Commercial Director-Central & West Africa

Abbott; Dubai; On-site; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global healthcare company is seeking a Commercial Director to oversee commercial strategy across 23 markets in Central and West Africa. The role involves driving sustainable revenue growth, managing a high-performance team, and executing sales strategies. Candidates should have a strong background in healthcare or diagnostics with over 10 years of leadership experience. The position is based in Dubai, offering a dynamic work environment focused on strategic market expansion.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Recognition as a great workplace

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience within healthcare or diagnostics.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement regional sales strategies.
• Plan, direct, and monitor sales activities.
• Foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• Ensure compliance with company policies.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related field

MBA preferred

Job description

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people’s health. We’re always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology.

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You will have access to :

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of .
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

Commercial Director- Central and West Africa

This position works out of our UAE location in the Abbott Rapid Diagnostics Division

About Abbott Rapid Diagnostics Division

We are the world leader in Rapid Diagnostics at the point of care. Working with us, you'll tackle a wide array of problems including some of the world's greatest healthcare challenges, while experiencing a myriad of cultures, geographies,

and technologies.

The Commercial Director, Central & West Africa is accountable for defining and executing the commercial strategy for Abbott Rapid Diagnostics division across 23 diverse markets within the region. This leadership role is responsible for driving sustainable revenue growth, achieving profitability objectives, and expanding market share across multiple product portfolios.

The incumbent will lead the development and implementation of comprehensive sales strategies, leveraging deep market intelligence and competitive insights to identify growth opportunities and mitigate risks. This position requires a strong ability to translate strategic vision into actionable plans that deliver measurable business outcomes aligned with Abbott’s global objectives

The incumbent leads and mentors a team of Country Managers, Key Account Managers, and field personnel, cultivating a high-performance culture focused on flawless commercial execution. The position orchestrates contract negotiations with external customers, ensuring excellence in tendering and contracting processes. Additionally, the Commercial Director fosters an insights-driven culture, informing cross-functional stakeholders of market dynamics and competitive activities to enable strategic decision-making. The role also oversees the implementation of company policies, ensuring operational excellence and compliance across all markets.

What You'll Do-

Commercial Strategy & Execution

Develop and implement regional sales strategies aligned with short- and long-term business objectives.

Establish annual sales quotas, forecasts, and pricing strategies, ensuring accurate revenue and profit projections.

Drive business growth through acquisition of new customers and expansion of existing accounts.

Lead contract negotiations and tendering processes, ensuring competitive and compliant submissions.

Monitor market dynamics, competitive activities, and regulatory changes to inform strategic decisions.

Sales Management & Performance Optimization

Plan, direct, and monitor sales activities, providing monthly performance feedback against forecasts.

Manage sales administration, customer service, credit collections, invoicing, and ensure timely order processing.

Coach Country Managers, Key Account Managers, and field teams on sales techniques, promotions, and execution excellence.

Maintain high-level relationships with clients, consultants, and external organizations to strengthen Abbott’s market position.

Leadership & Organizational Development

Foster a diverse and inclusive workplace that empowers all team members to contribute fully toward organizational objectives.

Create an entrepreneurial environment, recruiting, coaching, and developing top talent across the region.

Keep Abbott’s vision, mission, and values at the forefront of decision-making and daily operations.

Demonstrate effective change leadership, ensuring smooth transitions during organizational or market shifts.

Build strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to advance departmental and organizational goals.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

Oversee warehouse and supply chain operations to ensure efficient product availability and stock flow.

Ensure strict compliance with company policies, regulations, and ethical standards.

Make operational decisions regarding work processes, resource allocation, and scheduling to achieve departmental objectives.

Maintain company standards and procedures across all commercial activities.

Market Development & Insights

Generate opportunities with existing and new customers, concluding sales calls independently and collaboratively with Marketing.

Provide field-based support to commercial partners to drive product sales growth.

Assess current and future product opportunities and pursue strategic initiatives to maximize market penetration.

Implement and support marketing and promotional activities within the region to strengthen brand presence.

Advise the organization on market trends, industry developments, and competitive intelligence relevant to the product portfolio.

Support markets in policy shaping and policy adoption in alignment with business objectives, ensuring favorable regulatory and reimbursement environments.

Collaborate with Market Access teams to drive funding mobilization and healthcare financing initiatives in line with strategic commercial priorities.

Required Qualifications-

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, or related field; MBA preferred.

Bilingual, English & French preferred

Minimum 10+ years of progressive commercial leadership experience within healthcare or diagnostics, with proven success in emerging markets.

Strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and ability to manage complexity across multiple geographies.

Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth, market expansion, and profitability in competitive environments.

Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.