Managing Executive: Commercial and Operations

Job Purpose: BLU is appointing an Executive: Business Operations / Commercial in a subsidiary to take joint accountability for how the business grows and how it delivers. The role is a combination of three key aspects: business leadership, commercial performance (sales and revenue), and the operational discipline required to convert strategy into results on the ground.

The appointee will be a core member of the executive team, working alongside the subsidiary CEO, CFO and divisional leadership to set direction, allocate resources and drive performance. They will be expected to grow the top line and protect the margin, while building the operating capability that allows the subsidiary to scale.

The successful candidate will be judged on commercial results and delivered outcomes: winning and retaining profitable business, making sound decisions quickly, removing obstacles, and holding teams accountable across the business. The executive must be comfortable in front of a client or a board, and equally comfortable working close to the operational detail.

Key Responsibilities

Executive and strategic leadership Serve as a core member of the subsidiary Executive Committee, contributing to strategy, the annual business plan, capital allocation and investment decisions. Translate agreed strategy into an integrated commercial and operating plan, with clear targets, owners, sequencing, resourcing and reporting.

Provide clear, balanced counsel to the CEO including regular reporting on commercial and operational performance. Act as a visible ambassador for BLU with clients, partners, industry bodies and, where relevant, government and regulatory stakeholders. Deputise for the CEO on operational and commercial matters where required.

Set the tone for the organisation’s culture, standards and ways of working, and hold fellow leaders to the same bar. Commercial leadership and Profit and Loss ownership Hold full accountability for revenue, gross margin and the commercial performance of the divisions within scope. Own the pricing models, deal economics and commercial terms, ensuring the business signs work it can deliver profitably.

Lead the negotiation and approval of major contracts, partnerships, renewals and strategic supplier arrangements. Install commercial governance and discipline: bid/no-bid criteria, deal review and approval thresholds, contract profitability tracking and post-award performance review. Identify, evaluate and develop new revenue streams, service lines, markets, channels and partnerships, including joint ventures and acquisition opportunities where appropriate.

Partner with the CFO on budgeting, forecasting, working capital, cash collection and the business cases behind growth investment. Sales leadership and revenue growth Own the sales strategy, revenue targets, coverage model and go-to-market approach across the business. Lead, build and coach the sales and business development function, raising capability, performance standards and incentive design.

Personally lead and close strategic, complex and high-value pursuits, and hold executive-level relationships with BLU’s most important clients. Establish a disciplined sales operating rhythm: pipeline coverage and hygiene, forecast accuracy, conversion rates, win/loss review and CRM adoption. Drive client retention, cross-sell and account growth, ensuring what sales promises is what operations can deliver.

Operational execution and delivery Translate strategic and operational priorities into concrete, sequenced action plans with clear owners, timelines and success measures. Drive delivery end to end, tracking progress, resolving blockers and adjusting course as circumstances change. Take ownership of cross-functional initiatives that cut across divisions where no single existing team holds full accountability.

Drive service quality, SLA performance, productivity, cost-to-serve and operational margin improvement across the operating divisions. Bring structure and discipline to how the business plans, tracks and reports on execution, without adding unnecessary process. Sponsor the systems, processes and technology needed to scale operations efficiently and give leadership reliable performance visibility.

Team mobilisation, talent and culture Build, lead and develop a high-performing senior team, with credible succession in the critical operational and commercial roles. Mobilise teams quickly around a plan, including teams outside the direct reporting line, and keep them focused and accountable through to delivery. Identify people and resource gaps, and build, hire or mobilise the right capability as priorities and business needs evolve.

Set clear performance expectations, give direct feedback, and address underperformance early and fairly. Bridge the gap between commercial and operational teams so that growth and delivery pull in the same direction. Champion transformation, employment equity and skills development objectives in line with BLU’s commitments.

Governance, risk and stakeholder management Ensure operational and commercial activity meets all legal, regulatory, contractual and internal governance requirements. Identify, escalate and mitigate commercial, delivery, reputational and operational risk before it materialises. Oversee compliance obligations relevant to the business, including health and safety and B-BBEE commitments.

Maintain strong relationships with key clients, partners, funders and, where applicable, public sector stakeholders. Competencies: Commercial: Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior clients while protecting profitability. Operational: Action-oriented and hands-on, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to drive execution and resolve operational challenges.

Leadership: Decisive and accountable, with strong communication, stakeholder influence, team leadership, resilience, and integrity.

Education

A minimum of 10–15 years’ experience, including at least 5 years at executive level in a business of comparable or greater complexity. Demonstrable ownership of a Profit and Loss of meaningful scale, with clear accountability for both revenue and margin. A verifiable track record of driving revenue growth: opening new markets or clients, growing existing accounts, and closing complex, high-value deals.

Genuine dual-track credibility across operations and commercial. Candidates must be able to evidence real depth in both, not a strong background in one with exposure to the other. A demonstrated record of taking strategy and plans and driving them through to real-world execution and results, ideally in a complex or fast-moving operating environment.

Experience building, leading and scaling teams, including teams outside a direct reporting line, and leading through other senior leaders. Strong financial literacy: comfortable with pricing models, deal structuring, budgets, forecasting, cash and business case evaluation. Board or Exco reporting experience, with the presence and credibility to operate at that level.

Comfortable making decisions and taking ownership in ambiguous situations, without needing every variable resolved first. Multi-site, multi-division or multi-client operating experience is strongly advantageous. Public sector, tender or large-enterprise contracting experience is advantageous but not required. A relevant tertiary qualification in business, engineering, commerce, operations or a related field.

An MBA or comparable postgraduate qualification is advantageous. Sound understanding of the South African operating and regulatory environment.