Growth & Commercial Strategy Leader

Edge Executive Search Group; Pietermaritzburg; On-site; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Edge Executive Search Group in Pietermaritzburg is seeking an entrepreneurial Head of Commercial & Growth to lead the company's commercial strategy, grow the educational publishing and related revenue streams, and diversify beyond traditional textbook cycles.

Reporting to the CEO, you will drive marketing, sales and partnerships, shape market access strategies across South Africa, and translate opportunities into scalable, profitable programs.

Qualifications

• Future growth leadership and strategic thinking
• Strong commercial acumen in education/publishing or edtech sectors
• Ability to identify and validate new revenue streams
• Experience leading cross-functional teams (sales, marketing, product)
• Track record of launching new products/services and driving growth
• Stakeholder engagement with education departments and partners
• CRM/digital marketing and analytics experience
• Strong financial and governance discipline
• Strategic market expansion and partnership development
• Ability to translate opportunities into executable business plans
• Leadership and people management experience
• Understanding of South African education landscape
• Experience with subscription models, licensing, or digital resources
• Customer acquisition, retention and product positioning
• Market intelligence and forecasting
• Strategic marketing and customer insights
• Brand management and communications oversight
• Performance measurement and ROI focus
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute national commercial and sales strategies aligned with revenue, profitability and market-share objectives.
• Protect and grow the established educational publishing and LTSM business.
• Provide commercial direction and performance oversight across the provincial sales network.
• Work with Provincial Sales Managers to strengthen market penetration, adoption activity and customer relationships.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with the Department of Basic Education, provincial education departments, relevant DHET stakeholders, schools, booksellers, distributors and education partners.
• Use market intelligence, curriculum developments, provincial adoption trends and customer insights to inform commercial decisions and forecasts.
• Identify and evaluate new markets, customer segments, products, services and commercial channels.
• Develop and execute strategies that reduce reliance on traditional textbook procurement cycles.
• Take new commercial opportunities from concept and business case development through launch, commercialisation and sustainable growth.
• Build financially sound business cases covering demand validation, pricing, margins, investment requirements and expected returns.
• Explore opportunities across digital educational resources, subscriptions, e-commerce, licensing, institutional solutions, exports and strategic partnerships.
• Establish commercially sustainable relationships and partnerships across education and relevant adjacent markets.
• Lead an integrated marketing strategy supporting established publishing products and new commercial offerings.
• Strengthen customer segmentation, acquisition, retention and product positioning.
• Drive effective use of CRM, customer insights, digital marketing, market research and commercial analytics.
• Oversee brand positioning, marketing campaigns, product launches and stakeholder communications.
• Measure marketing effectiveness and ensure commercial investment delivers measurable returns.
• Lead, develop and manage the Marketing team.
• Drive commercial accountability across sales and marketing activities.

Job description

Edge Executive Search Group in Pietermaritzburg is seeking an entrepreneurial Head of Commercial & Growth to lead the company's commercial strategy, grow the educational publishing and related revenue streams, and diversify beyond traditional textbook cycles.

Reporting to the CEO, you will drive marketing, sales and partnerships, shape market access strategies across South Africa, and translate opportunities into scalable, profitable programs.