Commercial Manager

SUMMARY:
Commercial leadership isn't about winning contracts. It's about building sustainable partnerships, protecting margins, driving strategic growth, and creating long-term commercial value.

A well-established and nationally recognised logistics organisation is seeking an accomplished Senior Commercial Manager to lead its commercial strategy within one of South Africa's most specialised logistics sectors.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for a commercially astute professional with extensive experience within fuel, petroleum, chemical, or liquid bulk logistics, who understands the complexities of contractual negotiations, key account management, revenue growth, and strategic market expansion.

POSITION INFO:
The Opportunity Reporting directly to the Executive Commercial team, you will be responsible for driving commercial performance, expanding strategic customer relationships, developing new markets, and ensuring sustainable business growth across a specialised logistics portfolio. This role demands an individual who can confidently engage at executive level while balancing commercial strategy with operational realities. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute commercial strategies aligned with business growth objectives. Drive customer retention and expand strategic key account relationships. Identify and secure new business opportunities within the fuel, petroleum, chemical, and liquid bulk sectors. Lead high-value commercial negotiations, contract reviews, and pricing strategies. Manage RFQ participation, tender submissions, and commercial proposals. Conduct market analysis, forecasting, and trend evaluations to identify growth opportunities. Develop revenue strategies and manage commercial performance against business targets. Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, transport partners, and key stakeholders. Lead transporter recruitment and performance management within a Control Tower environment. Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance profitability and customer experience. Prepare executive-level commercial reports, presentations, and performance dashboards. Ensure compliance with ISO 9001:2015 standards and company governance requirements. Represent the organisation at customer engagement sessions, trade shows, and industry events. Minimum Requirements Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Management, Marketing, or a related field. Minimum 10 years' commercial management experience within the logistics industry. Extensive exposure to: Fuel Logistics Petroleum Logistics Chemical Logistics Liquid Bulk Transport Dangerous Goods (DG) Operations Strong understanding of commercial contracts, pricing models, and long-term customer agreements. Proven track record of business development, market penetration, and revenue growth. Technical Skills Advanced Microsoft Office Suite. Advanced report writing and executive presentation skills. Strong commercial analytics and forecasting capability. CRM and commercial reporting systems exposure. Financial acumen with experience in unit-rate billing and commercial modelling. The Ideal Candidate You are recognised for your ability to: ✔ Build trusted executive-level customer relationships. ✔ Negotiate complex commercial agreements with confidence. ✔ Identify market opportunities and convert them into sustainable revenue. ✔ Balance commercial growth with operational excellence. ✔ Lead with integrity, professionalism, and commercial insight. ✔ Influence stakeholders through data, strategy, and credibility. Why This Opportunity? Executive-level exposure within a respected logistics organisation. Influence the commercial direction of a specialised business. Engage with some of the industry's most strategic customers and stakeholders. High level of autonomy and visibility. Attractive remuneration package with flexibility for exceptional talent. Confidential Search Due to the strategic nature of this appointment, all applications and discussions will be handled with the strictest confidence. If you have built your career within fuel, petroleum, chemical, or liquid bulk logistics and are ready to make a significant commercial impact, we invite you to apply for a confidential discussion.