The purpose of the Commercial Partnerships Lead in ShopriteX is to source viable, strategic or profitable business development and partnership opportunities. The role applies strong client relationship management and negotiation skills to build sustainable and long-term networks and reports to the Head of Partnerships and New Business Development, working closely with senior management and executive teams to identify, evaluate, and execute partnership opportunities in alignment with strategic business pillars. This role initiates relationships with potential partners, assessing business opportunities, and driving the agreements, integrations, and executions necessary to maximise partnership value. Expanding the capabilities of ShopriteX via partnerships while simultaneously driving value and revenue will be key metrics in the role. The ideal candidate will enjoy an entrepreneurial and rapidly shifting environment. We are looking for someone who will roll-up their sleeves and thrive on having a significant impact and building new capabilities through partnerships and innovation. Role Description: 1. Strategic Partnerships and Business Development: · Identify, evaluate, negotiate, and manage key strategic partnerships to drive growth. · Co-create, design, and deliver initiatives across strategic programs and partnerships. · Evaluate and research new viable business development opportunities, negotiate favourable business terms, and onboard new partners. · Identify and evaluate potential partnership opportunities, including analysing strategic fit, financial viability, and impact on growth. · Work with internal stakeholders to unlock high-value opportunities through strategic partnerships. · Identify internal opportunities to develop the flywheel by leveraging existing ecosystem platforms. · Work with external stakeholders to activate intra-company mutually beneficial strategies by leveraging existing capabilities and/or data. · Understand and communicate the value proposition to potential partners and internal stakeholders. · Drive negotiations and contracting for optimal partnership structures. · Focus on laying the foundation for large, long-term strategic programs while recognizing near-term revenue opportunities. · Monitor and report on partnership performance, including tracking KPIs and making recommendations for improvement. 2. Start-up Sourcing, Evaluation, and Innovation: · Actively source, identify, and initiate meetings with promising start-ups aligned with the investment thesis. · Lead the process to assess start-ups’ viability, scalability, and fit with strategic priorities. · Foster networks within the start-up ecosystem and stay informed of emerging trends and technologies. · Engage in preliminary discussions to determine start-up alignment with strategic pillars. · Identify opportunities for strategic investment. · Proactively evaluate competitor and market activities for emerging opportunities, risks, and constraints. 3. Portfolio Management and Stewardship: · Represent select portfolio ventures to maintain strategic alignment and investment growth. · Identify opportunities and offer support to portfolio entities to unlock mutual value. · Facilitate key negotiations for portfolio firms with stakeholders, ensuring optimal outcomes. · Work with internal and external stakeholders to deliver agreed milestones and KPIs. · Regularly engage with strategic partners, ensuring transparency and nurturing trust. 4. Leadership and Team Management: · Lead and inspire a high-performing team. · Lead a team to deliver Proof of Concepts, assess viability for scale, and develop a business case with revenue targets. · Support and/or mentor new and emerging team members in understanding and embedding sound property standards and business practices in their respective areas. · Provide specialist expertise to the team and cross-functional partners as required, supporting with complex problems and guiding on business values and objectives. 5. Industry Trends and Networking: · Stay current on industry trends through research, affiliation with professional organizations, and attending conferences and seminars as needed. · Stay abreast of pivotal shifts and trends within the relevant African and global landscapes. · These groupings should help clarify the distinct areas of responsibility within this role. Qualifications and Experience: · Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Administration, or relevant field - (essential) · Master’s in Business Administration – (preferred) · 4+ years’ experience in a senior management role in within a large corporate or digital ecosystem environment, with a strong track record negotiating complex partnership agreements and formulating data driven strategies, including investments and/or acquisitions that delivered strategic and financial impact – (essential) · Solid Experience in creating, identifying, evaluating, and building differentiated relationships with strategic partners – (essential) · Experience in leading cross-functional teams and collaborating to achieve goals through others – (essential) · Excellent project management skills, including work prioritization, planning and task delegation – (essential) · Expertise in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint – (essential) · Ability to travel as per operational requirements - (essential) Key Competencies and Work Ethic: · Decisive, action orientated with good judgment – Applies knowledge to navigate within an evolving retail landscape. Compares data from different sources to draw sound conclusions; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences. · Problem-solving skills and strategic thinking – Able to problem-solve and manage the complexities of a broad and diverse portfolio with high impact. Effectively analyses, integrates and links information to business results and understands how to measure success accordingly. Demonstrated ability to think strategically about complex issues, leading to thoughtful recommendations and action plans. · Business and commercial acumen- Proactively explores new prospects and capitalizes on established networks. Knows how to leverage business insights to drive opportunities. · Self-starter able to seek new partnerships or projects and lead a project from start to finish. · Collaborative partnering – Builds sound relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills to deal with situations with flexibly and tactfully while advocating for cooperation and synergies across projects. · Strong influencing and negotiation skills – Skilled negotiator, applying diplomacy and skill with calculated compromises to accomplish portfolio goals. Persuades others; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish organisational and business goals. Able to engage and collaborate with C-level executives and board members. · Communication and reporting skills – Communicate effectively; able to the convey information and data clearly, accurately, and succinctly in a meaningful and insightful way. Able to engage with a variety of business stakeholders across the Group. · Results and quality focused- setting stretch goals for self and others, while remaining focused and working tenaciously toward meeting and exceeding expectations within quality standards. #J-18808-Ljbffr