Website KOA Impact
In 2017, Koa had the brilliant idea of how to contribute to sustainable growth in rural Ghana. The Ghanaian-Swiss start-up Koa was born from a sophisticated concept, innovative processes and a lot of passion. Koa is the first cocoa fruit processor in West Africa and makes use of the pulp of the cocoa pods, thus reducing food waste and enabling Ghanaian cocoa farmers to earn an additional income.
Koa’s first factory has a capacity of 300 tons and the second factory, 2,500 tons. Today, about 100 employees in Ghana and Switzerland dedicate themselves to the growth of Koa to boost value creation in the cocoa-growing regions and to develop innovative and pioneering processes. Are you passionate about social impact? Join the Koa team now.
LET’S SUM IT UP!
We are looking for a dynamic and driven Commercial and Business Manager who is self-motivated and focused on achieving results. This role will spearhead the exploration of strategic and commercial avenues aligned with Koa’s overarching strategy for the Ghanaian and the broader African markets. The Commercial & Business Manager will be instrumental in identifying new product development opportunities that put smiles on the face of Koa’s Consumers.
Additionally, he/she will play a pivotal role in recognizing, cultivating and bolstering revenue streams for Koa in both existing and emerging markets. Collaborating closely with the Management Team, the Commercial & Business Manager will identify strategic commercial prospects and oversee projects throughout the commercialization process, adhering to established disciplines.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The job of the Commercial & Business Manager (CBM) is to lead the development of new products and markets. In this role, the CBM acts as an interface between Management and the product development team (Operations and Quality Business Units) as well as providing leadership to the Commercial Unit in Ghana. The CBM works closely with the Customer Value Proposition (CVP) team in Europe, adopting the established CVP framework for local use.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Product and Market Development
• Identify and qualify new market potentials as well as market requirements
• Lead the process of market-oriented development of the product concept with the objective of obtaining final product recipes
• Coordinate with external and internal parties to establish the production concept with the objective of obtaining a ready-to-launch product
• Co-develop consumer value propositions and determine product pricing
• Define market and customer segmentation
• Collaborate with key Business units (Operations, Quality, R&D, Finance) to ensure product quality and support is maintained Commercial
• Create a commercialization plan for all new products
• Lead initiatives to identify new offerings to drive growth.
Lead initiatives to drive customer acquisition and retention
• Provide commercial input into business reviews and potential opportunities
• Approve marketing plan, oversee marketing programs, and develop the right sales strategy and required sales infrastructure to serve the potential market Project Management
• Lead and manage cross-functional teams (Commercial, Quality, Processing & R&D) in the development of new products.
• Engage relevant teams in the continuous refinement and improvement of existing products
• Represent the Commercial team during project steering meetings Stakeholder Management
• Engage with the Operations and Quality Units for the development of new products
• Engage with Finance and Human Resource Units to provide relevant resource needs
• Lead in the development and implementation of Toll Manufacturing contracting.
Leadership
• Provide positive leadership to the business by living the values and creating and maintaining a work environment that delivers superior performance.
• Provide guidance, direction and support for commercial staff to achieve their potential.
• Lead by example with a bias for action, outcome-driven, strong commercial advice and be an effective and reliable business partner of the management team.
• Build and maintain superior working relationships right across the organisation to enable the delivery of superior performance.
REPORTING
Reports to the Finance and Administration Director, Ghana and the Commercial Lead in Europe
JOB REQUIREMENT
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Sales or a Business-related discipline or in Food Science with a focus on product innovation, marketing and business development.
• A Master’s degree or a Professional Certificate in a relevant field is an advantage.
WORK EXPERIENCE
• The Commercial and Business Manager is expected to have substantial work experience with a minimum of 5 years in a managerial role.
• Conversant with the Ghanaian / African market trends
• Experience in the field of foods and beverages, serving end-consumer markets
• Proven analytical and commercial strengths in a complex business environment
• Working/ In-Depth understanding of Commercial Products, standards and all supporting processes and technology in developing new products
• Previous experience in Food manufacturing or FMCG companies
• Multinational experience or complex industry
COMPETENCE AND SKILLS
• Ability to manage complex projects and multi-task • Project Management and Organisational Skills • Good written and verbal communication skills • Open-minded, outgoing personality • Tenacity and drive to seek new business to meet or exceed targets • Structured, independent and result-oriented work attitude • IT Skills including the use of spreadsheets • Natural affinity to work with software and data management tools • Analytical skills and good business acumen • Ability to lead and motivate a team • Good interpersonal skills
APPLY NOW
Interested applicants should send their resume with the job title as the subject to [email protected]. Early applications are preferred. Targeted starting date is 3rd June 2024
To apply for this job email your details to careers.gh@koa-impact.com.