Head of Commercial

Job Title:          Head of Commercial

Department:     Commercial – Sales & Collections

Reporting line: Country Director

Location:          Nairobi, Kenya

About ENGIE BU Africa ENGIE Energy Access

ENGIE Energy Access is a leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions provider in Africa, with a mission to deliver affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions and life-changing services with exceptional customer experience. The company is a result of the integration of Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol and ENGIE PowerCorner; and develops innovative, off-grid solar solutions for homes, public services and businesses, enabling customers and distribution partners access to clean, affordable energy. The PAYGo solar home systems are financed through affordable installments from $0.14 per day and the mini-grids foster economic development by enabling electrical productive use and triggering business opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural communities.

With over 1,700 employees, operations in nine countries across Africa (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), over 1 million customers and more than 5 million lives impacted so far, ENGIE Energy Access aims to remain a leading clean energy company, serving millions of customers across Africa by 2025.

www.engie-africa.com / www.linkedin.com/company/engie-africa

Job Purpose/Mission

The Head of Commercial will play a critical role in ENGIE Energy Access Kenya (EEAK). As the Head of Commercial, you are responsible for developing and implementing Sales, Marketing & Business Development (Partnerships) strategies to accelerate growth with our current and new while maintaining strong customer repayments. You are also expected to identify new commercial opportunities, manage marketing efforts and coordinate the execution of market research and analysis to create business plans based on commercial opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Set and manage the overarching strategic direction, priorities and focus areas for sales commercial (sales, marketing, and business development), cascading and ensuring alignment throughout EEAK
• Manage consolidated country commercial performance with keen focus on driving overall customer repayments given that 99% of the sales are on credit and the team core responsibilities for pushing credit sales outcomes.
• Establish a best-in-class commercial operating model, with a high-impact and right-sized organizational structure, tools, reports, standards, and systems
• Lead our go-to-market strategy through understanding our customers, the market, and competitive landscape then determining competitive positioning with regards to products, prices, channels, and locations
• Develop and lead a team commercial team (including regional Managers) on a local, regional and national level, with full responsibility for the team's work plan, coaching, and professional development
• Lead and oversee strategic projects to improve commercial performance

Detailed Responsibilities

1. Strategy, Planning & Budgeting

• Set and manage the overarching strategic direction, priorities, and focus areas for commercial across EEAK over the short to long-term and drive efficient customer acquisition and revenue growth throughout EEAK
• Create robust plans to deliver the country targets month on month on month, including allocating sufficient investment and resources to reliably execute
• Develop our go-to-market strategy (locations, distribution channels, marketing, partnerships)
• Collaborating with cross-functionally peers to determine other key strategic inputs (e.g., product Volume, pricing, CX, etc.)
• Ensure regions have localized strategies in line with the country strategy
• As part of the management team, provide thought partnership for cross-functional leads, provide input into strategies, act as a key stakeholder on cross-functional decisions and ensure that core commercial and enabling functions to align with the sales strategy
• Develop the sales, marketing, and business development team budgets, and track departmental expenditures, financial goals, and budgets
• Where required, both lead and oversee strategic commercial projects to drive sales growth across EEAK

2. Governance, Reporting, Analytics & Performance Management

• Continuously manage country Sales and customer repayment performance, including:
• Primary focus on revenue, though sales volumes, kit mix, and price
• Focus on maximizing sales of higher-margin products withs with a lower COGS
• Focus on Customer repayment and Collection Rates, given sales team core responsibilities for credit sales outcomes.
• Oversee the development of reports, analysis, and insights for commercial performance and other operational KPIs (per sales manager/agent, active agents) and marketing (brand health, marketing spends, referrals, etc.)
• Lead commercial governance forums and hold Zonal/Regional Managers and other commercial sectional heads accountable for results and plans
• Where there is underperformance, provide hands-on support to turnaround and make key decisions to remediate performance
• Continuously monitor performance of other key functions that drive sales, including product, pricing, sales, distribution, portfolio health, customer experience, software, and service with potential partners, working with them to take remediation action to address underperformance

3. Commercial Operations

• Develop procedures and policies for core sales operations functions (lead and opportunity management, recruitment and training, tools of the trade, incentives, size, and structure, government reporting and performance management, etc.)
• Implement procedures and policies throughout the sales function, monitor and ensure compliance, continually test and improve.
• Lead and manage marketing operations, including:
• Lead market research, including the market and competitive landscape to identify analyze threats and opportunities
• Segment EEA Kenya's customers and develop tailored strategies to target
• Identify trends in customer behavior closely following sales, product usage, customer retention, upgrades, and competitors, leveraging this data to enhance our commercial strategy
• Supervise all marketing channels and methods to ensure appropriate information is effectively communicated to external audiences (including leading campaigns)
• Establish and manage external partnerships, including negotiating ongoing contracts with suppliers and customers, managing, and reviewing contracts, and making recommendations regarding commerciality.

4. Leadership, Management & Culture

• Develop and lead a team of sales and commercial managers and analysts, including full responsibility for coaching and their professional development
• Manage the team's work plan and workload to ensure delivery of agreed goals
• Help recruit, collaborate with, coordinate, and train diverse teams such as Marketing and especially field sales and credit teams.
• Provide strong leadership, management and coaching for regional sales teams, including with support to other members of the Management Team

Experience + Knowledge and Skills

• Minimum of 12 years’ experience in progressive business leadership experience, with 3+ years leading a Commercial function (Particularly Renewable Energy, FMCG's, MNO & Financial Institutions).
• Strong Commercials capability across Sales and Marketing particularly in B2C, with a demonstrated history of leading and delivering strong commercial results.
• Outstanding leadership, having led large field- based sales teams and ability to create a performance culture with strong governance, accountability and results.
• Strong understanding of the Kenya Commercial environment, ideally with time spent in Various regions throughout Kenya.
• General strategic, analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to set and communicate the strategic vision for commercial throughout the whole organization.
• Ability to lead high impact cross functional strategic commercial projects end to end (Including planning, analysis, conclusions and implementation) to achieve results.
• Exceptional judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to independently assess and take action to achieve results.
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement and communications skills, with the ability to develop relationships with Key functional leads (especially Customer Finance, Customer Experience and Operations) but also with external strategic commercial partners.
• Demonstrated passion for our mission, values and customers.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in a Business related field
• CIM certification
• A Masters is an added Advantage

Language(s):

• English fluency (writing, speaking and reading)
• Swahili fluency (writing, speaking and reading)

Technology:

• Experience in technology

We believe that great managers:

• Deliver ambitious results: As a high-performing and accountable leader, you create an enabling environment for effective action and bold decision which contribute to successful delivery of results.
• Act with integrity: As an ethical leader you are honest, respectful, objective, and transparent. You create and build upon a foundation of trust and openness.
• Inspire and mentor the team: As an inspirational leader you walk the talk. You empower and coach your team with trust and humility.
• Are accessible: as an accessible leader, you develop and maintain deep connections with stakeholders through approachability and active listening.
• Ensure diversity and inclusion: as an inclusive leader, you ensure diversity and foster a sense of belonging.

ENGIE is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!