Senior Commercial Leader Job Description
The Senior Commercial Leader is a hands-on, senior commercial executive responsible for driving business opportunities from high interest to signed supply agreements.
This role requires strong relationship building, communication and negotiation skills with senior customer stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in commercial roles across the automotive industry with OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers.
* Key Responsibilities:
1. Develop and maintain current and new senior relationships at priority OEM and Tier-1 accounts: Maintain engagement and a structured communications cadence across executive, commercial, and technical stakeholders.
2. Drive deals to completion: Lead purchase orders, non-disclosure agreements/memoranda of understanding/joint development agreements, guide requests for quote and commercial terms, and bring forward well-structured supply agreements that protect intellectual property and deliver the commercial program.
3. Track the pipeline: Utilize HubSpot to maintain stage definitions from evaluation to order and provide accurate forecasts (volumes, production dates, pricing frameworks, risks/next actions).
4. Align commercial with delivery: Coordinate with engineering and quality on supply, prototype schedules, delivery expectations; ensure specifications, traceability, and change control are captured in contracts.
5. Create customer-facing materials: Develop concise decks, one-pagers, datasheets, case studies, FAQs, and tradeshow/website copy; maintain a version-controlled collateral library; tailor content for key accounts.
6. Lead market research and competitive assessments: Refresh total addressable market/statistical analysis model views, track competitor offerings, SWOT and positioning, benchmark pricing and terms; deliver quarterly insight briefs that inform pricing, messaging, and roadmap.
7. Navigate channels wisely: Sell direct to vertically integrated OEMs; and where OEMs source externally, coordinate with the OEM and relevant Tier-1 suppliers to avoid channel conflict and preserve value.
8. Safeguard compliance: Conduct material sanction screening and export-sanctions diligence for accounts and shipments; escalate edge cases if needed.
9. Build the team: Recruit and onboard two Business Development Managers (automotive and cross-sector); install operating workflow (weekly pipeline, quarterly account reviews, playbooks, templates) and coach to consistent execution.
10. Represent the company at priority industry events and customer sites; manage a lean commercial budget for travel, shows, and contracting support.
Requirements:
A bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or a related field, or its equivalent in relevant experience. A master's degree, MBA, or equivalent experience is also welcomed.
Experience:
The ideal candidate will have significant experience in commercial roles across the automotive industry with OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. Demonstrated success negotiating long-term supply agreements for components or materials is essential. Strong working knowledge of production supply and quality programs, RFQ processes, sourcing gates, and program phases from concept through validation and start of production is required.
Benefits:
* Base salary and superannuation package.
* Employee Share Option Plan.
* Performance-based bonus tied to the success measures above.
* Relocation support available for exceptional candidates.
* Collaborative and inclusive work environment.