Zonal Sales Manager (ZSM) - Pune

About the Role

This position is part of Airtel’s Emerging Business sales organization in Pune Division, Maharashtra. The role is centered on driving growth in an assigned territory, managing revenue creation and retention across multiple business lines, and leading a frontline sales team to deliver business outcomes.

Company Snapshot

Airtel was established in 1995 with the goal of enabling wide-scale connectivity and creating new opportunities through technology. The business supports a large share of India’s population and operates across advanced technology areas including 5G, IoT, IQ, and Airtel Black. The organization emphasizes customer impact, responsible innovation, and environmental balance.

What the Role Involves

The Zonal Sales Manager is expected to own business growth in the assigned geography, manage both new business acquisition and customer retention, and coordinate with internal teams to resolve issues and smoothen sales execution. The role also includes leading and developing a team of around 8 to 13 Account Managers.

Key Accountabilities

• Drive the go-to-market plan for the zone and manage a team of approximately 8 to 13 Account Managers.
• Create sales plans, forecasts, funnel strategies, and target plans to improve revenue and profitability.
• Deliver on objectives related to sales, revenue growth, churn control, and product mix.
• Assign targets to Account Managers based on territory potential.
• Balance hunting for new business with farming existing accounts.
• Roll out the Serve-to-Sell approach across the team to strengthen customer relationships.
• Build digital capability within the team and encourage digital-first working methods.
• Review forecasts, support closures, and take corrective action where needed.
• Track market movements, competition, and emerging opportunities, especially for new products.
• Guide team performance, provide development support, and recommend learning interventions.
• Monitor engagement and attrition and help build a strong talent pipeline for future roles.
• Maintain effective relationships across internal and external stakeholders to support business delivery.

Experience and Qualification

The preferred academic background is an MBA or PGDM, with graduation in B.Tech or B.E. being desirable. The role calls for 8 to 10 years of B2B sales experience, including at least 4 years in people management. Prior exposure to telecom, OEM, IT/ITeS, or FMCG environments is preferred.

Work Expectations

The job is based onsite in Pune Division and reports to the Circle Business Head. It involves direct management of 8 to 13 team members and requires close collaboration with internal functions such as Network, Service, Product, and Finance, as well as external contacts including customer administration, finance teams, and CXOs.

Employee Value Proposition

Airtel describes its employee experience around three themes: making a meaningful impact, taking ownership beyond the expected, and building a broad career path through experimentation and new ideas.

Additional Information

Certification requirement is listed as “XX” in the source.

The posting mentions Airtel’s cultural themes of Limitless Impact, Limitless Ownership, and Limitless Careers.

Reference tag noted in the source: #BAL.

No salary, stipend, vacancy count, or start date was specified in the source.