Divisional Manager – Johannesburg, South Africa

Reference Number: JH03

Purpose of the Role:

The Divisional Manager is responsible for the full commercial and operational performance of the Chemical and Mineral Products Division. This includes managing existing product lines, identifying and introducing new products, leading the sales team, and ensuring the division consistently meets its revenue and margin targets. The role requires a commercially driven leader capable of managing a team, developing new business, and positioning the division for long-term sustainable growth.

Responsibilities:

• • Commercial & Revenue Management
    • Own and deliver the divisional revenue and gross margin budget across all active product lines
    • Maintain minimum price floors and protect margin discipline across the team
    • Manage the full sales cycle from market development and customer acquisition through to order, delivery, and payment
    • Identify and act on opportunities to grow revenue within existing accounts through expanded product and volume

• • Product Development & Portfolio Management
    • Continuously evaluate the product portfolio and identify new product lines aligned with the company's strategic interests
    • Conduct or commission market assessments for new product opportunities — covering demand, competition, pricing, and supply chain feasibility
    • Maintain an active pipeline of new product opportunities and report progress to the team on a quarterly basis
    • Ensure existing product lines remain commercially viable and make recommendations for rationalisation where justified

• • Team Leadership & Performance Management
    • Lead, manage, and develop all direct reports within the division — including Sales Representatives and Sales Support staff
    • Set individual performance targets aligned with divisional KPIs and conduct regular structured performance reviews
    • Identify development and training needs within the team and work with team to address them

• • Market Intelligence & Strategy
    • Monitor and analyse market developments across the division's product lines — pricing trends, supply dynamics, competitor activity, and regulatory changes
    • Translate market intelligence into actionable commercial recommendations for the team and for senior management
    • Maintain and develop relationships with key industry bodies, and strategic market contacts
    • Identify structural gaps or new segments in the market and develop strategies to address them
    • Present monthly market intelligence reports to the General Manager

• • Operations
    • Coordinate with the Operations function to ensure reliable order fulfilment, logistics management, and warehousing for local stock
    • Ensure customer contracts, and pricing terms are properly documented and up to date
    • Oversee the preparation of regular divisional reporting — activity, pipeline, revenue performance, and market updates

Key Competencies:

• • Commercial and Strategic
    • Revenue and margin ownership
    • New product identification and launch
    • Market intelligence and analysis
    • Customer negotiation
    • Risk and cash flow management
    • International trade and logistics

• • Leadership and People
    • Team leadership and development
    • Performance management
    • Clear and structured reporting
    • Sound decision-making under pressure
    • Cross-functional collaboration
    • High standards and accountability
    • Multicultural working environment

Requirements:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in chemical, mineral, or commodity trading and/or sales — of which at least 3 years in a senior or management role
• Tertiary qualification in Commerce, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline
• Strong knowledge of industrial chemicals and/or minerals required. Experience with Boron products, fertilizers, or commodity trading is a significant advantage
• In-depth understanding of the South African market. Sub-Saharan Africa or broader African market experience is strongly preferred
• Familiarity with international trade terms (Incoterms), logistics, and price risk management
• Must be willing and able to travel domestically and internationally without restriction
• Proficient in Microsoft 365. Experience with CRM or trading/ERP systems is advantageous

Contractual Information:

• Permanent
• Willing and able to relocate to Johannesburg, South Africa for the opportunity.