Commercial Manager

Sulzer · Johannesburg

Sulzer is a leading engineering company with a proud heritage of innovation. Join our global team to grow your expertise and develop innovative solutions that enable a prosperous and more sustainable society.

About the role

At Sulzer, we keep industries moving. Our Services division provides the overhaul, maintenance, repair and upgrade of critical rotating equipment including pumps, motors, compressors, turbines and generators. Supporting customers across mining, power generation, water, petrochemical and manufacturing sectors, we help maximise reliability, minimise downtime and extend asset life.

We are seeking an experienced Commercial Manager to lead our Tendering and Commercial Support function. This is a key leadership role requiring strong commercial acumen, proven tendering expertise and, most importantly, a deep understanding of rotating equipment and industrial services.

The Opportunity

Working closely with the Regional Sales Director, you will be responsible for driving commercial excellence across tendering, contract management, sales support and project handover activities. You will ensure commercially sound bid decisions, maintain profitability, manage risk and support the successful delivery of customer projects.

This role is ideally suited to someone who combines technical credibility within rotating equipment with strong commercial and leadership capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Support and deputise for the Regional Sales Director when required.
Lead, mentor and develop the Tendering and Commercial Support teams.
Drive best practice across tendering, commercial governance and sales support processes.
Review enquiries and support bid/no-bid decisions through commercial and technical risk assessments.
Allocate tendering resources to ensure efficient and effective proposal delivery.
Develop and review complex quotations, service agreements, maintenance contracts and turnkey project proposals.
Evaluate tender documentation, specifications and commercial requirements.
Ensure all bids comply with Sulzer commercial policies and approval processes.
Review project estimates, resource requirements, labour costs and pricing strategies.
Work closely with Procurement, Engineering, Operations and Sales to develop competitive solutions.
Support contract negotiations and customer agreements.
Maintain profitability and margin performance across all tender submissions.
Ensure effective handover of awarded projects to Project Management teams.
Provide commercial and contractual support throughout the project lifecycle.
Promote a culture of safety, compliance and continuous improvement.

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience

Strong experience within rotating equipment, pump services, electromechanical repairs, maintenance services or related engineering environments.
Proven experience managing complex tenders, proposals and commercial negotiations.
Strong understanding of equipment overhaul, repair and maintenance projects.
Experience reviewing technical scopes, engineering specifications and project cost estimates.
Experience managing and developing teams.
Experience drafting, reviewing and managing commercial contracts.
Strong commercial awareness with a track record of protecting margins and managing risk.

Qualifications

Technical qualification (minimum N6 and relevant trade qualification preferred).
Sales, Marketing, Business or Commercial qualification advantageous.
Administration Management Diploma advantageous.
SAP experience.
Salesforce experience.
Strong Microsoft Office and general computer skills.

Success in This Role

You will bring:

In-depth knowledge of rotating equipment and industrial service environments.
Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
Strong leadership and stakeholder management abilities.
Commercial acumen and sound decision-making capability.
Strong customer focus and relationship-building skills.
Ability to influence and work across multiple business functions.
High attention to detail and organisational skills.
Flexibility to travel when required and operate within a local and global management structure.

What we offer you

Competitive market-related salary
Medical Aid
Provident Fund
Annual performance incentive
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Ongoing training and career development opportunities
Exposure to regional and international projects
Opportunity to work for a global engineering leader in rotating equipment services

Sulzer is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in the strength of a diverse workforce and are committed to offering an inclusive work environment.

We are proud to be recognized as a Top Employer 2026 in Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Switzerland, South Africa, the UK and the USA.

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