Country Manager

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Job Description

Pactrade (Tonga) Limited is a well-established distributor of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in the Kingdom of Tonga. The company operates from its main office in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, and is part of the CJ Patel Group of Companies in Fiji, a diversified conglomerate with strong regional presence. As a trusted FMCG distributor, Pactrade (Tonga) Limited is committed to delivering high-quality products, efficient supply chain solutions, and outstanding service to its retail and wholesale partners across Tonga. Backed by the strength, experience, and extensive portfolio of the CJ Patel Group, the company continues to grow its market reach and uphold its reputation for reliability, professionalism, and excellence.

The Country Manager is responsible for leading and managing all business operations in Tonga, including sales, distribution, market execution, and organizational performance. This role ensures the effective implementation of strategies to achieve revenue, volume, market share, and profitability targets while strengthening the company’s presence in the FMCG sector. The Country Manager serves as the primary representative of the company in Tonga, overseeing compliance, stakeholder engagement, team leadership, and business development initiatives.

Outcomes

Organisational Stakeholders
1. Leadership and Operations Management
Lead and manage all country-level operations, ensuring seamless execution of sales, distribution, warehousing, logistics, and merchandising activities. Drive operational excellence and ensure efficient end-to-end supply chain performance. Strong governance and adherence to company policies, processes, and standards maintained Strategic business plans developed and implemented to achieve revenue, volume, and profitability targets. Market analysis conducted to guide decision-making, resource allocation, and long-term planning. KPIs, performance indicators, and market trends monitored to keep the business competitive and agile. Identify new business opportunities, partnerships, and growth channels. Lead the execution of market expansion initiatives and new product introductions. Support new category development and diversification aligned with overall group strategy.
2. Financial and Compliance Management
Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning for the market Manage the country P&L, ensuring cost control, margin improvement, and sustainable profitability. Review financial reports and ensure adherence to financial policies and statutory requirements. Ensure full compliance with local laws and regulations, including labor, tax, operational and industry standards. Oversee adherence to health and safety requirements, quality standards, and internal audit protocols. Manage business risks, implement mitigation strategies, and ensure strong governance.
3. Sales & Market Execution
Drive sales strategies, channel development, and account management through the Sales Manager to strengthen market presence. Oversee route-to-market execution, ensuring product availability, visibility, and market penetration. Manage pricing, promotions, trade initiatives, and brand activations in alignment with group strategy. Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, retail partners, distributors, and wholesalers. Engage with government bodies, regulatory agencies, and industry associations as the company’s representative in Tonga. Promote the company’s image, values, and commitment to quality and compliance.
4. People Leadership & Capability Development
Lead, mentor, and develop local teams to foster a high-performance, accountable, and engaged workforce. Lead by example and demonstrates behaviours aligned with the organisation’s values and culture. Provide clear direction, sets expectations, and ensures team members understand their roles and objectives. Coache, mentor, and support employees to build their skills, confidence, and performance. Identify training needs and implement capability-building initiatives. capability gaps and implements development plans, including training, upskilling, and continuous learning initiatives. Promote a positive work culture aligned with company values and performance standards. Foster a high-performance culture through regular feedback, performance discussions, and recognition of good work. Build a collaborative, motivated, and engaged team environment focused on achieving business goals. Ensure fair, consistent people management practices, including handling performance issues professionally and in line with company policies. Promote succession planning and develops future leaders by creating opportunities for growth and increased responsibilities. Encourage innovation, ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.

Responsibilities - Critical Competencies

Competence	Description
Business
Business Performance	Manage the performance of the organisation.
Customer
Customer Commitment	Demonstrate a commitment to customer service - both internal and external customers.
Commercial Focus	Optimize the commercial viability of the organisation.
People
Leadership	Utilise a leadership position to influence people and events and to increase performance.
Negotiation	Reach agreement through discussion and compromise.

Qualifications

Qualification	Discipline	Notes
Preferred
Degree	Sales/Marketing/Advertising, Business Management or Business Administration or related fields
Desirable
Masters Degree	Business Management or Business Administration or related fields

Work Knowledge and Experience

1. 8+ years of experience in FMCG or related industries, with at least 5 years in FMCG leadership or senior commercial roles with multi-function exposure.
2. Proven experience in managing country operations, sales teams, and P&L responsibility.
3. Strong understanding of FMCG distribution, retail, and market dynamics in the Pacific region.
4. Strong leadership, decision-making, and communication skills with excellent stakeholder management and negotiation abilities.
5. Financial acumen with the ability to interpret and manage P&L.
6. Strategic thinker with strong execution capability. High integrity, resilience, and results-driven mindset.

Requirements

Language Proficiency
Excellent command of English
Regulatory Compliance Requirements
Driver’s License
Police Clearance

Interactions

Interaction	Comments
Internal
All employees
Chief Executive Officer
Management Team
Internal Auditors
External
Customers
Statutory Authorities
Community
Regulators

Attributes

Attribute	Definition
Behavioural Styles
Accountable	Assumes full responsibility for own actions and identifies with the success or failure of own part of the overall work/goal.
Achiever	Puts in effort to achieve a desired result or goal and is motivated by this end and the overall accomplishment.
Integrity	Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
Reliable	Is able to be trusted to do what is expected or has been promised, puts in a great amount of effort believing in the value of work.
Interpersonal Styles
Objective	Impartial and honest in dealings with others, eliminating own feelings and view to reach a balanced judgement.
Self-sufficient and assured	Readily copes with situations without recourse/need of others, showing confidence and belief in oneself and one's own abilities.
Thinking Styles
Analytic	Able to separate things into their constituent elements in order to study or examine them, draw conclusions, or solve problems.
Decisive	Reaches conclusions, promptly and firmly.
Holistic thinker	Considers issues/situations as a whole rather than analysing or dissecting the parts.
Initiative	Takes action and makes decisions without the help or advice of other people.
Numerate	Shows abilities in quantitative thought and expression.

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