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Commercial Director (Commercial Director)

Overview

Reference
Commercial Director

Salary
ZAR/month

Job Location
- South Africa -- City of Cape Town -- Cape Town

Job Type
Permanent

Posted
02 April 2025

Closing date
02 Jul 2025 21:59


An ambitious and fast-growing player in the FMCG sector, is seeking a Commercial Director to spearhead its hyper-growth journey. 

Key Responsibilities:

Sales Leadership: 

  • Develop and execute an aggressive sales strategy to achieve hyper-growth targets (e.g., 50–100% YoY revenue increase).

  • Lead direct and indirect sales channels, including retail, e-commerce, and distributor networks, to maximize penetration and volume.

  • Drive a performance-driven sales culture, setting ambitious KPIs and ensuring accountability across teams.

Commercial Strategy:

  • Shape the brand’s go-to market approach, identifying untapped opportunities in the FMCG landscape (e.g., new categories, geographies, or consumer segments).

  • Build and refine pricing, promotion, and distribution strategies to outmaneuver larger competitors while maintaining profitability.

  • Spearhead strategic partnerships with retailers, suppliers, and digital platforms to amplify reach and scale.

Market Disruption:

  • Position the brand as a bold challenger by leveraging consumer insights, trends (e.g., sustainability, health), and agile decision-making to outpace legacy FMCG players.

  • Oversee product portfolio expansion, working with marketing and R&D to launch high-velocity SKUs that capture market share.

Team Building:

  • Recruit, train, and inspire a top-tier commercial team, fostering a startup mentality with big-brand execution.

  • Mentor sales managers and key account leaders to deliver results in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.

Data-Driven Growth:

  • Utilize sales analytics, market data, and consumer behavior insights to optimize strategies and forecast demand.

  • Report on commercial performance to the CEO and board, translating numbers into actionable growth plans.

P&L Accountability:

  • Own the commercial P&L, balancing aggressive growth with cost efficiency to ensure sustainable scaling.

Skills:

  • Strategic visionary with a knack for translating bold ideas into executable plans.

  • Exceptional sales acumen—able to close deals, negotiate with key accounts, and rally teams to exceed targets.

  • Commercial agility—comfortable pivoting strategies in response to market shifts or competitor moves.

  • Strong analytical skills to leverage data for decision-making and forecasting.

  • Charismatic leadership with a history of building high-energy, results-focused teams.

  • Entrepreneurial mindset—thrives in ambiguity and loves a challenge.

  • Competitive edge—relishes taking on giants and winning.

  • Resilience—unfazed by setbacks, with a focus on rapid iteration and results.

  • Passion for FMCG—understands consumer drivers and category dynamics.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field; MBA or equivalent is a plus.

  • 10+ years in commercial or sales leadership roles within FMCG, with a proven track record of driving double- or triple-digit growth.

  • Experience with a challenger brand, startup, or high-growth SME, ideally disrupting larger incumbents.

  • Deep expertise in sales channel management (e.g., modern trade, traditional trade, e-commerce) and distributor networks.

  • Fluency in English; additional languages relevant to target markets (e.g., regional dialects) are advantageous.


Contact information

Tamlyn Redmond