ROLE PURPOSE:

The Commercial Manager — Bulk Business holds joint ownership of the Bulk Business P&L, commercial profitability, pricing discipline, business plan monitoring and financial decision support, working in partnership with the Business Director. The role works closely with Sourcing, Sales, Account Management, Production, Finance, Private Label and other cross-functional teams to ensure business decisions are guided by accurate commercial insights and a clear focus on product-wise and customer-wise profitability. Leading a team of Commercial Executives and Business Analysts, the Commercial Manager builds a proactive, data-driven and accountable commercial function, and is expected to independently identify business priorities, take ownership of commercial outcomes, and translate financial data into actionable insights that support delivery of the Bulk Business plan.

SCOPE:

KEY RESULT AREAS (KRAs):

1.  P&L Ownership & Profitability Management

• Jointly own the commercial performance and P&L delivery of the Bulk Business in partnership with the Business Director.
• Monitor revenue, margins, contribution, operating expenses and profitability against the approved annual business plan.
• Track and analyse profitability at product, SKU, customer, account, weekly and monthly levels.
• Identify profitability gaps and initiate corrective actions in collaboration with relevant teams.
• Evaluate the impact of sourcing costs, processing costs, pricing, logistics and operating expenses on business profitability.
• Provide timely commercial insights and recommendations to support business decisions.
• Ensure that revenue growth is pursued with a clear focus on sustainable profitability.

2.  Pricing, Costing & Commercial Management

• Own the commercial costing and quotation process for Bulk Business customers.
• Collaborate with Sourcing to understand raw material pricing, procurement costs and market movements.
• Work closely with Account Owners, Account Managers and Account Executives to understand customer expectations and commercial requirements.
• Prepare customer quotations considering raw material and sourcing costs, processing and manufacturing costs, packaging costs, logistics and related expenses, market conditions and competitive dynamics, customer requirements, and target profitability.
• Ensure timely and accurate quotation preparation.
• Establish pricing review mechanisms to monitor cost changes and margin impact.
• Identify opportunities for price optimisation, margin improvement and product range rationalisation.
• Ensure appropriate commercial approvals for pricing exceptions and deviations.

3.  Business Plan Monitoring & Commercial Analytics

• Maintain continuous ownership of the annual business plan as a live operating document.
• Prepare weekly commercial performance reviews against business plan commitments.
• Track actual costs against planned costs and investigate significant variances.
• Monitor product-wise, customer-wise and account-wise profitability.
• Identify trends, risks and deviations that may affect business plan delivery.
• Translate financial analysis into clear recommendations and corrective actions.
• Provide timely business performance insights to the Business Director.
• Support monthly, quarterly and annual business reviews.
• Lead the preparation of commercial inputs for future business plans.

4.  ROI Modelling & Strategic Commercial Support

• Develop ROI models for new business opportunities, customer proposals, product initiatives and relevant investments.
• Evaluate expected returns against costs, investments and working capital requirements.
• Track actual ROI performance against approved assumptions.
• Provide commercial inputs for strategic business decisions.
• Support evaluation of new customers, product opportunities, range expansion and margin improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve business returns through commercial and operational interventions.

5.  Private Label Commercial Management

• Work closely with the Private Label team to ensure timely quarterly price agreements.
• Coordinate pricing discussions and evaluate relevant cost and profitability considerations.
• Monitor pricing commitments and their impact on business profitability.
• Escalate delayed pricing decisions and unresolved commercial issues.
• Ensure alignment between Private Label, Sourcing, Finance and relevant business stakeholders.

6.  Business Forecasting & Production Alignment

• Own and coordinate the commercial forecasting process for the Bulk Business.
• Work closely with Sales, Account Management, Sourcing and Production to establish reliable business forecasts.
• Ensure timely communication of forecasts and changes in business requirements to Production.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and identify significant deviations.
• Track customer demand patterns and their implications for production planning and sourcing.
• Improve alignment between business demand, production requirements and commercial commitments.

7.  Receivables & Working Capital Management

• Monitor customer receivables and outstanding payments in coordination with Finance.
• Ensure visibility of overdue customer accounts and collection risks.
• Work with Account Owners, Account Managers and Finance to support timely collections.
• Identify and escalate potential credit and collection risks.
• Monitor the impact of delayed payments on business cash flow and working capital.
• Support structured reviews of overdue accounts and collection action plans.
• Contribute to improved working capital discipline across the Bulk Business.

