One of our clients based in Cape Town / Port Elizabeth , a fast-growing FMCG distributor operating in the nicotine and vaping category across Southern Africa. They are seeking a Commercial Manager to own and drive the company's revenue performance — from strategy through to execution.
This is a senior, high-impact role. The Commercial Manager will be responsible for growing our customer base, deepening relationships with key accounts, managing and developing the sales team, and ensuring that commercial decisions are grounded in data and delivered with discipline.
Non-negotiable requirements
Minimum 5 years commercial, sales management or key account management experience
Proven track record of delivering revenue growth — must be able to evidence with numbers
Experience managing and leading a sales team — not just individual contributor experience
Strong FMCG, distribution or consumer goods background
Demonstrable key account management experience at a buyer or senior decisionmaker level
Commercially astute — understands margin, pricing, trading terms and P&L implications
Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills
Data-literate — comfortable interpreting sales data, building forecasts and reporting to senior leadership
Relevant qualification — BCom (Marketing / Sales / Business Management), NDip or equivalent
Preferred experience — strong differentiators
Experience in the nicotine, vaping, tobacco or regulated consumer goods category
Established trade relationships in Western Cape and/or Eastern Cape retail and wholesale channels
Experience managing distributor networks or sub-distributor relationships
Experience in a business scaling through growth — not just steady-state management
Exposure to ERP or CRM systems for pipeline and account management
Experience launching new products into trade — ranging, pricing, promotional planning
Multi-region commercial responsibility (e.g. national accounts or two or more provinces)
Operational management experience — ability to step into or support operational functions beyond pure sales
Key Responsibilites:
Sales Strategy & Revenue Growth
Own the company's commercial strategy and revenue targets across all channels and regions
Develop and execute go-to-market plans for existing and new product lines
Identify growth opportunities across retail, wholesale, forecourt and independent trade channels
Drive new business acquisition — prospecting, pitching and closing new accounts
Monitor market trends, competitor activity and pricing to maintain competitive positioning
Key Account Management
Own and grow relationships with the company's top-tier retail and wholesale accounts
Negotiate trading terms, promotional agreements and ranging decisions with key buyers
Ensure key accounts are serviced to the highest standard — availability, compliance and relationship depth
Resolve commercial disputes and escalations with speed and professionalism
Sales Team Leadership
Lead, manage and develop the field sales and account management team
Set clear individual and team targets, conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions
Drive accountability — celebrate wins, address underperformance quickly and constructively
Build a high-performance sales culture focused on results, discipline and customer focus
Recruit and onboard new sales team members as the business scales
Channel & Distribution Management
Manage distributor and sub-distributor relationships where applicable
Ensure optimal product ranging, availability and visibility across all trade channels
Collaborate with Operations to align sales volumes with supply chain capability
Monitor sell-through rates, stock holding and returns across the channel
Commercial Reporting & Forecasting
Produce weekly and monthly commercial performance reports for the Director
Provide accurate sales forecasts to support production planning and cash flow management
Track and report against KPIs — revenue, volume, new accounts, coverage and debtor performance
Use data to identify risks, opportunities and corrective actions proactively
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with Finance to manage credit risk, payment terms and debtor discipline within the sales team
Collaborate with Marketing on promotional calendars, trade activation and brand standards
Partner with Operations to manage availability, lead times and fulfilment for key accounts