Commercial Manager - SADC Region

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of SADC, the Commercial Manager will be responsible for managing commercial operations, inclusive of all partnerships, alliances, tenders, projects, and agreements within the SADC realm, thus working closely with marketing teams and respective support functions to ensure implementation of strategies and KPIs as set forth in the annual marketing plan.

The SADC region consists of the following: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, DRC, Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles.

The role is mainly focusing around the following:

• Leading the Alliance management operations: Financial forecasting, Inventory management, Data, Reporting, Governance, CRM, Digital integration, Contracting, Pricing, Projects, Promotional oversight and management.
• Leading the in-market Distributor Operations: Financial Forecasting, Inventory, Working capital, Projects.
• Pricing: Guide the team to develop the pricing strategies to meet customers' needs while providing a profit for the organization.
• Tender Management: Leads the preparation of bids and tenders to national, regional, or local governments, including private market tenders, and ensures that the organization's bids are fully compliant.
• Leading the CTE & Institutional KAM team: Managing in-market sales especially in top accounts, leading CTC (KAM) organization, Implementation of structured commercial processes to develop business in different trade customers etc. (Point of Sales Operations)
• Leading Implementation of Strategy and Projects: Manage the internal team and oversight of Alliance partner resources.
• Financials: Responsible for effectiveness & efficiency of commercial terms, ensuring proper governance and SOPs in place.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Establish a structured framework for engaging with local partners in a way that serves the mutual objectives & acts as the face of our company to the relevant strategic alliances.
• Identify and align key stakeholders across internal and partner functions, put in place alliance governance and ensure that it functions efficiently.
• Develop a clear understanding for the trade environment of different trade customers in the market and support the execution of structured commercial processes in compliance with laws and regulations to maximize business by driving topline and bottom-line.
• Articulate a clear strategy for the market covering both retail & public channel that is focusing on capturing trade opportunities with clear operational & financial KPIs; switch, availability/distribution and affordability.
• Active engagement and participation in CFT to mutually develop and deliver marketing strategy for priority franchises and markets.
• Establish CRM integration and digital capability in priority markets.
• Top level communication skills to ensure cross-functional collaboration among different internal stakeholders.
• Experienced trade customer negotiation skills to ensure trade negotiations with top accounts are managed in a structured and effective manner.
• Establish analytics procedure that evaluates, quantifies, identifies and prioritizes revenue growth opportunities utilizing external & internal data resources and based on solid research data.
• Ensure continuous development of his team's trade competencies by investing in long-term development plans in alignment with the learning and development department and to establish a commercial culture that will position the organization as the company that defines and sets the standards of how trade teams should operate with external trade customers.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will be a status quo changer & entrepreneurial. He/she should have the following competencies:

• Track record of strategic and executional commercial achievements in a complex trade environment.
• Strong business and commercial acumen and leadership capabilities.
• Deep experience with externally facing partners/3rd parties.
• High level of understanding on managing top accounts in retail channel with clear set of KPIs.
• Ability to take rapid decisions with calculated risks.
• Accustomed to working in a diverse and rapidly changing workload, delivering projects across several teams, timelines and within a matrix structure.
• Commercially astute, proactive and self-starter.
• Analytical skills with an ability to synthesize data/insights into actionable business recommendations.
• Superior collaborative skills, with an ability to work across cultural, geographic, and hierarchical boundaries.

Education:

B.Sc., Commerce Degree or international equivalent from an accredited university, MBA is a plus.

Oral and written communication proficiency in English. French is an added advantage.

Personal Characteristics:

• To have a passion for achievement; strong negotiating/influencing skills, integrity and drive with a strong desire to make things happen.

• Flexible mindset, Interpersonal and organization skills; strong customer focus and service orientation and communication skills.

• Resilient with an ability to deal with ambiguity and complex operating environments.

• Entrepreneurial mentality – willing to take reasonable risks.

• Mix of strategic thinker capabilities and strong operational and executional knowledge.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Minimum 10 years of multinational experience with at least 3 years of commercial experience within a leading pharmaceutical company. Experience in Export markets (SSA) is an added advantage.

• Experienced in managing top accounts (customers, distributors) in different channels with different therapeutic area experience.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a leadership role and people management experience.

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

01/6/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID:R325425