Are you ready to play a critical leadership role at the intersection of commercial operations, corporate governance, and strategic performance within a global FMCG powerhouse? A rare and exciting opportunity has opened for a Business Governance Manager based in Nairobi, Kenya, offering the right candidate a unique platform to influence and transform how a major organization executes its commercial strategy, enforces governance frameworks, and delivers high-impact business outcomes across markets.
Operating within a dynamic, performance-driven environment, this position reports directly to the Head of Commercial Operations and is positioned at the Senior Management level. The Business Governance Manager will be a central figure in ensuring that commercial decisions are made with integrity, efficiency, transparency, and full alignment with organizational objectives and compliance standards.
This role is ideal for professionals with deep experience in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales operations and business analytics, with a strong inclination toward governance, risk management, and stakeholder leadership.
About the Commercial Function
Our Commercial team thrives on building strong connections with customers, understanding local and international markets, and unlocking growth through data-driven decision-making and innovative sales strategies. With a footprint in over 180 countries, our brands are loved across the globe, and our commercial team plays a critical role in taking them even further.
From leveraging digital tools and consumer insight to shaping policy and operational excellence, our sales team operates at the heart of our business growth. Joining this function offers a career path that values curiosity, continuous learning, and high-impact delivery.
About the Role: Business Governance Manager
The Business Governance Manager is responsible for establishing and maintaining robust governance frameworks to guide commercial decision-making. This includes overseeing compliance across business-to-customer and business-to-business engagements, leading governance-related training, ensuring data integrity across platforms, coordinating audits, and acting as the principal enabler of risk-aware commercial execution.
This role also involves significant collaboration with senior leadership, sales, finance, supply chain, and legal teams to maintain alignment across customer/channel agreements, Below-the-Line (BTL) execution, marketing strategies, and performance optimization.
Key Responsibilities
1. Governance and Controls
- Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of commercial governance frameworks that align with both internal priorities and external regulatory standards.
- Oversee compliance with all controls environments applicable to commercial processes and initiatives.
- Serve as a strategic business partner to embed governance and risk mitigation practices across all commercial units.
- Coordinate both internal and global audits on governance issues, manage corrective actions, and implement robust data accuracy and record management protocols.
- Conduct targeted governance training for commercial teams, including modules on pricing policies, Deal Desk processes, anti-corruption practices, and compliance with digital systems.
- Drive automation and simplification of approval workflows, enhancing operational efficiency.
- Monitor the integrity of data across systems like DMS, SIT, and Diageo 1, identifying anomalies and initiating corrective actions.
- Implement a red flag compliance mechanism covering exemptions, KPIs, adherence metrics, and call tracking.
2. Performance & Execution Oversight
- Lead the planning and execution of the KES 6B+ Marketing Business Plan, ensuring rigorous alignment to both commercial and people outcomes.
- Manage the quarterly calendar of commercial events, including Control Days, CLT meetings, M&E Days, and stocktakes.
- Track salesforce effectiveness across a field team of over 250 members, including asset utilization worth approximately KES 1B in point-of-sale materials (POSM).
- Conduct and oversee quarterly POSM audits and lead corrective measures to mitigate material loss or misuse.
- Ensure strong performance routines across all levels of execution, facilitating performance reviews and learning forums at divisional and national levels.
- Support the Commercial Leadership Team (CLT) in the execution of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and Individual Business Objectives (IBOs), with robust accountability mechanisms in place.
- Partner with Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and Legal to monitor contract integrity, rebate processes, and compliance with channel management expectations.
- Approve and monitor the customer marketing data governance process including DMS objective approval, POSM distribution, and accurate master data maintenance.
- Ensure distributor and SKU-level reconciliation within a 10% SIT threshold, maintaining high standards in inventory accuracy and control.
- Drive KPI-focused campaign performance reviews, including metrics such as consumer interaction, footfall, and conversion rates, to maximize returns on investment.
3. Leadership and Talent Management
- Provide strategic and people leadership to the commercial governance team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and sustained performance excellence.
- Mentor and coach team members to build capabilities in analytics, compliance, and field execution.
- Develop and implement a personal development plan and support the same for others in the governance and commercial team.
- Identify and nurture talent across the commercial function, building a strong succession pipeline for key governance and operations roles.
- Champion a culture of compliance, inclusion, and continuous improvement throughout the commercial organization.
- Inspire the transition toward more advanced analytics capabilities within the team to support commercial agility and insight-driven decision-making.
4. Risk Management & Compliance Execution
- Oversee the implementation of the Controls Assurance and Risk Management (CARM) framework across commercial operations.
- Maintain high-level visibility on key business risks and provide senior leadership with actionable, data-driven insights to enhance control environments.
- Lead business continuity risk assessments and mitigation planning for commercial operations.
- Ensure full Code of Business Conduct awareness across the commercial function, including training, compliance checks, and embedded practices.
- Align SIT compliance processes with global standards and flag deviations with immediate implementation of corrective actions or workarounds.
- Provide governance to optimize resource allocation in relation to BTL initiatives, salesforce routines, stock-in-trade, and execution timelines.
Ideal Candidate Profile
This position demands a candidate with a well-rounded background in sales operations, business analytics, governance, and stakeholder management. The ideal individual will possess:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Business or related discipline.
- 8–10 years of experience in the FMCG sector, particularly in commercial operations, sales management, and analytics roles.
- Deep understanding of field sales mechanics, compliance mechanisms, and data analytics tools like Excel and Power BI.
- Experience in managing large commercial budgets and resource allocation at scale.
- Proficiency in strategy execution, change management, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated success in developing people, leading cross-functional teams, and managing compliance workflows in a dynamic business environment.
- Strong coaching and facilitation abilities, with a proactive and solutions-focused mindset.
Key Competencies
- Business performance monitoring, KPI tracking, and reporting
- Advanced data analytics and reporting (Excel, Power BI, etc.)
- Process improvement and simplification of workflows
- Strategic thinking and execution accountability
- Change and risk management
- Stakeholder influence and relationship management
- Coaching, mentoring, and talent development
- Commercial awareness and operational resilience
Flexibility and Inclusion
We understand that flexibility is a key factor in achieving work-life balance and career sustainability. From your first day with us, we will work to accommodate your personal and professional priorities. We are committed to creating a workplace that supports diverse work styles and preferences.
Our organization celebrates diversity in all its dimensions. We are proud to be an inclusive employer that welcomes people of all backgrounds and experiences. Whether it is gender, ethnicity, ability, orientation, or socioeconomic background, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered.
We are committed to equal opportunity employment and value the strength that comes from an inclusive team. If you require any reasonable accommodation during the application process, please ensure to include that information when submitting your application.
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Commercial Governance
This is more than a job—it is a leadership journey that places you at the core of strategic transformation and business stewardship. If you are a high-integrity professional with an eye for detail, a passion for performance, and the courage to lead bold change, we invite you to seize this opportunity and bring your expertise to a high-impact team that shapes how we go to market and grow responsibly.
Applications close on August 16, 2025.
