Senior Commercial Manager

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the annual commercial plan for Kenya, setting volume, revenue, and market share targets in line with regional and global business objectives.
• Identify and develop new market growth opportunities, including underpenetrated regions, crop segments, and customer types.
• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, and market trends, translating insights into commercial action plans that protect and grow market share.
• Own the Kenya commercial P&L, ensuring delivery of revenue, margin, and profitability targets, with regular performance reporting to the Vice President, Kenya.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with key accounts, distributors, and large-scale agro-dealers across Kenya.
• Lead Joint Business Planning (JBP) and annual trading term negotiations with top-tier accounts to secure mutual growth commitments.
• Develop tailored commercial propositions for key accounts, balancing volume growth, margin protection, and long-term partnership value.
• Monitor account performance, resolve commercial disputes, and ensure timely collections in collaboration with Finance.
• Work in close liaison with the Agronomy Manager to ensure commercial strategies, key account plans, and dealer engagements are grounded in sound agronomic recommendations.
• Lead, coach, and develop the commercial and key account team, setting clear targets and conducting regular performance reviews.
• Drive a high-performance culture, ensuring the team has the capability, tools, and motivation to deliver against commercial objectives.
• Manage the commercial and trade investment budget within delegated authority, ensuring strong return on investment.
• Ensure full compliance with company policies, trade ethics, and Kenyan regulatory requirements governing fertilizer sales and marketing.

Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Agriculture, Crop Science, Soil Science, or a closely related field (required).
• MBA or postgraduate qualification in Business, Marketing, or Agribusiness Management (added advantage).
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive commercial, sales, or key account management experience within the fertilizer, agro-input, or broader agribusiness sector.
• At least 4 years in a senior commercial role with key account accountability.
• Demonstrated experience combining commercial delivery with technical/agronomic engagement, ideally gained in a fertilizer or crop nutrition business.
• Proven track record of growing market share and managing major distributor/dealer relationships within the Kenyan market.

Additional Information

• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• Solid grounding in agronomy and crop nutrition principles, enabling credible engagement with technical stakeholders and farmers.
• Advanced negotiation skills, with a track record of closing complex key account and distributor agreements.
• Strong understanding of Kenya's agricultural market structure, seasonal cropping calendars, and regulatory environment.
• Proficiency in CRM and sales analytics tools, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint).