer Excellence

Maintain strong customer relationships built on trust, collaboration, and long-term partnership.
Lead customer engagement activities to strengthen strategic alignment and business outcomes.
Resolve customer issues proactively and ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.

5. Team Leadership & Organizational Development

People Leadership

Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing team capable of delivering sustainable business results.
Coach and develop direct reports to strengthen commercial, leadership, and execution capabilities.
Conduct regular performance reviews and establish clear development plans for team members.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, agility, and continuous improvement.

Talent & Succession Management

Identify, develop, and retain high-potential talent through structured coaching and developmental assignments.
Lead succession planning initiatives and build organizational capability for future business needs.
Assess capability gaps and implement targeted learning and development interventions.
Support talent review processes and contribute actively to sales leadership talent discussions.

6. Governance & Business Stewardship

Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and commercial governance standards.
Drive disciplined management of trade investments, budgets, and business resources.
Maintain accurate reporting, forecasting, and performance tracking mechanisms.