Job in Kenya
East Africa Commercial Director
CountyNairobiCityNot specifiedContractType not specifiedPosted2026-09-23Close dateNot specifiedExperienceNot specifiedSourceGAP Recruitment Kenya
commercial directoreast africanairobipharmaceuticalhealthcareinstitutional salessenior leadershipregional rolesalesfinancecommercialsales
AI summary
A fast-growing mission-driven technology and healthcare organisation is hiring an East Africa Commercial Director to lead regional revenue growth, pharmaceutical commercialisation, and institutional business development across East Africa. The role is based in Nairobi and focuses on government, hospital, distributor, and donor-funded markets.
- Senior leadership role with regional East Africa commercial scope
- Based in Nairobi, Kenya
- Focus on pharmaceutical commercialisation and institutional sales
- Reports to Global Growth Lead with direct reports in commercial and marketing
AI job guide
Use this guide to check salary signals, requirements, documents, application steps and safety before you apply.
AI salary guide
Not enough public dataNot enough public salary data is available for this exact role. Before applying, prepare to ask about gross pay, benefits, contract length, probation period, transport and any allowances.
Can you qualify for this role?
- UnclearRelated work experienceThe text mentions experience, but the exact level should be confirmed at source.
- RequiredEducation or certification mentioned in the postThe captured text mentions education, a diploma, certificate, or licence.
- PreferredPractical evidence in sales, finance, commercialThe tags and summary point to skills connected with this role.
- RequiredAvailability to work in Not specifiedThe vacancy is associated with this location.
Documents to prepare
- Likely requiredUpdated CV
- Role specificCover letter or short employer message
- OptionalProfessional references
- Role specificAcademic or professional certificates
- VerifyID or passport only after verifying the employer
Application tips for this job
- Place your strongest East Africa Commercial Director evidence in the first half of your CV.
- In your cover letter or employer message, connect your experience to Kenya employer and the role in Not specified.
- Add concrete examples related to sales, finance, commercial, ideally with measurable outcomes or clear responsibilities.
- Follow the instructions from GAP Recruitment Kenya; avoid sending documents to unofficial contacts or copied links.
- Confirm the deadline, interview location and employer contact before sharing personal documents.
- Prepare a polite question about pay, benefits and contract terms for later interview stages.
Source and safety check
- GAP Recruitment Kenya
- Original source link available
- Application method is clear
- Deadline not specified
- MediumThe employer is not clearly identified in the captured text.
Never pay for interviews, shortlisting, medical checks, uniforms, or job placement. Confirm every application at the original source before sharing personal documents. Report suspicious listing.
Interview preparation
- What experience makes you a strong fit for this East Africa Commercial Director role in sales, finance?
- How have you handled responsibilities similar to those in this job post?
- Are you available to work in Not specified under the listed contract or schedule?
- Prepare examples with clear responsibilities, tools used and measurable outcomes.
- Review the source and research Kenya employer before the interview.
Ask what the first priorities will be in the role and how success will be measured.
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Original source description
- Job Title:
- East Africa Commercial Director
- Location:
- Nairobi, Kenya, with regional East Africa scope
- Department:
- Commercial & Growth
- Reports To:
- Global Growth Lead
- Direct Reports:
- Regional Commercial Leads & National Marketing Lead
- About the Opportunity
- Our client is a fast-growing, mission-driven technology and healthcare organisation transforming how medicines and health products move across African markets.
- The organisation works with public and private healthcare systems to strengthen pharmaceutical supply chains, improve product availability, and ensure medicines are managed and delivered safely and efficiently.
- As part of its continued expansion across East Africa, the organisation is seeking an accomplished
- East Africa Commercial Director
- to lead regional revenue growth, pharmaceutical commercialisation, strategic market expansion, and institutional business development.
- This is a senior leadership opportunity for a commercially driven executive with deep knowledge of the
- pharmaceutical and healthcare ecosystem across East Africa
- , particularly institutional sales, government procurement, hospital networks, pharmaceutical distribution, and new product market entry.
- The Role
- The East Africa Commercial Director will take overall responsibility for driving commercial growth across East Africa, leading both recurring service revenues and the commercialisation of new pharmaceutical portfolios.
- The successful candidate will manage the regional commercial function through Regional Commercial Leads while developing high-value opportunities across
- government agencies, institutional healthcare organisations, hospitals, wholesalers, distributors, insurers, donor-funded programmes, and other strategic partners
- .
- The role will also lead major commercial negotiations, new market entry initiatives, pharmaceutical product launches, regional sales performance, pricing strategy, demand forecasting, and strategic account development.
- A key mandate will be to build a
- scalable and high-performing regional commercial engine
- capable of delivering sustainable revenue growth across multiple East African markets.
- Key Responsibilities
- 1. New Product Commercialisation & Market Expansion
- Develop and execute market-entry strategies for new
- SRA-vetted generic and specialised pharmaceutical portfolios
- across East Africa.
- Build high-value institutional and B2B pipelines across multiple commercial channels.
- Lead commercial engagement with government agencies, national medical supply organisations, public health programmes, and institutional procurement teams.
- Develop opportunities with private insurers, donor-funded health programmes, corporate healthcare networks, hospitals, teaching institutions, and large clinical facilities.
- Identify and establish strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical distributors and wholesalers to expand regional market reach.
- Develop compelling commercial value propositions around quality, affordability, availability, and healthcare cost optimisation.
- Lead the successful introduction and market penetration of new pharmaceutical products.
