Country Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a country manager. Feel free to use our country manager job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a country manager.
Who is a Country Manager?
Country Managers are responsible for managing business operations in foreign countries. They also manage supplier relationships and can attract new partners. Country Manager resumes demonstrating networking skills, business acumen, and customer service skills. They also have communication skills, analytical thinking, and sales orientation. Country Managers can have a variety of educational backgrounds depending on the industry they work in. Most resumes include at least a Bachelor’s degree.
The country manager is responsible to develop business in a new region or country. These managers are especially important for international companies, since they manage the development, launch, and management of local product/service offerings, from production to distribution.
They are generally chosen for their knowledge of the area, language, and market. Their goal is to create and implement the right strategy and ensure that their business succeeds in the region. They can wear many hats including regional CEO, marketing director, and intermediary between parent company and subsidiary. The sales manager and support team are also included.
A good country manager must be a strategist who is not afraid to get things done and someone that the team can trust.
Country Manager Job Description
Below are the country manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a country manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a country manager include the following:
- Writing quarterly/annual reports and liaising with the head office
- Recruiting, vetting, and training new staff
- Researching the country or region in detail and adapting strategies accordingly.
- Monitoring performance at all levels, and scheduling training when necessary.
- Implementing effective brand strategy consistently
- Establishing professional relationships with clients and staff.
- Maintaining a positive image of the company at all times
- Finding the best talent for the country’s market
- Negotiating with suppliers and service providers necessary for the production
- Working with local businesses to acquire all the resources and services you need
- Doing extensive market research and finding out everything you can about the market.
- Building marketing and production teams using local expertise
- Working with the leadership team to plan how to best roll out product lines
- Being a student of culture and being aware of customs and ways.
- Synthesizing monthly and quarterly reports on progress and developments
- Establishing strong professional relationships and networking with local clients.
- Working to meet deadlines and maintaining budgets
- Adapting culturally relevant business models to fit cultural needs without losing their identity
- Mentoring direct reports, especially with regard to our vision and values
- Contributing towards the global success of our company
- Providing strategic direction to sales and marketing teams to ensure that the broad business goals are achieved
- Implementing approved promotional plans through the Medical Representatives to achieve the objectives,
- Motivating and coaching staff to help them develop and retain high-quality employees.
- Establishing a good working relationship with KOLs and government officials and ensuring compliance with all laws and regulations.
- Supervising the financial functions of the company and ensuring that controls and procedures are in place to improve accountability and align with business strategies, including the management of debt recovery.
- Forecasting sales accurately and managing shipments to assure consistent stock supply.
- Assisting in the management of shared services to ensure smooth operation.
- Optimizing resource allocation and return-on-investment by enabling ongoing portfolio and therapeutic analysis.
- Coordinating the registration and amendments of products already registered with the medical and regulatory departments
- Gathering market trends and competitor activity information to achieve the objectives,
- Coordinating operations with third parties to ensure alignment with business goals.
- Coordinating tender opportunities and ensuring that products from the company are included in the institution’s formularies.
- Implementing internationally developed quality assurance and impacting assessments to ensure compliance
- Making sure that teams provide clear and detailed information about the impact of their work
- Assuring timely delivery of all agreed plans
- Deciding the strategic allocation of country resources
- Assuring compliance of the region with applicable laws, policies, and practices.
- Ensuring good financial management and regular audits which are essential for good practice.
- Monitoring, managing, and reporting on your budget and expenses
Other important tasks include:
- Managing all business activities in a country
The country manager will be responsible for overseeing all activities in a country’s business. They will be responsible to achieve the country’s revenue, profit, and product quality goals.
- Management of the operational budget
The job of the Country Manager is to create detailed annual business plans and operating budgets. It is important to meet the quarterly, monthly, and annual revenue, profit, and finance targets.
- Employee Management
He is also responsible for managing and recruiting all employees working at the headquarters. He also oversees the performance of all employees under his/her headquarter, as well as advises and organizes training programs to increase employee productivity.
- Reporting
The Country Manager’s other important responsibility is to deliver timely and complete business results reports on an annual, quarterly, or monthly basis.
- Plan Operational Activities
Country Managers are responsible for ensuring that every aspect of a business runs smoothly, from communications to warehousing. They make sure that the in-country affiliate of a business follows all cultural and country regulations. They develop plans to improve sales and company growth.
- Implement brand strategies
The country managers are responsible for building the company’s brand in specific countries or regions. They develop advertising and promotional plans, and they are involved in global brand marketing and product positioning.
- Create Progress Reports
Country Managers continuously assess the company’s progress and market success and compile reports for submission to corporate headquarters. They provide reports on budgets, sales growth, declines, and regulatory compliance.
- Recruit and train staff
The country manager supervises the training and hiring of staff in a specific region. They may be involved in the selection of staff, training development, and scheduling as well as ongoing professional development for employees.
Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience and knowledge in the distribution of foods & goods
- Commercial Strategies and expert knowledge of international operations and the legal framework, with substantial experience applying luxury brand standards.
- Previous experience in leading a complex organization, preferably based away from the global head office.
- Demonstrates experience and ability as a leader that can influence the direction of the brand image within the region. This includes identifying and accessing the most efficient channels for commercial and retail.
- Demonstrates the ability to motivate and inspire others.
- Excellent communication, presentation, spokesperson, and representational skills
- Willingness to take responsibility and receive feedback about performance
- Ability to manage and lead staff and financial resources, including the setting, management, monitoring, and budgeting
- Ability to work under pressure, including the ability to manage deadlines, multiple tasks, and complete demands
- Fluency in English is essential.
- Identifies and resolves conflicts, brokering solutions to reach goals
Essential Skills
You will need to be a strong communicator, organizer, and negotiator to succeed as a Country Manager. A motivated, self-starter who can work independently with minimal supervision. You must also be able to manage and assemble teams. You must also have excellent presentation, planning, and analytical skills. Country Managers must have above-average customer service, people management, and leadership skills. These abilities are not enough.
Country managers should also possess the following skills:
- Management skills
Country Managers oversee all aspects of business operations including recruitment, training, and budget management.
- Expertise in the region
To enforce laws and regulations, country managers need to have a good understanding of the local politics in their country.
- Strategic planning
Research is another important part of this role. This includes developing brand strategies and implementing them to promote company products.
- Major Player
You are passionate about people and cultures. Your role is to manage cross-functional, global expansion projects and work with other business teams (e.g. You will be required to lead cross-functional, international expansion projects, work with different business teams i.e. sales and technical) across multiple geographies within an organization, to develop business cases, define a strategy, and establish timelines and requirements. This role is a great fit for executives and innovative communicators who are driven to create and expand international strategic opportunities.
- Power Of Persuasion
One could argue that changing people’s minds about the job is the hardest part of the job. This role requires recruiters to have the ability to persuade and be able to recognize opportunities. You will also be working on deals every day so patience, listening skills, and charm are essential.
- Strategic thinking
The role involves trying new strategies to make things work. You know that there have been no other dependents on this whole experience chain. It doesn’t have to make sense, but it has to be right. They say it: not in boring “correct” sense, but the most precise strategy for predicting results with an “incomplete” sense so you always have room to improve.
- Execution
Larry Bossidy (ex-CEO of AlliedSignal) said that strategies most often fail because they’re not well executed. He co-authored the popular book “Execution: A Discipline of Getting Things Done”. Leadership is essential. Execution has been evaluated and rated highly in recent years. This is why many high-profile companies have achieved great results. There have been many theories that execution is key to the success of a strategy in recent years. You can drive profits if you have a motivated execution staff. By planning simpler strategies and implementing fewer plans, you will be able to produce exceptional results.
- Completing Priorities simultaneously
You are responsible for driving expansion into new markets and identifying new features for customers in countries. You will need to be able to prioritize tasks, solve problems and translate business needs into profit. There will be many tasks that you have to complete. Some are urgent, others are routine and some have a higher priority. However, the most important priority is your ability to successfully implement your work and contribute to the development of the company and your personal growth.
- Problem-solving skills
Let’s discuss analytical skills, sound business judgment, and creative problem-solving. Country managers who can move quickly and can solve complex problems in a fast-paced environment require a quick and agile leader. These skills, along with the ability to create and sustain urgency, can help you thrive in ambiguity and drive results.
How to Become a Country Manager
- Earn a degree
You can earn a degree in business administration or economics. This will help you become a competent country manager.
- Establish a strong network
Make connections with people who are influential in your industry. Learn from them. Participate in networking groups, attend industry events and meet new clients.
- Get certified
Country managers must be certified to hold the job. You can be distinguished from your competitors when you show off your skills with certification. These certifications include Certified Public Accountant(CPA), Master of Business Administration [MBA], and Certified Management Accountant[CMA].
- Create a resume
Make sure your resume highlights your talents. A resume that highlights your work and experience as a country manager will prove to potential employers that your qualifications are right for the job.
- Find a job
When searching for a job in the country management field, there are some key points to remember. It is essential to understand the requirements for the job and the experience that they require. It is also important to research companies and organizations that are hiring in your field of expertise. You can also build relationships with people who can assist you in finding opportunities. These tips will help you find the right job that suits your skills and experience.
Where to Work
Country managers represent the country in a foreign nation. They work in growing industries that are experiencing global expansion. They also oversee all operations within a region, including recruitment and budgets, planning, and the submission of reports.
Country Manager Salary Scale
The average salary a country manager earns in the United States is $102,696