A leading holding company in the steel industry is looking to hire a Commercial & Product Development Lead to drive business growth and support the expansion of the steel product portfolio across key African markets. The role focuses on identifying new opportunities, strengthening market presence, and developing strategic commercial initiatives across the region.
Responsibilities:
Market Engagement & Intelligence
- Travel extensively across African markets to interact with distributors, retailers, fabricators, and end users.
- Develop a strong, practical understanding of regional demand trends, pricing behavior, and supply chain dynamics.
- Establish and nurture solid relationships with key market stakeholders to generate valuable commercial insights.
- Monitor competitor activities, product availability, and pricing structures to uncover untapped market opportunities.
Product Portfolio Development
- Identify shortcomings in the existing product range and areas of unmet customer demand.
- Convert market intelligence into well-defined, actionable product proposals supported by commercial justification and demand data.
- Provide guidance on whether new products should be manufactured internally or sourced externally, considering feasibility and cost economics.
- Evaluate market-specific technical standards and quality expectations to ensure product recommendations are suitable and competitive.
Commercial Strategy & Go-to-Market
- Contribute to go-to-market planning and commercial prioritization, including channel selection and pricing strategies.
- Collaborate across functions to align commercial objectives with production capacity and supply chain constraints.
- Serve as a link between market realities and production planning, ensuring decisions reflect genuine demand conditions.
- Assist in prioritizing new product launches by determining optimal sequencing based on market, product category, and revenue potential.
Reporting & Stakeholder Communication
- Develop and deliver clear market intelligence reports and product recommendations to senior leadership and group management.
- Maintain a structured pipeline of product development initiatives, tracking progress from initial identification to commercialization.
- Provide consistent updates on market developments, competitor movements, and emerging demand trends across African markets.
Qualifications
- Masters in business administration / Sales / Marketing or any other relevant degree
- Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in the steel industry
- Fluency in French is mandatory
- Strong exposure to long and flat steel products (flat steel experience preferred)
- Proven experience in sales, distribution, or commercial roles
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently across Africa
- Able to work independently in an individual contributor role (no direct reports initially)
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and standard business reporting tools
Location:
- Ghana