Head of Commercial

ABOUT LORI 

Lori is a venture-backed, high growth start-up that has built a cutting-edge, logistics services software platform that seamlessly coordinates haulage across frontier markets. With a mission to reduce the cost of goods in frontier markets, Lori is tackling a massive issue; $180 billion is spent annually on haulage across Africa, and up to 75% of a product's cost is due to logistics (compared to 6% in the US). Our tech-enabled and operations-driven marketplace efficiently connects transport to cargo. The system brings transparency to the logistics industry and has significantly improved flexibility, reliability, and cost savings (upwards of 20%). Lori's robust technology will transform African economies and their ability to compete on the global stage. 

ABOUT THE ROLE 

The Head of Commercial – Nigeria will drive Lori's growth and market penetration by leading the commercial, client acquisition, and business development strategy for the Nigerian market. This role requires a seasoned commercial leader with deep, hands-on experience in Nigeria's logistics ecosystem, someone who understands key shippers, transporters, trade corridors, pricing dynamics, and on-ground realities. You will be responsible for securing long-term shipper partnerships, designing competitive pricing structures, ensuring corridor-level profitability, and aligning transporter supply with client demand. You will lead a small but high-performing team to grow Lori's client base, expand market share, and deliver sustainable revenue performance. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO: 

• Commercial Strategy & Execution 
  • Develop and execute Lori's Nigeria commercial strategy aligned with regional and global goals. 
  • Identify, pitch, and secure long-term shipper partnerships across FMCG, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, telecoms, and import/export sectors. 
  • Negotiate large-scale contracts, MSAs, rate agreements, and SLAs with strong understanding of logistics contract terms (payment cycles, liabilities, demurrage, etc.). 
  • Build a pricing strategy grounded in lane economics, supply–demand dynamics, diesel price fluctuations, and transporter availability.
• Market & Client Development 
  • Maintain deep knowledge of Nigeria's logistics landscape, key corridors, market trends, and competitive players.
  • Identify and evaluate high-potential growth markets, customer segments, and corridor expansion opportunities. 
  • Conduct continuous commercial intelligence on pricing, transporter economics, port activity, and sector performance.
• Transporter and Supply Alignment 
  • Forecast shipper demand against transporter supply and proactively resolve capacity gaps. 
  • Partner with Operations to ensure commercial commitments are matched with on-ground execution. 
• Account Management & Growth 
  • Lead account management for major shippers to ensure service excellence, satisfaction, renewal, and contract expansion. 
  • Drive cross-selling of Lori's logistics solutions and technology products. 
  • Work with Finance to structure viable credit terms and support cash cycle management.
• Leadership & Team Development 
  • Lead, coach, and develop a small but high-performing commercial team focused on client acquisition, relationship management, and revenue performance. 
  • Foster a high-performance culture anchored in accountability, commercial discipline, collaboration, and continuous improvement on data-driven decision making. 

WHAT IT TAKES: 

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Economics, Logistics, or related field; MBA is an advantage.
• 7–12 years of B2B commercial, business development, or sales leadership experience, with at least 5 years in Nigeria's logistics, transportation, or supply chain industry (mandatory). 
• Proven success negotiating and closing multimillion-dollar shipper contracts and long-term commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of Nigeria's logistics corridors, transporter ecosystem, port operations, and freight cost drivers.
• Experience working directly with transporters (fleet owners, brokers, aggregators) and understanding transporter unit economics. 
• High commercial acumen with ability to build pricing models, assess lane profitability, forecast demand, and manage revenue pipelines. 
• Strong stakeholder management with proven ability to influence senior executives. 
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ability to drive growth in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. 
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership capabilities.