Commercial Strategy & Excellence Manager

Job Summary

• This role serves as a strategic business partner to Sales leadership by providing actionable insights, driving business planning processes, and ensuring effective performance management routines. Working closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional stakeholders, the Manager leads the development of commercial strategies, enhances organizational effectiveness through standardized business processes ("Shikumi-ka"), and drives continuous improvement to achieve sustainable business growth and profitability.
• The position also plays a critical role in leading Long Range Planning (LRP), Annual Operating Planning (AOP), forecasting processes, and Commercial Excellence initiatives, including Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE), dashboard development, and performance governance.

 

Essential Functions & Accountabilities

1. Commercial Strategy Development

• Lead the development and execution of commercial strategies aligned with company objectives and growth priorities.
• Analyze market trends, customer dynamics, sales performance, and competitive activities to identify business opportunities and risks.
• Provide strategic recommendations to Sales leadership and senior management to support business decision-making.
• Drive fact-based strategic planning through deep market, industry, and competitive intelligence analysis.

• Translate business insights into actionable commercial initiatives that drive revenue growth and profitability.

   

2. Business Planning & Financial Forecasting

• Lead key business planning processes, including Long Range Plan (LRP), Annual Operating Plan (AOP), Sales Insight Meetings (SIM), and Demand Management Reviews (DMR).
• Partner closely with Finance, Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams to align business assumptions and investment priorities.
• Own sales and demand forecasting processes to improve forecast accuracy and business predictability.
• Conduct scenario planning and business performance assessments to support resource allocation and strategic decision-making.

• Monitor financial performance against targets and develop recommendations to address risks and opportunities.

   

3. Commercial Performance Management

• Design, implement, and manage Sales Dashboards and Management Dashboards to provide transparency and visibility of business performance.
• Establish and drive standardized business performance management processes ("Shikumi-ka") across the Sales organization.
• Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensure alignment with organizational goals.
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual business reviews with clear performance assessments and action plans.

• Ensure performance insights are translated into concrete business actions and measurable outcomes.

   

4. Commercial Excellence & PDCA Governance

• Develop and lead PDCA-based performance management routines to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate business reviews focused on root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and performance acceleration.
• Establish governance processes to ensure consistent execution and follow-up of business priorities.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives aimed at increasing organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

• Promote a data-driven decision-making culture throughout the commercial organization.

   

5. Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE)

• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) initiatives.
• Develop frameworks for customer segmentation, targeting, territory optimization, and sales resource allocation.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales productivity and execution effectiveness through data analytics.
• Partner with Sales leaders to optimize sales processes, customer engagement strategies, and performance management approaches.

• Leverage CRM and commercial systems to drive adoption, improve data quality, and enhance business insights.

   

6. Market Intelligence & Business Insights

• Establish a structured market intelligence process to monitor industry trends, customer needs, competitor activities, and emerging opportunities.
• Deliver strategic market and business insights to support commercial planning and portfolio decisions.
• Partner with Marketing and Sales teams to evaluate market opportunities and drive growth initiatives.
• Develop executive-level reporting and recommendations based on business and market analysis.

 

7. Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as a key business partner to Sales leadership and collaborate closely with Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders.
• Lead preparation and facilitation of business reviews, including Kick-Off Meetings, QBRs, BGT Reviews, SIMs, and leadership meetings.
• Influence decision-making through effective communication of data, analysis, and business recommendations.
• Drive organizational alignment around business priorities, performance expectations, and strategic initiatives.
• Lead cross-functional projects and business improvement initiatives to support commercial objectives.

 

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Commercial Strategy & Excellence team members, providing coaching, development, and performance management.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure capability building in commercial planning, analytics, forecasting, and performance management.
• Drive best practice sharing and standardization across commercial functions.

 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong commercial acumen with experience in business planning, commercial strategy, and sales operations.
• Advanced analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Proven experience in forecasting, financial planning, and performance management.
• Experience leading LRP, AOP, Forecast, and Business Review processes.
• Strong knowledge of Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) methodologies and commercial excellence practices.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Tableau, and data visualization tools.
• Strong project management and change management skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple organizational levels.
• Demonstrated leadership capability with experience managing and developing teams.
• Strong presentation and communication skills in both Japanese and English.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrix organization environment.