- 2. Regional Commercial Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership and direction to Regional Commercial Leads and their respective sales teams.
- Own and drive achievement of quarterly and annual commercial targets across East Africa.
- Establish clear regional sales priorities, targets, KPIs, and accountability structures.
- Develop a disciplined, performance-driven commercial culture across the regional sales organisation.
- Monitor commercial performance and intervene quickly where markets, territories, products, or teams are underperforming.
- Build scalable commercial processes capable of supporting continued expansion into new East African markets.
- 3. Strategic Business Development & Key Accounts
- Develop and maintain senior-level relationships with
- C-suite hospital executives, government and ministry officials, procurement heads, distributors, insurers, key opinion leaders, and industry associations
- .
- Identify and convert strategic institutional and enterprise opportunities.
- Lead complex commercial negotiations and close high-value B2B and institutional contracts.
- Negotiate long-term supply agreements, strategic partnerships, and Master Service Agreements (MSAs).
- Strengthen existing strategic accounts while identifying opportunities for account expansion and increased revenue.
- 4. Commercial Strategy, Pricing & Forecasting
- Use CRM data, market intelligence, epidemiological insights, customer information, and trade data to forecast pharmaceutical demand across East African markets.
- Develop territory and customer segmentation strategies to prioritise the highest-potential commercial opportunities.
- Collaborate with finance and global fulfilment teams to establish competitive local pricing strategies while protecting gross margins.
- Monitor market trends, competitor activity, customer behaviour, pricing movements, and emerging commercial opportunities.
- Maintain strong visibility of regional pipelines, forecasts, conversion rates, and revenue performance.
- 5. Cross-Functional & Regulatory Alignment
- Work closely with Pharmacy, Quality Assurance, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations teams.
- Ensure pharmaceutical launches, imports, tenders, distribution arrangements, and commercial activities are aligned with applicable regulatory requirements.
- Support adherence to relevant frameworks including
- PPB, KEBS, and Good Distribution Practices (GDP)
- .
- Ensure commercial commitments made to customers can be effectively supported by operational and supply-chain capabilities.
- Key Performance Indicators
- Success in this position will be measured against:
- Achievement of regional pharmaceutical product sales and service revenue targets.
- Growth in contracted institutional and hospital accounts.
- Successful government and institutional tender acquisition.
- Growth and performance of active pharmaceutical distributor accounts.
- Market penetration and adoption of newly introduced pharmaceutical portfolios.
- Strength and conversion of the regional commercial pipeline.
- Customer acquisition efficiency and long-term account value.
- Regional sales-team performance against agreed targets.
- Sustainable revenue and margin growth across East African markets.
- Experience & Track Record
- The ideal candidate should have:
- 10–15+ years of progressive commercial experience
- , preferably within pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical distribution, or closely related sectors.
- At least
- 5 years in a senior commercial leadership position
- managing teams and markets across East Africa.
- Demonstrable experience generating significant revenue through institutional and B2B channels.
- Strong experience dealing with
- government procurement, institutional healthcare organisations, hospital networks, pharmaceutical distributors, and wholesalers
- .
- Deep understanding of pharmaceutical supply chains, trade networks, institutional procurement, and hospital formulary adoption.
- Demonstrated success introducing and commercialising
- new generic and/or specialised pharmaceutical portfolios
- .
- Proven ability to build and manage regional sales teams and hold senior commercial leaders accountable for results.
- Experience negotiating and closing complex, high-value commercial agreements.
- Strong understanding of cross-border commercial, import, distribution, and market-entry dynamics within East Africa.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in
- Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, Pharmacy
- , or another relevant discipline.
- An
- MBA, Master’s in Health Economics, Business Strategy
- , or related postgraduate qualification will be an added advantage.
- Core Competencies
- The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Executive commercial leadership
- Regional sales strategy and execution
- Pharmaceutical commercialisation
- Institutional and government business development
- Key account management
- High-value contract negotiation
- New market entry and expansion
- Pharmaceutical distribution and channel development
- Commercial forecasting and pipeline management
- Pricing and margin management
- Strategic relationship development
- Cross-border commercial management
- Data-driven decision-making
- Team leadership and performance accountability
- Who We Are Looking For
- We are particularly interested in a
- commercial builder
- , not simply an account manager.
- You should be comfortable entering new markets, developing commercial strategies from the ground up, opening senior-level institutional relationships, launching pharmaceutical portfolios, negotiating complex contracts, leading regional teams, and carrying direct accountability for significant revenue targets.
- You should combine a strong understanding of the
- East African pharmaceutical ecosystem
- with the commercial discipline required to turn market opportunities into sustainable revenue.
- If you have successfully built pharmaceutical markets, developed institutional accounts, managed distributors, launched new products, and led high-performing commercial teams across East Africa, we would be interested in hearing from you.
- Application Deadline;
- Interested candidates should submit their CV to Our Website by latest Friday 9th October 2026.
- For any inquiries, please contact us at +254 784 155 512.
- Gap Recruitment Services Limited does not charge candidates at any stage of the recruitment process. We are committed to equal opportunity hiring. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Source and provenanceSource: GAP Recruitment Kenya. Last checked: 2026-09-27.Kazi Connect is a job discovery service, not the employer. Always confirm the vacancy at the original source.Summaries may be AI-assisted. Report inaccurate content.
Never pay to apply. Always confirm the original source and watch for payment requests, sensitive document requests, or unrealistic promises.