Introduction to the VKB Group

The VKB Group is an agricultural company, providing support to farmers and producing straight-from-the farm-foods for consumers. Apart from the various consumer brands, the VKB Group is also represented by its regional brands: VKB, GWK and NTK. Our roots are firmly planted in agriculture with farming at our core, continuously growing and evolving throughout the years.

Starting with providing everything needed on the farm to produce food, we now also operate in all areas of the food supply chain: processing, logistics, and national and global market channels.

This “house of brands” we’ve established with the support of our farmer shareholders is the foundation for building the agribusiness of the future.

Job Description

A dedicated individual is required to drive, manage, and grow the Building Material core product group across the business. This is a specialised core category.

The successful candidate will take full ownership of this core group and will work closely with Product Management, particularly in supplier negotiations, while also being responsible for operational execution, sales enablement, and strategic growth.

The Manager: Building Material will be responsible for driving sales growth and achieving revenue targets for the Building Material product group across all relevant regions. The role requires strong industry knowledge, commercial insight, and the ability to align stock, training, marketing, and customer strategies to regional and branch-specific needs. A key focus will be on contractor-focused strategies, purpose-driven financing solutions, and the expansion of a wholesale electrical product range.

This role requires an individual with a solid background in the building and construction industry, preferably with experience in large retail or wholesale building material environments and strong familiarity with building operations

Requirements

• Minimum qualification of Grade 12.
• A tertiary qualification in a relevant field will be advantageous.
• Extensive experience in the building and construction industry is essential.
• Proven experience in building materials retail, wholesale, or related supply chains.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills with sound business acumen.
• Willingness to travel extensively across regions.
• Experience working with contractors, suppliers, and financial product offerings.
• Fully bilingual with excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation ability and numeracy.
• Strong understanding of branch operations, stock management, and regional market dynamics.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Sales Growth and Commercial Drive

• Drive sales growth and revenue targets for the Building Material core group across all branches.
• Work closely with Product Management on supplier negotiations and range optimisation.

Stock Management and Regional Optimisation

• Manage stock holding per branch, ensuring the correct quantity and product mix specific to each branch’s environment and market demand.
• Maintain optimal stock levels while limiting slow-moving and ageing stock.

Training and Branch Support

• Train and develop the designated branch marketer responsible for the Building Material range in each branch.
• Ensure consistent product knowledge, sales capability, and category focus across all regions.

Purpose Loans and Financial Solutions

• Drive and promote “Purpose Loans” offered by financial institutions to support customer purchases.
• Work with branches and marketing teams to integrate financing solutions into sales strategies.

Contractor Strategy and Marketing

• Develop, implement, and execute a focused contractor marketing and engagement strategy.
• Build long-term relationships with contractors and professional customers to grow volume and loyalty.

Wholesale Electrical Range

• Lead the acquisition, rollout, and ongoing management of a wholesale electrical product range.
• Ensure successful integration into existing branch operations and sales channels.

Skills Required

• Proven ability to drive sales growth within a specialised product category.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills to align stock, pricing, and market needs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to train, influence, and support branch teams.
• In-depth understanding of inventory management and category performance metrics.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with Product Management and branch leadership.

Other Information

• The company can expire jobs at any time at their own discretion.
• VKB Group and/or its subsidiary companies will use any personal data collected through the job opportunities section of this website for recruitment purposes only and, should your application be successful, for purposes connected with your employment.
• VKB Group is an equal opportunity employer. VKB Group’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process aligned to VKB Group’s Employment Equity & Transformation Strategy. VKB Group actively supports the recruitment of People with Disabilities
• Things to take note of when applying through our Career Portal.
• Use Google Chrome when accessing the portal
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