South Africa Commercial Manager at Cipla

Job Purpose

• Commercial Finance Lead role partners closely with sales, marketing, and operations teams to provide financial insights, ensure profitability, and support decision-making.
• Key responsibilities include budgeting and forecasting, financial modelling, pricing strategy, performance analysis, and identifying opportunities for growth and efficiency.
• This role will also be involved in Marketing fees calculation, 3rd Party COGS streamlining, project management for Africa CFO as well as functional partnership with SCM and local functions.
• The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with business acumen and excellent communication abilities to handle multiple senior stakeholders

Key Accountabilities (1/5)

Data & Marketing fees calculation oversight

• Coordinate with Commercial teams to evaluate and ascertain correct data & marketing fees calculations.
• Oversee & review the marketing fees accrual preparation and sign it off before Controller’s review.
• Establish budget vs actual tracking and evaluation of return on investments

Control of 3rd Party COGS and agreements

• Contract Review & Risk Assessment: Evaluating financial clauses in third-party contracts to ensure alignment with company policies and risk appetite.
• Cost Control & Budgeting: Monitoring third-party spend against budgets and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Performance Tracking: Analyzing vendor performance against agreed KPIs and financial metrics.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Working with legal, procurement, and operational teams to negotiate favourable terms and manage contract lifecycles

Key Accountabilities (2/5)

PMO Finance Projects

• Lead and manage finance-related projects such as marketing fee automation, process automation, and financial integration initiatives etc.
• Track Finance Project plans as per guidance from Africa CFO including scope, timelines, budgets, and resource allocation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Monitor project financials, track KPIs, and report on progress to senior stakeholders.
• Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure project success
• Commercial Negotiations – Customers (Wholesalers & Pharmacies) and Partners (Teva, Brandmed, Evia and others)
• Lead financial aspects of commercial negotiations with key customers, suppliers, and strategic partners.
• Evaluate pricing models, contract terms, and deal structures to ensure profitability and risk mitigation.
• Partner with sales, legal, and procurement teams to develop negotiation strategies and support deal execution.
• Conduct scenario analysis and financial modelling to assess the impact of proposed commercial terms.
• Monitor post-deal performance to ensure compliance with financial expectations and identify improvement opportunities.
• Support the development of long-term partnerships through financially sustainable agreements.

Key Accountabilities (3/5)

• Department business partner
• Partner with support function leaders to develop budgets, forecasts, and financial plans.
• Provide financial insights and analysis to support strategic and operational decisions.
• Monitor and control costs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and budgetary constraints.
• Conduct variance analysis and identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.
• Support business cases for investments in support functions (e.g., technology upgrades, HR initiatives)

Key Accountabilities (4/5)

FP&A Budgeting & Forecasting

• Participate in annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning processes for commercial & functional teams.
• Provide financial insights and analysis on revenue, margin, and operating expenses to support strategic decisions.
• Partner with sales, marketing, and operations to evaluate business performance and identify growth opportunities.
• Develop and maintain financial models to support scenario planning, pricing strategies, and investment decisions.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and prepare monthly management reports with variance analysis.
• Support commercial negotiations with financial modeling and deal evaluation.
• Ensure alignment between financial plans and business objectives through regular stakeholder engagement.

Key Accountabilities (5/5)

• SCM Business Partner (CDG & 
• CDG Partnership
• Partner with distribution center leadership to manage budgets, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Lead monthly performance reviews and provide variance analysis with actionable insights.

COPE

• Track and report on short-dated and expiring inventory.
• Analyze financial exposure from potential write-offs and provisions related to expired or near-expiry stock.
• Collaborate with supply chain and sales teams to develop mitigation plans (e.g., discounting, reallocation, promotions).
• Maintain accurate and timely reporting dashboards for inventory aging and expiry risks.
• Support monthly and quarterly close processes by preparing provisions and commentary on stock obsolescence.
• Identify trends and root causes of expiry-related losses and recommend process improvementsIn Market COPE)

Strategic business partnership – M&A, BD-Inlicensing etc

• Lead financial evaluation of potential M&A & in licensing opportunities, including valuation, scenario modelling, and synergy analysis.
• Support due diligence processes by assessing financial, operational, and strategic risks
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders (investment banks, legal advisors, consultants) throughout the deal lifecycle.
• Prepare investment memos and presentations for executive leadership and board approval.
• Drive post-merger integration planning and execution, ensuring alignment with financial targets and strategic goals.
• Monitor performance of acquired entities and track realization of synergies and ROI.
• Maintain a pipeline of strategic opportunities and support long-term growth planning.

Major Challenges

Challenge:

• Balancing Strategic and Operational Priorities, Navigating between long-term strategic planning and day-to-day financial operations
• Overcome by: Supporting commercial teams while maintaining financial discipline.
• Managing Cross-Functional Stakeholders
• Overcome by: Aligning stakeholders through data driven financial insights.
• Driving Profitability Under Margin Pressure
• Overcome by: Identifying cost-saving opportunities without compromising growth.

Key Interactions (1/2)

• Africa CEO and Senior Leadership Team (Periodic current and projected financial reporting and mitigate risks continuously)

Key Interactions (2/2)

• Customer relationships
• Teva Spearhead the commercial relationship management as well as negotiations.
• Dischem/Clicks/Independents: Support Commercial Heads in relationship management as well as negotiations

Dimensions (1/2)

• Top line performance (INR 4,200 Cr)
• SA (ZAR 6.5 Billion)
• Business contribution (INR 1,000 Cr)
• SA (ZAR 1.8 Billion)
• Dimensions (2/2)

Key Decisions (1/2)

• Pricing Strategy
• Department Budgets
• Budgeting Forecasting and Planning
• Commercial Deal Evaluation
• Cost Optimization

Key Decisions (2/2)

• Use contribution margin analysis to assess profitability
• Implement dynamic pricing models based on market demand and customer segmentation.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing for value-based pricing.
• Regularly review and reallocate based on performance and market shifts.
• Develop and update financial forecasts and long-term plans
• Conduct scenario analysis and deal modeling.
• Include risk-adjusted returns in evaluations.
• Ensure contractual clauses protect margins and cash flow
• Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities

Education Qualification

• Chartered Accountant / MBA (Finance)

Relevant Work Experience

• Minimum 5-8 years experience