Trade Marketing Manager

Who We Are:

GMG is a global well-being company retailing, distributing and manufacturing a portfolio of leading international and home-grown brands across sport, everyday goods, health and beauty, properties and logistics sectors. Under the ownership and management of the Baker family for over 45 years, GMG is a valued partner of choice for the world's most successful and respected brands in the well-being sector. Working across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, GMG has introduced more than 120 brands across 12 countries. These include notable home-grown brands such as Sun & Sand Sports, Dropkick, Supercare Pharmacy, Farm Fresh, Klassic, and international brands like Nike, Columbia, Converse, Timberland, Vans, Mama Sita's, and McCain.

Role Overview:

The Trade Marketing Manager is responsible for developing and executing trade marketing strategies that drive brand visibility, sales growth, and market share across key retail and distribution channels. The role bridges marketing and sales, ensuring that marketing initiatives are effectively implemented at the point of sale. This individual will manage trade promotions, in-store activation, merchandising, and channel performance analysis to optimize brand performance in line with business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement trade marketing plans aligned with overall brand and sales strategies.
• Translate marketing campaigns into actionable channel programs to support sell-in and sell-out.
• Segment customers and channels to tailor trade marketing activities effectively.
• Collaborate with the marketing and sales teams to forecast demand and align on promotional calendars.
• Manage the execution of trade promotions, in-store activations, and POS material deployment.
• Ensure brand consistency and visibility across all retail environments.
• Drive shopper engagement through impactful visibility and merchandising strategies.
• Partner with key retailers and distributors to optimize promotional performance.
• Track and analyze trade marketing initiatives’ ROI and sales uplift.
• Prepare monthly reports on channel performance, promotion effectiveness, and competitor activities.
• Recommend adjustments to improve future trade marketing effectiveness.
• Work closely with marketing, sales, supply chain, and finance teams to ensure end-to-end execution of trade programs.
• Support sales teams with promotional tools, presentation materials, and trade engagement assets.
• Manage trade marketing budgets effectively, ensuring cost-efficient execution.
• Monitor spending and report variances against the approved budget.

Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A master’s degree or professional certification in Marketing, Trade/Channel Management, or Sales is an added advantage.
• 3–4 years of total experience, including 1–2 years in trade marketing, channel marketing, or brand activation roles (in FMCG).
• Proven experience managing cross-functional projects and working with distributors or key accounts.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Fluent in English and Arabic (both written and spoken).
• Ability to communicate effectively with local and regional stakeholders.
• CRM / ERP systems knowledge (SAP, Salesforce, etc.)
• Market Research and POS Tracking Tools (e.g., Nielsen, IRI)