Vice President Commercial

About Pula:

We are an insuretech and data services firm that provides agriculture insurance design and execution services, specializing in index-based insurance and is backed by top-tier VC investors who have invested more than $25 million in the business. Since 2015 we have provided climate insurance to 22 million smallholder farmers, 41% of which were women across 19 markets in Africa and Asia who pay an average of $6.8 per season to insure their crops. So far, we've unlocked over $2.22 billion of capital from local and international insurance markets for climate risks since we started in 2015 and paid out $40.8 million to our client farmers.

Pula is a fast-paced company, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges. We are made up of a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value performance, results, and professionalism.

At Pula, our culture is defined by our:

• Obsession with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done
• Ability to connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Our Can-do Attitude We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• Ability to have each other’s back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

Duties And Responsibilities:

As a Vice President of Commercial at Pula, you will be instrumental in driving commercial growth and strategic expansion across a large territory. You will lead Commercial Directors to build high-performing teams, innovate in market and product strategy, and optimize Pula’s commercial systems. This role requires a visionary leader who can elevate commercial leadership across the team, inspire outstanding performance, and spearhead projects to improve commercial efficiency and impact.

In this role you will;

1. Develop and Lead a High-Performing Commercial Team (50%)

• Leadership Development: Mentor and develop Commercial Directors (CDs) to enhance their commercial leadership skills and competencies, ensuring they can build and lead effective teams.
• Performance Management: Oversee team performance to meet and exceed targets, with a focus on closing deals, achieving revenue goals, employee engagement, and progression of team members.
• Inspiration and Motivation: Create an empowering culture that motivates teams to strive for excellence, consistently pushing boundaries to drive Pula’s commercial success.

2. Stakeholder and Deal Management (20%)

• High-Level Negotiation and Relationship Mastery: Cultivate and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders, ensuring Pula is positioned favorably in key markets.
• Strategic Problem-Solving: Provide big-picture guidance, helping teams navigate complex challenges and unblocking issues to drive deal closures.
• Market Insight and Assessment: Regularly assess market dynamics and deal progress, identifying core issues and opportunities across regions.

3. Drive Commercial Strategy and Expansion (20%)

• Innovative Problem-Solving: Continuously develop new approaches to address market challenges, exploring creative strategies to enhance Pula’s offerings.
• Product and Market Innovation: Lead initiatives to introduce new products and expand into new markets, driving growth with innovative solutions.
• Large-Scale Market Expansion: Spearhead large-scale market entry and expansion projects, positioning Pula for strategic growth across diverse client types and territories.

4. Build and Optimize Pula Systems (10%)

• Commercial Toolkit Implementation: Design and implement systems that embed Pula’s commercial toolkit within all levels of the commercial team.
• Performance and Efficiency Optimization: Create systems that enhance performance, ensuring streamlined processes and maximized team efficiency.
• Revenue Forecasting and Targeting: Oversee and continuously assess commercial targets, closely monitoring revenue forecasts and the probability of deal closures to support strategic planning.

What makes a successful VP Commercial?

Core Competencies

• Proven Commercial Leadership: 10+ years of experience in senior sales or commercial roles, with demonstrated success in leading multi-regional teams and achieving ambitious revenue goals.
• Strategic Negotiation and Stakeholder Management: Exceptional negotiation skills with a proven track record of managing and strengthening high-level relationships.
• Visionary Strategic Thinking: Ability to view challenges strategically, leveraging creativity and innovation to drive product and market expansion.
• Systems and Process Orientation: Skilled in creating, refining, and implementing commercial systems that support long-term scalability and