Commercial Manager (Operational know-how) Reports to: Director Direct Reports: National Sales, Key Accounts, Trade Marketing, Marketing Management Role Summary We are seeking a strategic and commercially driven Commercial & Operations Manager to lead revenue growth, margin expansion, and market expansion across South Africa. This role will own the full commercial engine — including national sales, key accounts, distributor management, trade marketing, and marketing development — with a focus on sustainable, profitable growth. The ideal candidate combines high-level strategic capability with strong execution discipline and experience scaling FMCG or regulated consumer products. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute 3-year commercial growth strategy Drive revenue, gross margin and EBITDA targets Lead national and regional sales planning Identify vertical and horizontal product expansion opportunities Evaluate new category and new market entry feasibility 2. Key Accounts & Contract Governance Oversee major retail and wholesale relationships Structure pricing, rebates, and promotional agreements Protect margin integrity across accounts Ensure trading terms are commercially sustainable 3. National Sales & Field Execution Lead National Sales Manager and regional structures Drive sell-in and sell-through performance Improve forecasting accuracy and stock flow discipline Optimise territory coverage and rep productivity Build performance culture across regions 4. Trade Marketing & Brand Commercialisation Align marketing spend with revenue outcomes Approve promotional calendar and incentive programmes Drive activation excellence in key retail environments Ensure commercial ROI tracking on campaigns Own commercial budget and forecasting process Improve working capital cycles Monitor debtor days and credit exposure Partner with finance on margin and cost controls Align operations with commercial demand planning Build scalable commercial organisation Recruit and develop high-performance leaders Implement KPI dashboards and reporting discipline Establish clear accountability across teams Key KPIs Revenue growth % (domestic & export) Gross margin % improvement EBITDA contribution Key account retention and expansion New market entries per year Forecast accuracy Required Experience 5+ years in FMCG or regulated consumer categories Proven experience leading national sales teams Strong key account negotiation experience Experience scaling multi-category portfolios Financial literacy (margin modelling, forecasting, budgeting) Preferred Attributes Strategic thinker with execution focus High commercial IQ Comfortable in high-growth environments Strong negotiation and influence capability #J-18808-Ljbffr