Commercial Manager

Job Title: Commercial Manager

Industry: Pharmaceutical

Our client is seeking a highly motivated and results-oriented senior business leader to join their Commercial Business Unit as a Commercial Manager. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in Sales & Marketing at a regional level. This strategic role reports directly to the Head of Unit and involves frequent interaction with the General Manager.

As a senior leader, the Category Manager will be responsible for heading a national sales and marketing team comprising Sales Managers, Team Leaders, Key Accounts Managers, and Sales Representatives. The role requires close coordination with operational and cross-functional teams to manage and optimize the pharmaceutical products category—driving sales growth, profitability, and market share effectively and efficiently.

Key responsibilities include developing and executing commercial sales strategies, overseeing brand ownership and management, nurturing supplier and customer relationships, ensuring product availability, supporting sales and marketing efforts, and managing the financial performance of the unit. This includes achieving gross profit targets, unit profitability, return on marketing investment, and overseeing the development, implementation, monitoring, and review of the unit’s annual budget.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Sales Strategy Development: Develop and implement a comprehensive national sales strategy aligned with business objectives to drive revenue growth and market share. Set and monitor performance targets for regional teams and assess market trends to adjust strategies accordingly.
• Sales Category Management: Lead brand ownership and positioning for all pharmaceutical products at a national level. Oversee the creation of effective marketing campaigns, ensuring high ROI and alignment with brand objectives. Collaborate with the marketing team to develop innovative promotional activities for brand visibility.
• People Management: Lead, mentor, and evaluate the performance of Sales Managers, Team Leaders, Ken Account Managers and Sales Representatives to build a high-performing national team.
• Supplier and Customer Management: Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key suppliers to ensure product availability and quality standards. Build and nurture customer relationships to achieve high satisfaction rates, customer loyalty, adapting approaches based on client feedback.
• Debt Collection and Management: Develop and execute strategies for managing inventory and ensuring effective debt collection and credit management to minimize overdue accounts while
• Financials: Manage the commercial unit’s budget, targeting gross profit (GP) and overall unit profitability. Ensure accountability for financial metrics, including return on investment (ROI) for marketing activities. Prepare and oversee annual budgets, closely monitoring and adjusting to maintain financial health.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
• Must have a minimum of a science related academic qualification with a valid applicable PPB license
• Bachelor’s degree Sales & Marketing or relevant business field
• An MBA will be treated as an added advantage
• A minimum of 10 year’s experience in pharmaceuticals sales, out of which 5 years should be in a senior leadership role at a regional level.
• Be a strategist with excellent leadership, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Must have excellent PR with the Kenyan market i.e. wholesalers, Hospitals, Chemists and sub distributors
• Strong people management skills with high business acumen capacity

WHY JOIN OUR CLIENT
• Impactful Work: Join a vibrant work environment which promotes innovation, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Transparent Leadership: Experience a leadership team that is accessible, transparent, and values employee feedback.
• Growth Opportunities: Elevate your career with unparalleled opportunities for professional growth, directly contributing to the evolution of the company.