Head of Changan

Role Overview

This role owns Changan’s commercial performance in Kenya, turning brand direction and market intelligence into vehicle sales, distribution growth and stronger profitability. Day to day, you will steer retail, fleet, corporate and institutional sales while expanding and improving the dealer network. The position is central to Inchcape’s ability to grow Changan’s presence in a competitive market and to build a durable, customer-focused brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Own Changan’s commercial plan in Kenya, driving progress toward 80–100 annual retail units, 0.5–1% share of Kenya Motor Industry total industry volume (TIV), revenue growth and profitability.
• Expand and optimise the dealer and distribution footprint by evaluating new locations, third-party partners and alternative sales channels for commercial viability and customer demand.
• Open growth across retail, corporate, fleet and institutional buyer groups through targeted sales strategies, partnerships and recurring revenue opportunities.
• Improve vehicle affordability and accessibility by building relationships with financial institutions, SACCOs, cooperatives and other financing stakeholders.
• Align closely with Changan and OEM representatives on product strategy, model introductions, pricing, sales objectives, market development and brand standards.
• Lead new model launches and market activations with Marketing, ensuring strong positioning, sales planning and customer engagement while working with Aftersales to support service capability, parts availability and owner retention.
• Monitor competitors, market trends, customer behaviour and industry shifts, translating findings into business cases, budgets, KPI corrective actions and commercial recommendations.
• Build and lead a high-performing commercial team, collaborate with the Managing Director and functional leaders, and report performance, risks and growth plans to senior leadership.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Commerce, Automotive Management or a related field; an MBA is a plus.
• 8–10 years of progressive commercial leadership experience, preferably in automotive, mobility, retail or a closely related industry.
• Proven success delivering revenue growth, sales growth, market penetration and improved commercial performance.
• Hands-on experience in automotive sales, dealership management, distribution, market development and customer acquisition.
• Strong knowledge of Kenya’s automotive market, including customer segments, competitive dynamics, distribution channels and emerging opportunities.
• Experience designing and executing go-to-market, route-to-market and market penetration strategies.
• Ability to build and manage partnerships with OEMs, financial institutions, corporate customers, dealers and other commercial stakeholders.
• Strong commercial and financial judgement, including budget ownership, revenue targets, margins, profitability and business cases.
• Prior work with an OEM or international automotive brand is beneficial; familiarity with Chinese or emerging-market brands is a further advantage.
• Excellent strategic thinking, execution capability, leadership, negotiation, influencing, stakeholder management, analytical decision-making and entrepreneurial resilience.

What We Offer / Why Join

• A competitive remuneration package.
• A dynamic and collaborative work environment.
• Continuous learning and development opportunities.