Sector Head: Mining & Construction

Merchant West; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Merchant West seeks a Sector Head for Mining and Construction to drive growth, profitability, and credit quality of lending within the sector. The role partners with Credit, Risk, and Portfolio Management to ensure disciplined lending and sustainable sector expansion.

You will lead origination, deal support, and portfolio management while building strong client and intermediary networks. Prior leadership in asset finance is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years in sales or business development in asset finance or corporate sales.
• Proven track record in originating, structuring, and executing lending transactions within financial services or specialist lending.

Responsibilities

• Drive sector strategy across origination, credit, pricing and risk management.
• Own national sector performance including sales budget, book growth and profitability.
• Collaborate with regional heads to grow the sector portfolio and provide sector reporting.
• Lead solution design to position Merchant West as the preferred funder in Mining and Construction.
• Support deal origination, structuring, and closing across regions.
• Manage supplier relationships to maximize new business opportunities and share sector insights.
• Maintain CRM activity with minimum quarterly cross-selling opportunities recorded.

Skills

Business Development

Origination

Sector knowledge

Financial analysis

Credit assessment

Deal structuring

Portfolio management

Negotiation

Strategic sales

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Finance/Economics

Postgraduate qualification

Job description

Role Purpose:

The Sector Head: Mining and Construction is responsible for driving the growth, profitability, and credit quality of Merchant West’s lending activities within the Mining and Construction sectors. The role focuses on originating and structuring asset finance opportunities, developing strong client and intermediary relationships, and building a high-quality portfolio aligned to the Group’s risk appetite and return objectives.

Working closely with Credit, Risk, and Portfolio Management teams, the Sector Head ensures disciplined lending, effective portfolio management, and sustainable sector growth while positioning Merchant West as a leading specialist financier within the Mining and Construction industries.

Main Accountabilities:

1. Sector Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Execute the full sector strategy across origination, credit, pricing, and risk management.
• Own national sector performance, including sales budget delivery, book growth, and profitability.
• Collaborate with regional heads to develop, manage, and grow the sector portfolio.
• Provide sector‑level reporting across all major performance indicators.
• Lead solution design to position the organisation as the preferred funder in the sector.

1. Origination & Deal Support

• Support national and regional teams in deal origination, structuring, and closing.
• Ensure supplier relationships effectively contribute to new‑business generation across all regions.
• Share sector insights, market knowledge, and sales best practices to uplift internal capabilities.
• Manage and expand key national supplier relationships to maximise business opportunities
• Identify, establish and nurture supplier partnerships to strengthen regional origination efforts

1. Sales Activity & Cadence (For national mining and construction team)

• Ensure sales pipeline equals 300% of monthly sales budget; work‑in‑progress equals 500%.
• Oversee submission of required credit applications by team members.
• Monitor supplier and client meeting activity (minimum 20 per month via CRM).
• Identify and record cross‑selling opportunities (minimum 2 per month via CRM).

1. Sales Support & Enablement

• Streamline administrative processes to improve sales team efficiency.
• Develop and maintain sales enablement tools and content.
• Proactively identify and resolve sales process bottlenecks.
• Support lead qualification and prioritisation to enhance conversion rates.

1. Team Leadership & Development

• Foster collaboration and support within the sales team.
• Promote accountability for team outcomes and performance.
• Coach team members to improve sales skills and results.
• Build a positive and motivating team culture to drive engagement and success.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification or industry certification (advantageous).

Experience:

• Minimum 5–7 years in sales or business development, preferably within asset finance or corporate sales.
• Proven track record in originating, structuring, and executing lending transactions within a financial services or specialist lending environment.
• Strong experience in credit analysis, deal structuring, and risk assessment related to asset‑backed finance.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage client, OEM, supplier, and intermediary relationships within the relevant sectors.
• Experience in managing or overseeing a lending portfolio, including monitoring performance, arrears, and restructuring where required.
• Prior leadership or sector management experience within a banking, asset finance, or commercial lending environment would be advantageous.

Skills:

• Business Development and Origination
• Sector-specific industry knowledge (Mining and Construction)
• Financial analysis and credit assessment
• Deal structuring and complex transaction management
• Portfolio management and performance monitoring
• Asset-based finance structuring
• Market and sector analysis
• Contract and commercial negotiation
• Strategic sales and business development
• Financial modelling and profitability analysis
• Pipeline and opportunity management

Competencies:

• Strategic leadership and sector direction setting
• Commercial judgement and business acumen
• Client and stakeholder relationship management
• Negotiation and influencing capability
• Decision making and problem solving in complex environments
• Results orientation and growth mindset
• Team leadership and people development
• Cross-functional collaboration and alignment
• Accountability and ownership
• Risk awareness and governance discipline