Commercial Manager

Behind every well-run team is someone who keeps the people side of the business moving, organized, responsive, and human. That's the mindset we bring to supporting our client—a leading retail and consumer lifestyle business driving category growth, product excellence, and market expansion across Nigeria.

In this role, you will lead our client's commercial strategy from the top down—driving merchandise planning, category management, demand forecasting, inventory optimization, procurement oversight, and business performance analysis. You will also ensure that the right products arrive at the right time, in optimal quantities, and at the right cost to maximize revenue, profitability, and customer satisfaction across all sales channels.

Who are we looking for?

• You are a commercial strategist. You build and execute annual commercial plans, setting clear sales forecasts, demand models, and revenue objectives across product categories.
• You are a master of inventory productivity. You oversee stock turnover, pre-season/in-season allocation, replenishment frameworks, and risk mitigation strategies to eliminate stock-outs and aging stock.
• You are a category & product lifecycle owner. You manage assortment planning, category expansion, product rationalization, and pricing strategies to maximize sales and category margins.
• You are a data-driven performance analyst. You track commercial KPIs, margin contribution, sales velocity, and markdown/promotional ROI to continuously close performance gaps.
• You are a strategic negotiator. You manage vendor relationships, oversee procurement strategy, and secure favorable pricing, credit, and supply terms.
• You are an impactful people leader. You coach, mentor, and build high-performing category management and commercial planning teams.

Your Responsibilities…

Commercial Planning & Strategy

• You will lead the development and execution of the annual commercial plan and master calendar across all product categories.
• You will establish short- and long-term commercial targets, sales forecasts, and inventory requirement plans aligned with organizational growth objectives.
• You will spearhead high-impact commercial projects and identify initiatives to boost profitability, sales velocity, and operational efficiency.

Merchandise Planning & Category Management

• You will design category strategies, lead assortment planning, select product lines, and execute category expansion and rationalization.
• You will manage the complete product lifecycle—from introductory launches through growth, maturity, and strategic discontinuation.
• You will analyze customer purchasing behaviors and category performance to optimize product allocation across store networks and digital sales channels.

Demand Forecasting & Inventory Optimization

• You will build accurate demand forecasts incorporating sales trends, seasonality, economic conditions, and planned marketing initiatives.
• You will oversee pre-season and in-season stock allocation, inter-store transfers, replenishment workflows, and inventory balancing across locations.
• You will proactively mitigate stock risks, including overstocking, stock-outs, inventory shrinkage, and product obsolescence.

Procurement, Pricing & Vendor Management

• You will guide strategic buying decisions, lead supplier negotiations, and secure favorable supply agreements, credit terms, and pricing structures.
• You will maintain strong vendor relationships and evaluate supplier performance to optimize supply chain reliability and cost efficiency.
• You will establish competitive pricing frameworks, markdown schedules, and promotional strategies, measuring their ROI and margin impact.

Business Performance, Retail & Team Leadership

• You will conduct periodic commercial reviews, analyzing sales, stock turnover, margins, and category performance against financial targets.
• You will partner with Visual Merchandising and Retail Operations teams to optimize product placement, visual presentation, and store conversion rates.
• You will lead, coach, and develop category management and commercial planning staff, fostering an accountable, high-performance work environment.

What Success looks like…

• Target Achievement: Consistently meeting regional commercial sales, gross margin, and profitability targets across all product categories.
• Optimal Stock Health: Achieving high inventory turnover rates with minimal stock-outs, aged inventory, or margin-eroding write-offs.
• Category Growth: Successfully launching and expanding high-margin product categories while optimizing product assortments.
• Vendor Efficiency: Securing competitive procurement terms and high supplier fulfillment performance across the supply chain.

To be considered for this role you should have…

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Statistics, Finance, Marketing, or a related field (An MBA or Master's degree is a distinct advantage).
• 8 to 10 years of progressive experience in Commercial Management, Merchandise Planning, Category Management, Supply Chain, or Retail Planning.
• Industry Experience: Strong track record within Retail, FMCG, Fashion, Lifestyle, or Consumer Goods sectors.
• Proven Expertise: Demonstrated success in demand forecasting, inventory allocation, procurement negotiation, and category profitability management.
• Leadership Track Record: Experience building, coaching, and leading commercial and planning teams in fast-paced retail or corporate environments.

Challenges you may face in this role…

• Supply Chain Volatility: Managing inventory lead times and stock availability amidst broader supply chain disruptions and foreign exchange fluctuations.
• Balancing Stock & Cash Flow: Striking the optimal balance between high product availability across stores and lean inventory working capital.

The Goodies…

• Competitive compensation package reflective of senior commercial impact.
• High-visibility leadership position directly influencing business strategy alongside executive leadership.
• Dynamic, growth-oriented corporate environment with direct ownership of major product portfolios.

Skills Necessary for this Role

To excel as a Commercial Manager, the candidate requires a powerful mix of analytical depth, commercial negotiation, and merchandise strategy:

Merchandise & Assortment Planning: Advanced expertise in range planning, category development, stock allocation, and depth/breadth management.

Demand Forecasting & Inventory Analytics: Master-level ability to forecast sales trends, model safety stock levels, and optimize inventory turnover ratios.

Procurement & Vendor Negotiation: Strong negotiation capability to secure optimal supplier pricing, credit terms, and service level agreements.

Financial & Margin Management: Proficiency in margin analysis, promotional ROI calculation, markdown planning, and price-elasticity modeling.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Expertise in aligning supply chain, retail operations, visual merchandising, and finance around commercial calendars.