8.  Team Leadership & Function Building

• Lead a team of approximately 3–5 Commercial Executives and Business Analysts.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and accountability within the commercial team.
• Build structured processes for costing, pricing, business reporting and commercial analysis.
• Develop team capability in financial understanding and business interpretation.
• Ensure accuracy, timeliness and consistency of commercial reports.
• Create a culture of proactive ownership, collaboration and follow-through.
• Establish and strengthen SOPs for commercial activities.
• Coach team members to move beyond data reporting towards actionable business insights.
• Review team performance and ensure timely delivery of responsibilities.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs):

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION:

The role requires the ability to build strong working relationships, challenge assumptions constructively, and drive timely action across functions.

JOB DESCRIPTION  |  KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Jointly own commercial performance and P&L delivery of the Bulk Business, in partnership with the Business Director.
• Monitor revenue, margins, contribution and operating expenses against the approved annual business plan, with corrective action on variances.
• Track and analyse profitability at product, SKU, customer, account, weekly and monthly levels.
• Own the commercial costing and quotation process, working with Sourcing on raw material pricing and cost movements.
• Prepare accurate, timely customer quotations covering cost, market and profitability considerations.
• Establish pricing review mechanisms and identify opportunities for price optimisation and margin improvement.
• Maintain continuous ownership of the annual business plan as a live operating document, with weekly performance reviews.
• Track actual costs against planned costs and investigate significant variances.
• Support monthly, quarterly and annual business reviews and lead preparation of commercial inputs for future business plans.
• Develop and track ROI models for new business opportunities, customer proposals and product initiatives.
• Provide commercial inputs for strategic decisions, new customer evaluation and range expansion.
• Work closely with the Private Label team to ensure timely quarterly price agreements.
• Escalate delayed pricing decisions and unresolved commercial issues in Private Label.
• Own and coordinate the commercial forecasting process, working with Sales, Sourcing and Production.
• Monitor forecast accuracy and track customer demand patterns for production and sourcing planning.
• Monitor customer receivables and outstanding payments in coordination with Finance.
• Identify and escalate credit and collection risks, supporting structured reviews of overdue accounts.
• Lead and develop a team of 3–5 Commercial Executives and Business Analysts.
• Build structured processes and SOPs for costing, pricing, business reporting and commercial analysis.
• Coach the team to move beyond data reporting towards actionable business insights.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Educational Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Business Management, Commerce, Finance, Agriculture, or a related discipline.
• MBA / PGDM in Finance, Business Management, or a relevant field would be advantageous.
• An agricultural or food industry-related educational background would be beneficial.

Professional Experience

• 5–8 years of relevant professional experience in commercial management, business finance, P&L management, pricing, or business operations.
• Experience in roles involving direct or closely aligned P&L ownership.
• Strong experience in costing, pricing, financial modelling, and profitability analysis.
• Experience in food ingredients, spices, FMCG, food manufacturing, B2B, or related industries would be advantageous.
• Experience managing and developing a small commercial or analytical team.
• Demonstrated experience working across multiple business functions.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Financial & Analytical Acumen

• Strong understanding of P&L, costing, margins, and profitability.
• Ability to analyse financial data and identify commercial implications.
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills.
• Ability to develop ROI models and commercial dashboards.

Business Ownership

• Takes accountability without requiring constant supervision.
• Proactively identifies business gaps and initiates corrective actions.
• Demonstrates strong follow-through and commitment to outcomes.
• Maintains continuous focus on business plan delivery.

Strategic Thinking

• Connects business strategy with financial performance.
• Understands the impact of pricing, cost, volume, and customer mix.
• Identifies commercial risks and opportunities.
• Supports decisions through fact-based recommendations.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Ability to lead and develop a small commercial team.
• Strong cross-functional relationship management.
• Mature communication and stakeholder handling.
• Ability to influence and drive action across functions.

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE:

The ideal candidate is a commercially astute professional with strong numerical ability, financial understanding, and hands-on experience in managing business profitability.

The individual should be comfortable working in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment and collaborating with multiple functions to drive commercial outcomes.

The candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Ability to interpret numbers and translate insights into business actions.
• A proactive, self-starting approach.
• Strong ownership and accountability.
• Maturity in decision-making and stakeholder management.
• Ability to work independently and drive execution.
• A growth mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.

The role requires a professional with strong shoulders, sound judgement, and the maturity to take ownership of business outcomes.

REPORTING CADENCE:

GUIDELINES FOR PROFILE SHORTLISTING:

The candidate should be assessed not only for technical financial capability but also for:

• Demonstrated P&L ownership and commercial judgement.
• Ability to work hands-on with numbers and business analytics.
• Proactive ownership and accountability.
• Ability to collaborate and influence across functions.
• Maturity, leadership capability, and readiness to operate in a ~₹500 crore business environment.