Sales Operations and Planning Manager

The Role

Location: Sofia, hybrid within the country

Sales Operations and Planning Manager role is a combination of Trade Marketing and some sales operations activities related to analysis. Responsible for shaping the trade marketing plan for the Market and ensuring its effective delivery by enabling the Field Force and providing external customer support. The role reports into the Market Manager and will manage a team of Sales Analysts.

Principle Accountabilities

• Strategic Cycle & Trade Planning
  Shapes and manages the market cycle planning process, translating brand and marketing strategy into actionable, localized trade and Field Force plans.

• Brand Portfolio Execution & Activation
  Leads execution of the market brand portfolio across distribution, availability, merchandising, and shopper/consumer activation, in close alignment with Commercial and Brand leadership.

• Trade Effectiveness, Assets & Budget Ownership
  Drives efficient trade marketing execution through incentive programs, performance monitoring, asset production (POS, merchandising, digital), and full ownership of the trade marketing budget.

• Field Force Enablement & Execution Excellence
  Ensures the Field Force is fully equipped, coached, and performance-driven to deliver market plans, commercial KPIs, and customer-centric execution.

• Market & Customer Leadership
  Acts as the primary sales interface between customers and Field Force, staying close to market dynamics to proactively resolve service, sales, and distribution challenges.

• Sales Operations & Performance Optimization
  Oversees sales operations, order processing, and distribution while driving data-driven analysis (coverage, RTM, customer performance) to optimize portfolio placement and sales effectiveness.

Skills and Experience Required

• Strong FMCG background with experience in a similar role, operating in a high‑performance, results‑driven environment.
• Deep understanding of Trade Marketing, including trade planning, portfolio activation, promotional mechanics, CRM, and sales analytics
• Commercial knowledge & analytical capability, with a strong understanding of Consumer Marketing, Trade Marketing and Sales strategies as well as strong numerical skills and the ability to interpret insights, data, systems, and processes to drive decisions.
• Strong people management capability, with demonstrated experience leading and developing analytical or commercial teams
• Influential relationship‑builder, able to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, communicate clearly, and balance challenge with partnership.
• Proactive, resilient and opportunity‑driven mindset, comfortable working in a fast‑changing, complex portfolio environment  

What We Offer

In return for playing your part in building our future, you will receive a comprehensive compensation package with salary, bonus scheme and further benefits as well inspiring places to work and collaborate with purpose. Here at Imperial we will give you the opportunity to grow and learn, innovate at pace and be a part of our purpose to forge a path to a healthier future for moments of relaxation and pleasure for our consumers.

Everyone Belongs

Everyone belongs in Imperial. We are proud of being a truly inclusive organisation. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, sexual orientation, religions or beliefs and of neuro divergence. We give fair and equal consideration to all our applicants. Please contact us at recruitment@impbrands.com to let us know if we can provide support in helping you complete an application and/or attend an interview.

About Us

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by 25,000 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo where people can bring their best selves to work. Our agility and collaboration are driving our ambitions, innovation and success all supported by our award-winning development programmes that creates exciting and rewarding career opportunities for all.  Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

As a matter of policy, Imperial Tobacco or its subsidiaries never requests or requires payment as part of any recruitment process.