Head of Commercial - Kenya Market

About the role

The Head of Commercial leads the commercial organization in Kenya and delivers sustainable revenue, gross-margin and market-share growth across the OTC, prescription (Rx), nutrition and healthcare portfolio. The role reports to the CEO and covers Sales, Marketing, Hospital Key Account Management, Trade and E-commerce, where assigned. It requires substantial experience in both OTC and Rx commercialization and a strong understanding of the Kenyan pharmaceutical, pharmacy, medical and hospital markets.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute the Kenya commercial strategy and own the P&L, translating annual objectives into channel, brand, customer and team plans.
• Lead the national sales organization across pharmacy, medical and other approved channels, setting targets, territories and call strategies, and driving growth in active customers, availability and order frequency.
• Lead Marketing in brand strategies, annual brand plans, product launches and demand generation, and ensure an integrated commercial plan with Sales.
• Lead Hospital Key Account Management for priority hospitals, groups, clinics and institutions, including listings, contracts, tenders and pricing.
• Lead trade and channel strategy across pharmacy chains, independent pharmacies, wholesalers and distributors, and monitor competitor activity.
• Where assigned, oversee direct-to-consumer platforms and online marketplaces, integrating them into brand and channel plans.
• Set disciplined pricing, discount, rebate and commercial-investment frameworks, review customer and channel profitability and work with Finance on net revenue, gross margin, trade and marketing spend.
• Own the commercial demand forecast, coordinate with Supply Chain on inventory and launch requirements, and prioritize constrained inventory.
• Act as senior commercial counterpart to principals and brand partners, running regular business reviews and joint business plans.
• Build a high-performing commercial organization, coach Sales, Marketing, Hospital KAM and Trade leaders, and implement dashboards, CRM discipline and performance reviews.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy, Life Sciences, Business Administration, Marketing, Commerce or a related field; an MBA or other postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• At least ten years of progressive commercial experience in pharmaceuticals, consumer healthcare or healthcare distribution, with significant senior leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience across both OTC and Rx portfolios, and strong knowledge of the Kenyan pharmaceutical, pharmacy, medical and hospital markets.
• Proven experience leading multi-functional commercial teams; experience with Hospital KAM and Trade teams, and in a distributor managing multiple international principals, is strongly preferred.
• P&L ownership and strong capability in revenue planning, pricing, gross-margin management, budgeting, forecasting and commercial investment.

Required skills

• OTC and Rx commercialization
• Sales-force leadership and brand and portfolio management
• Hospital and key-account management
• Trade marketing and channel development
• Pricing, forecasting and revenue management
• Principal and distributor management