Head of Commercial Job Ignite Energy Access

Sales Jobs. Ignite Energy Access Jobs

About Ignite Energy Access

Ignite Energy Access is an Abu Dhabi-based leader in distributed renewable energy solutions, dedicated to providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to underserved communities across Africa. Now operating across 12 countries and serving over 15million people. Through innovative technology, scalable business models, and impact-driven financing, Ignite Power is transforming lives, fostering economic growth, and

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Job Purpose/Mission

The Head of Commercial will play a critical role in Ignite Energy Access Kenya (IEAK). 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 IEAK
• 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

Strategy, Planning & Budgeting

• Set and manage the overarching strategic direction, priorities, and focus areas for commercial across IEAK over the short to long-term and drive efficient customer acquisition and revenue growth throughout IEAK
• 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 IEAK

Governance, Reporting, Analytics & Performance Management

• 2.1.2.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

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 IEA 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.

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
• At Ignite Energy Access, we hold our managers to a high standard of excellence. Each manager plays a vital role in shaping an outstanding experience — not only for our customers but also for every member of our team. Our managers drive Ignite Energy Access’s ambitious goals forward while honing their own leadership capabilities and supporting the professional growth of their teams.

We believe that exceptional managers:

• Achieve bold results: As accountable, high-performing leaders, they foster an environment that encourages decisive action, innovation, and the successful achievement of goals.
• Lead with integrity: Guided by ethics and transparency, they act with honesty, respect, and fairness, building relationships grounded in trust and openness.
• Inspire and develop others: By leading through example, they empower, coach, and uplift their teams with authenticity, trust, and humility.
• Stay accessible and connected: They cultivate strong relationships through approachability, active listening, and meaningful engagement with stakeholders.
• Champion diversity and inclusion: They embrace diverse perspectives and create a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and a true sense of belonging.

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:

• Bachelor’s degree in a Business-related field
• CIM certification
• A Masters is an added Advantage

Language(s):

• Excellent verbal and written communication in:
• English
• Kiswahili
• Technology:

Experience in Microsoft Suites and other tools of sales management

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How to Apply

We welcome applications from qualified candidates. Please share your CV to
hrkenya@igniteaccess.com
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. In your email, kindly indicate your motivation to apply for the role, your expected salary and notice period.
We appreciate the interest of all applicants in joining our organization. However, due to the volume of applications received, only candidates shortlisted for further assessment will be contacted.