Who are we?

SOLEVO is a leading distributor of chemicals and inputs for specific industrial and agricultural segments in Africa. SOLEVO assists African farmers and Industries succeed by providing them with a full range of fertilizers, seeds, crop protection products and industrial chemicals they need with a guaranteed quality and good value. With over 75 years at the frontier of economic growth and transformation across Africa, we deliver critical raw materials and expertise to the continent’s high GDP-contributing life sciences and industrials sectors.

What are we looking for?

We’re looking for a hands-on Head of Commercial who can turn strategy into action and keep the engine of the business running smoothly. You’re an organised, data-driven leader with strong commercial awareness, able to optimise processes, lead cross-functional teams, and scale operations as the business grows. You thrive in fast-paced environments, take ownership, and are comfortable balancing day-to-day execution with long-term planning.

What do we expect from the candidate?

The postholder will partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain to translate commercial strategy into operational reality — ensuring the business consistently wins in competitive markets through data-driven decision-making, disciplined commercial processes, and a culture of continuous improvement.

The key responsibilities:

1. Commercial Strategy & Go-to-Market Excellence

• Lead the design and implementation of the commercial strategy across crop protection, fertilisers, specialty chemicals, and adjacent agricultural inputs.

• Define and govern go-to-market frameworks including channel strategy, customer segmentation, and territory planning.

• Identify growth opportunities in existing and emerging markets, including precision agriculture, biologicals, and sustainable inputs.

• Develop and maintain competitive intelligence programmes to inform strategic positioning.

2. Pricing & Margin Management

• Own the end-to-end pricing strategy, including value-based pricing, seasonal pricing models, and competitive benchmarking.

• Establish pricing governance frameworks, lead Price Review Committees with Finance and Product Management.

• Drive gross margin improvement initiatives by minimising revenue leakage and optimising discount and rebate structures.

• Analyse margin by product line, customer, channel, and geography to surface actionable insights.

3. Sales Force Effectiveness & Capability

• Design and deploy sales effectiveness programmes including territory optimisation, KPI frameworks, and performance management tools.

• Lead the selection, implementation, and adoption of CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) and sales analytics tools.

• Build and deliver commercial training curricula covering negotiation, solution selling, and agronomic value communication.

• Define and track leading and lagging commercial KPIs; provide actionable performance dashboards to leadership.

4. Customer & Channel Management

• Lead customer segmentation and tiering models to ensure resource allocation reflects strategic customer value.

• Develop key account management frameworks to support the commercial team in growing strategic partnerships.

• Support contract negotiation strategy with distributors, co-operatives, buying groups, and direct farm customers.

• Champion the voice of the customer internally, embedding customer feedback loops into commercial decision-making.

5. Commercial Analytics & Insights

• Build and lead a Centre of Excellence for commercial analytics — delivering market share analysis, demand forecasting, and win/loss reviews.

• Develop scenario modelling and business case capability to support investment decisions and new product launches.

• Partner with Finance to develop rolling commercial forecasts and track performance against Annual Operating Plans (AOPs).

• Translate complex data sets into clear commercial narratives for the Executive Committee and Board.

6. Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Commercial Excellence team.

• Serve as a senior commercial business partner to Sales Directors, Regional Managers, and Marketing leads.

• Drive alignment between commercial strategy and supply planning, regulatory affairs, and R&D pipelines.

• Represent the Commercial Excellence function in leadership forums and external industry bodies.

If you possess…

Must-Have:

• 10+ years of progressive commercial experience, with at least 3 years in a commercial excellence, pricing, or commercial strategy leadership role.

• Proven track record in the chemical, agricultural, or life sciences sector — understanding of crop cycles, regulatory environment, and seasonal demand dynamics.

• Deep expertise in pricing strategy, margin management, and commercial governance.

• Demonstrable experience leading sales force effectiveness programmes and CRM transformations.

• Strong background in commercial analytics — translating data into strategic insight and commercial action.

• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams across multiple geographies.

Nice-to-Have:

• Exposure to biological crop protection, precision agriculture technology, or sustainable input categories.

• Experience working in a multinational matrix organisation with exposure to European, African, or emerging markets.

• Familiarity with S&OP / integrated business planning processes.

• MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification in Business, Commercial Management, or Agricultural Economics.

If you are…

• Able to tackle complex problems effectively and adapt to fast-paced development environments.

• A strong leader and have the ability to mentor junior consultants.

• Proven track record of working effectively in remote team settings, demonstrating flexibility, and contributing positively to a collaborative work environment.

• Analytical and a Problem-Solving person: Exceptional ability to analyse complex requirements, identify potential bottlenecks, and devise effective solutions. Strong debugging skills to efficiently resolve issues in the development process.

Why join Solevo?

• Join a young dynamic team who is leading the chemical distribution on the African continent.

• Enjoy a collaborative, international and agile work environment.

• Be part of a team where freedom, initiative and ‘thinking out of the box’ is key.

• Opportunity to work in a growing versatile environment.

• Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits package.

• Explore opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

Then, this job is for you!

How to join us?

If you’re excited about this position, we encourage you to submit your resume detailing your relevant experience and be part of our exciting journey.

What's next ?

If your profile matches our search, you will be contacted by our HR team for a first contact.

Please be informed that we will keep your profile to contact you for future professional opportunities.