Commercial Excellence Manager

Our client’s South Africa Technology & Innovation Centre is a hub for technological advancement and innovative solutions. The Commercial Excellence Manager role forms part of the Business Services / Commercial excellence team supporting the UK Commercial Excellence Team in driving commercial excellence across our client’s UK business and supporting the Firm’s commercial strategy of sustainable profitable growth. The Manager will contribute to improving commercial performance through commercial negotiation and deal support, Partner and Line of Service commercial upskilling, and commercial optimisation projects.

Role Overview

The Commercial Excellence Manager is responsible for providing strategic commercial guidance and practical deal support to Partners and bid teams, particularly for large or commercially complex opportunities. The role supports accurate bid modelling, clear articulation of commercial issues and presentation of commercial solutions to shape desirable commercial outcomes for clients

Job Type: Permanent/Full Time

Location: Johannesburg

Workplace: Onsite

Grade: Manager

Job Family: Commercial Excellence

Tower (e.g. Salesforce): Commercial Excellence Team

Career Track: Subject Matter Specialist (SMS)

Job Category: Client Services (CS)

Job Profile: Manager

Supervisory organisation: Commercial Excellence Team

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management/Economics/Commerce or related field.
• Proven commercial pricing and deal-shaping expertise, including building bespoke and complex commercial models.
• Solid background in commercial contracting principles.
• Experience working closely and negotiating with client procurement teams.
• Strong financial, business and commercial acumen.
• Ability to challenge and influence a range of stakeholders in a commercial environment.
• Technology pricing expertise, private and public procurement process experience, and understanding of P&L are desirable.

Desirable skill sets include

• Commercial pricing and deal shaping.
• Technology pricing models.
• Commercial contracting principles.
• Negotiation with client procurement teams.
• Private and public procurement process awareness.
• Financial, business and commercial acumen.
• Stakeholder challenge, influence and senior presentation skills.

Role related attributes

• Self-starter with curiosity and adaptability.
• Thinks outside the box and is comfortable working with ambiguity.
• Strong business acumen and robust commercial awareness.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent influencing skills and ability to work across varying seniority levels.
• Able to operate in a dynamic and diverse environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic commercial guidance and support to Partners and bid teams for large or commercially complex bids.
• Lead accurate bid modelling, articulate commercial issues clearly and present commercial solutions that shape new business opportunities.
• Articulate complex pricing models to senior stakeholders.
• Develop progressive pricing strategies for new product and service propositions.
• Negotiate framework rate cards and commercial incentives at client account level.
• Create and present commercial slide decks to senior Partners and engagement teams.
• Develop commercial acumen through hands-on collaboration and identification of skills gaps and training requirements.
• Identify and share success stories across the firm to showcase commercial best practice.
• Contribute to the development of a commercial centre of excellence.

Mental & Environmental Demands

• Special work requirements: Role operates in a distributed onshore/offshore delivery model and requires alignment to UK business hours.
• Business change accountability: Contributes to commercial optimisation projects, development of progressive pricing strategies and the establishment of a commercial centre of excellence.
• Finance/Resource accountability: Supports pricing, bid modelling, commercial incentives and rate card negotiation; direct budget ownership to be confirmed.

Communication and Interaction required

• Staff in own area (manager, subordinates, colleagues): Regular interaction with Commercial Excellence Team colleagues, manager and wider internal teams
• Staff outside own area: Regular interaction with Partners, bid teams, Sales Teams and engagement teams across the business.
• Territory Stakeholders: Direct support to UK-based colleagues and business stakeholders.
• Internal Firm Services (SA Firm): Professional written and verbal communication required for workflow updates and reporting
• Territory Stakeholders: Clear communication with UK stakeholders on buying requests, purchase orders and contract activity.
• Industry Experience:Commercial pricing, deal shaping, commercial contracting and procurement process experience. Professional services experience would be advantageous.