| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | General Manager Finance |
| Direct reports | Billing Executive, Credit Control Executive |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in commercial or finance roles |
Commercial Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Commercial Manager
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: General Manager Finance
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Commercial Manager owns the money side of sales: pricing, contracts, order to cash, receivables and commercial terms. They protect margins on deals, keep billing and collections moving and make sure contracts are financially sound and tax compliant. The role sits between finance and the business and manages billing and credit control staff. A good Commercial Manager gets deals structured right, keeps cash coming in and stops the company from agreeing terms it will regret later.
Key responsibilities
- Review pricing, discounts and commercial terms on quotations and contracts before they are signed.
- Structure the order to cash process from purchase order to invoice to collection.
- Vet contract clauses on payment, tax, penalties and price escalation with finance and legal.
- Set and monitor customer credit limits and payment terms with credit control.
- Drive billing accuracy and collections to keep receivables within target.
- Track deal margins and flag any that fall below the approved floor.
- Manage price lists, rate contracts and the effect of GST on pricing.
- Resolve commercial disputes on invoices, deductions and short payments.
- Report on sales realisation, margins and receivables to leadership.
- Lead the billing and credit control team and coordinate with sales.
Requirements
- MBA in Finance or B.Com with commercial experience
- Strong grasp of pricing, contracts and GST
- CA Inter is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years in commercial or finance roles
KRAs and KPIs for a Commercial Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Margin protection | Deals below the approved margin floor blocked or escalated before sign off |
| Order to cash | Cycle time from order to invoice held within the agreed target |
| Receivables | Days sales outstanding held at or below the annual target |
| Contract quality | No signed contract with an unapproved payment or tax clause in the year |
| Dispute closure | Commercial disputes and deductions resolved within the agreed turnaround |
| Realisation | Sales realisation after discounts and deductions meets the plan each quarter |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: SAP SD and MM, Advanced Excel, e-invoicing portal, CRM, Contract management tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: General Manager Finance, AVP Finance, Head of Commercial
Interview questions for a Commercial Manager
- How do you review a contract to protect the company commercially?
- How do you decide a customer's credit limit and payment terms?
- A big deal needs a discount below the margin floor. What do you do?
- How do you shorten the order to cash cycle?
- How do you handle a customer who keeps taking unjustified deductions?
- How do you balance sales pressure with commercial discipline?
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What does a Commercial Manager do?
A Commercial Manager owns the money side of sales: pricing, contracts, order to cash, receivables and commercial terms. They protect margins on deals, vet contract clauses, set credit limits, drive billing and collections and resolve commercial disputes. They sit between finance and the business and lead the billing and credit control team.
What is the difference between a Commercial Manager and a Finance Manager?
A Finance Manager runs accounting, reporting and compliance for a unit. A Commercial Manager focuses outward on deals: pricing, contracts, credit and collections. The finance role is about the books and controls; the commercial role is about structuring sales so they are profitable and get paid.
What qualifications does a Commercial Manager need?
Most Commercial Manager roles ask for an MBA in Finance or a B.Com with strong commercial experience and six or more years in pricing, contracts, billing or credit. A firm grasp of GST on pricing, contract clauses and negotiation is essential. CA Inter is an advantage in finance led companies.