Country Manager

People Dimension; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,300,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company seeks a Country Head for South Africa to drive growth strategy and represent the organization in media and industry forums. The ideal candidate should possess a robust leadership background with extensive experience in IT distribution and a keen understanding of the local market dynamics. This role requires proven relationship-building skills and the capability to lead diverse teams in a competitive environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years managing IT Distribution business in Cybersecurity, Storage, etc.
• Experience in country management or senior leadership within technology sectors.
• Strong executive presence and the ability to impact external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the country's growth strategy.
• Represent the company at industry events and manage key relationships.
• Oversee compliance, budget, and human capital management.

Skills

Leadership

Relationship Building

Operational Execution

Commercial Acumen

Team Leadership

Job description

The key accountabilities of the role will be to:

• Provide leadership to the business - One of the key tasks for the Country Head - RSA will be to develop and own the country's growth strategy, ensuring alignment with regional and global objectives.
• Act as the chief spokesperson for the company in South Africa, representing the business at industry events, with the press, and in public forums.
• Oversee the legal entity, including people management, site strategy, compliance (e.g., B-BBEE), and budget ownership.
• Report on business, financial, and operational performance to regional leadership and participate in strategic leadership forums.
• Manage human capital effectively – Build organizational capability and capacity to meet the pressing demands of rapid growth in a competitive and changing environment.
• Lead and inspire local teams across sales, solution architecture, marketing, finance, and operations to deliver revenue growth and user adoption.
• Foster a customer-obsessed culture and strong team identity, upholding company values and local relevance.
• Drive Operational Excellence and systems thinking - Build and nurture strong executive relationships with customers, partners, government, regulators, and media to drive market adoption and brand presence.
• Bring credibility and gravitas to internal and external relationships.

The Country Leader will be responsible for establishing and growing long-term relationships with key clients in the region / country.

A high degree of customer-centricity will be critical in this role.

The role will influence and collaborate effectively with a large group of internal stakeholders.

Reporting Relationship and Location: The Country Head - RSA - will be based in Johannesburg or Cape Town, RSA and report to the Africa Cluster Head.

The span of control for the position will be in the range of ~ 4-6 direct reports and s / he will be indirectly responsible for all the country-level teams.

Candidate Profile Experience: The ideal candidate for this role will be a seasoned and highly qualified leader with 15+ years of experience in managing the IT Distribution business in areas such as Cybersecurity, Storage, etc., of comparable size, scale, and complexity. Overall P&L responsibility for this business should align with the company's financial goals.

Experience managing budgets, legal compliance, and operational execution at a country level is essential. Proven experience in country management or senior leadership roles within technology, software, or cloud sectors is required. The candidate should have a strong executive presence, relationship-building skills, and the ability to make an impact with external stakeholders.

Excellent relationship-building skills with C-suite executives, government, and industry stakeholders are vital. Demonstrated ability to scale businesses from early-stage growth through maturity, with strong commercial acumen and a track record in enterprise sales and go-to-market execution, is expected. Inspirational leadership with the ability to drive high performance across diverse teams is necessary. A deep understanding of the South African business environment and regulatory landscape is also required.

Personal Attributes: The individual will be an independent, dynamic, high-energy personality with strong interpersonal, influencing, and relationship skills. They will have the gravitas, maturity, and credibility to be accepted at the seniormost levels in client organizations as well as in industry, with the clout to 'open doors' and 'win businesses.' A strong understanding of IT Distribution trends and the South African market landscape is essential.