Head of Commercial Operations
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 critical industries running. Across Africa, our Services business delivers the overhaul, maintenance, repair and upgrade of rotating equipment including pumps, motors, compressors, turbines and generators. Supporting sectors such as mining, power generation, water and industrial manufacturing, we help customers improve reliability, reduce downtime and maximise performance.As part of our continued growth, we are looking for an experienced and commercially astute Head of Commercial Operations to lead our tendering, sales support and commercial governance activities across the Sub-Saharan Africa region. This is a senior leadership position responsible for ensuring that our commercial processes, tendering activities and sales support functions enable sustainable growth, profitability and exceptional customer service.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the regional Tendering and Sales Support teams.
- Deputise for the Regional Sales Director when required.
- Drive commercial excellence across all tenders, proposals and quotations.
- Review enquiries, assess commercial and technical risks, and support bid/no-bid decisions.
- Ensure tender submissions are commercially robust, competitive and compliant.
- Partner with Sales, Engineering, Operations and Procurement to maximise profitability and win rates.
- Support contract negotiations and new customer agreements.
- Oversee project handovers from sales to execution, ensuring a smooth transition.
- Maintain governance, approval processes and commercial controls across the SSA region.
- Drive continuous improvement, training and development within the team.
What We're Looking For
Essential Qualifications & Experience
- Technical University Degree or equivalent engineering qualification.
- Minimum of 10 years' experience in a commercial, tendering, sales support or technical sales leadership environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
- Strong experience within engineering services, rotating equipment, industrial maintenance or related technical industries.
- Proven track record managing complex tenders and commercial proposals.
- Experience negotiating contracts in a commercial environment.
- Strong understanding of risk management, pricing strategies and commercial governance.
- Experience drafting, reviewing and managing contractual agreements.
- Experience working with cross-functional teams across engineering, operations, procurement and sales.
Technical & Professional Skills
- Strong leadership and people management capabilities.
- Advanced tendering and proposal development expertise.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Strong commercial acumen and business understanding.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Industry, product and application knowledge within engineering services environments.
- SAP experience.
- Salesforce experience.
- Strong computer literacy and reporting capability.
What we offer you
- Competitive market-related salary
- Medical Aid with company contribution
- Provident Fund with employer contribution
- Annual personal bonus scheme based on company and personal performance
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing confidential wellbeing support
- Generous annual leave entitlement
- Ongoing learning, leadership development and career progression opportunities
- Exposure to regional and international projects across Sub-Saharan Africa
- Opportunity to work for a global engineering leader with a strong safety and innovation culture
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.