About this role
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 operational excellence.
• Revenue Accountability: Strong commercial acumen with a constant focus on achieving large-scale revenue targets and accurately assessing deal probabilities.
Behavioural Attributes
• Inspirational Leader: Fosters a high-performance culture where team members are motivated to exceed goals and continuously improve.
• Big-Picture Vision: Skilled at seeing beyond immediate obstacles to identify opportunities for long-term success.
• Accountability and Ownership: Takes full responsibility for revenue targets and team performance, committed to driving results across the commercial function.
• Resilience and Solution-Focused: Demonstrates perseverance in overcoming setbacks, consistently seeking solutions to drive Pula’s commercial objectives.
What Pula will bring to the table:
• Your work matters: At Pula, you’ll shape systems that give millions of smallholder farmers access to insurance for the first time. You’ll join a team that has already reached over 19 million farmers across Africa and Asia, and you’ll directly contribute to scaling this impact even further.
• Career development: You’ll be working in a high-performance environment with strong mentorship and leadership that values transparency, execution, and personal growth. As we enter our next phase of accelerated expansion, you’ll naturally gain opportunities to take on new responsibilities and grow your career.
• Global recognition: Backed by top global investors and foundations; Pula is a solid, well-funded organization. Our work is recognized globally (from winning the Singapore FinTech Festival Award to being featured in The Economist and TED Talks) and you’ll be part of a brand that is respected in the industry.
• Purpose with Rewards: Few opportunities combine career advancement with genuine purpose. At Pula, your work directly contributes to financial security for farmers in emerging markets, while also offering competitive pay, performance incentives, and an employee share option plan (ESOP) with equity upside.
To learn more about Pula:
TED Talk: Crop Insurance, an Idea Worth Seeding
New York Times: He Grew up on a Farm. Now, He Helps Protect Them
The Economist: The Poor, Who Most Need Insurance, Are Least Likely to Have It