Commercial & Operations Manager at Unique Personnel

Job Description    

• The Commercial & Operations Manager leads the company's entire commercial and operational function across South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana — overseeing national and regional sales performance, distribution strategy, revenue growth, market execution, and commercial operations.
• This role requires a commercially astute leader capable of balancing strategic direction with rigorous operational execution across direct and distributor-led channels.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial strategy  Develop and execute commercial strategy across SA, Namibia, and Botswana 
• Lead long-term revenue growth and market expansion initiatives 
• Identify new commercial opportunities, partnerships, and channels 
• Oversee pricing strategy, trade spend, and promotional effectiveness 
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends, and customer dynamics

Operational Alignment 

• Partner with operations, logistics, procurement, and finance 
• Improve cross-functional communication and collaboration 
• Align commercial planning with supply chain capabilities 
• Identify operational gaps and implement scalable processes 
• Drive reporting accuracy and process discipline

Team Development 

• Build and maintain a high-performance commercial culture 
• Mentor NSM and regional management capability 
• Ensure succession planning and talent development 
• Drive accountability, discipline, and execution standards 
• Assist in recruitment and organisational structuring

Sales Leadership 

• Lead and manage the National Sales Manager across all regions and territories 
• Establish commercial KPIs, structures, and accountability frameworks 
• Drive performance across direct and distributor channels in all three markets 
• Ensure strong field execution, merchandising, and brand visibility  Conduct regular performance reviews with NSM and regional leadership

Financial Management 

• Manage commercial budgets and profitability targets 
• Analyse sales data and market trends for strategic decisions 
• Oversee debtors management in collaboration with finance 
• Contribute to annual budgeting and forecasting processes 
• Ensure activities deliver sustainable, profitable growth

Key Performance Areas

• Revenue growth
• Gross profit performance
• National sales target achievement
• Distribution growth and market penetration
• Execution standards across regions and territories
• Team performance and leadership development
• Debtors performance
• Operational alignment and process efficiency
• Customer retention and growth
• Commercial reporting accuracy

Inherent Requirements    

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Commerce, Sales, Marketing, or related field – Leadership or commercial management qualifications advantageous

Experience

• 8–10 years in FMCG commercial operations
• Proven leadership of national or multiregional sales teams
• Strong grasp of distribution and route-to market models
• Experience managing senior leadership personnel
• Demonstrated success in driving commercial growth
• Experience operating across Southern African markets advantageous

Required Competencies

• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• Strategic leadership capability
• High discipline and accountability
• Strong operational understanding
• People leadership and coaching ability
• Analytical and data-driven decision-making
• Strong communication and negotiation skills
• Systems thinking and process discipline
• High adaptability in fast-paced environments