Head of Commercial

The Head of Commercial will lead d.light Zambia’s commercial strategy and execution, driving sustainable revenue growth, customer acquisition, distribution expansion, sales-force productivity and portfolio performance. The role will oversee go-to-market execution across multiple sales channels, lead Regional Business Managers and the field organization, and ensure strong customer acquisition and post-sale collections. The role will also provide leadership to Training and Marketing, while partnering with the General Manager and other functions to build a high-performing, customer-focused and commercially sustainable business.

• Commercial Strategy & Performance: Translate country strategy into clear commercial priorities and drive delivery of revenue, sales, customer acquisition, collections and profitability targets.
  
• Sales & Distribution: Lead sales and go-to-market execution across field sales, retail, distributors, partnerships and alternative channels, expanding market coverage and improving sales-force productivity.
  Credit Quality & Customer Experience: Ensure sustainable customer acquisition, strong portfolio quality and collections while promoting responsible selling and a consistent customer experience.
  
• Regional Business Performance: Lead Regional Business Managers and drive accountability for regional revenue, profitability, collections, field productivity, inventory and operating costs.
  Marketing & Market Development: Provide commercial direction for marketing, product launches, activations, pricing and promotions while using market and customer insights to identify growth opportunities.
  
• People & Capability Development: Lead and develop commercial teams, strengthen frontline capability and build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, integrity and customer service.
  Commercial Governance: Ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls and regulatory requirements while maintaining effective controls over sales, inventory, incentives and commercial expenditure.
  

• Stakeholder Leadership: Partner with Finance, Credit, Operations, Customer Service, Supply Chain, Logistics and HR, while building strong relationships with distributors, retailers and strategic partners.
  

• Achieve agreed revenue, sales volume, product mix and profitability targets.
  
• Maintain strong customer acquisition quality, collections and portfolio performance.
  
• Grow distribution coverage and sales-force productivity across Zambia.
  
• Deliver regional targets while maintaining effective inventory management and internal controls.
  
• Strengthen commercial execution, team capability and customer experience to drive improved field performance.
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales & Marketing, Commerce, Economics or a related field; MBA/postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
  
• 8–10 years’ progressive commercial, sales and distribution experience, including leadership of large, geographically dispersed teams.
  
• Proven track record of delivering revenue growth, profitability and commercial targets.
  
• Strong experience in consumer-facing, distribution-intensive businesses, preferably PAYG solar, FMCG, telecoms, fin-tech, consumer finance or retail.
  
• Experience managing credit quality, collections, multiple regions, distribution networks and go-to-market channels.
  
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including P&L, budgeting, forecasting and performance analysis.
  
• Experience in Zambia or a comparable Sub-Saharan African market is preferred.
  

• Commercial Strategy & P&L Management
  
• Sales, Distribution & Route-to-Market
  
• PAYG/Credit Sales & Collections
  
• Sales Force & Regional Performance Management
  
• Commercial Planning, Forecasting & Analytics
  
• Trade Marketing, Pricing & Customer Acquisition
  
• Customer Experience & Market Intelligence
  
• Internal Controls & Governance
  

Leadership & Behavioral Skills

• Strong commercial leadership and execution focus
  
• Excellent people leadership, coaching and accountability
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  
• Ability to balance growth, profitability, credit quality and customer experience
  
• Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation and communication
  
• High integrity, ownership and adaptability
  
• Passion for social enterprise, financial inclusion and d.light’s mission
  

Benefits