Johannesburg: Commercial Manager

Commercial Manager | Johannesburg | Permanent Shape commercial strategy and unlock new profitability opportunities in a complex logistics environment. This role sits at the intersection of finance, operations, and customer engagement where commercial insight drives real business impact. An established national logistics and supply chain business is seeking a commercially astute leader to drive pricing strategy, profitability analysis, and contract management across key customers and principals. This role plays a critical part in translating operational activity into meaningful commercial insights that influence decision-making at both executive and operational levels. The Commercial Manager will work closely with customer, finance, and operations teams to ensure accurate pricing, sustainable margins, and strategic growth. The role requires strong financial modelling capability, advanced analytical thinking, and the ability to influence internal stakeholders and external partners through data-driven insights. Our client is a well-established player in the South African logistics and distribution sector, supporting major brands and national supply chains. The organisation operates within a high-performance environment focused on operational excellence, innovation, and long-term customer partnerships. What You’ll Do • Lead national commercial support across key customers and principals • Manage customer pricing models and support annual price negotiations • Oversee contract development, service level agreements, and renewals • Deliver detailed profitability analysis and commercial performance insights • Drive the activity-based costing model and improve cost driver accuracy • Lead budgeting, forecasting, and commercial performance reporting • Support proposal development and new business opportunities • Conduct feasibility assessments and commercial appraisals for new projects • Provide commercial insight to leadership and operational teams • Develop value-added reporting to improve strategic decision-making What You Bring • CA or CMA qualification • Minimum 8 years’ commercial finance experience • Proven experience in commercial costing and profitability analysis • Exposure to supply chain, logistics, or FMCG environments • Strong financial modelling and feasibility analysis capability • Advanced Excel proficiency and strong analytical skills • Experience managing contracts, pricing negotiations, and commercial agreements • Ability to engage with stakeholders across finance, operations, and customer teams • Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills What Success Looks Like • Accurate pricing models that protect and grow margins • Insightful profitability analysis that influences business decisions • Strong commercial partnerships with customers and internal teams • High-quality commercial reporting that improves strategic visibility • Successful pricing negotiations and profitable contract outcomes • Continuous improvement of costing models and commercial processes