General Manager, JMC

JMC is positioned as CIG’s commercial vehicle and workhorse brand, with the slogan “Built to Deliver”. This tagline underlines JMC’s focus on robust, reliable vehicles that deliver performance for businesses and tough tasks. Whether it’s pickups, light trucks, or vans, the JMC brand promise is durability and practicality – vehicles engineered to get the job done with minimum fuss. The slogan is often reflected in marketing descriptions highlighting how JMC models are “built to deliver reliable performance across city roads and off-road terrain alike”. The GM must translate this positioning into making JMC the go-to brand for clients who need dependable commercial vehicles that can withstand Nigerian road and usage conditions (e.g. SMEs, logistics companies, government fleets for utility services).

Key Responsibilities & Outcomes: The GM for JMC oversees the entire business for JMC Motors in Nigeria, with a mandate to grow JMC’s presence in the commercial vehicle segment. Responsibilities include:

• Market Strategy & Segmentation: Formulate a strategy for penetrating the light commercial vehicle market (pickups, trucks, vans). This includes identifying key market segments – e.g. agriculture, construction, delivery services, government procurement – and tailoring sales approaches to each. The GM should develop product positioning for each JMC model (emphasizing “Built to Deliver” attributes like payload, durability, low running cost) and ensure competitive pricing and financing options are in place to attract business buyers.
• Sales & Channel Management: Drive sales of JMC vehicles through both direct sales and an effective dealer network. The GM will set annual and quarterly sales targets for JMC and implement robust sales management processes. Given the nature of commercial vehicle sales, this role requires actively pursuing fleet deals and institutional sales. The GM should cultivate relationships with fleet operators, government agencies, and NGOs – essentially acting as a B2B sales leader in addition to overseeing retail. Simultaneously, ensure that dealerships representing JMC have the capability to sell and support commercial vehicles (they may differ from passenger car dealers in their approach and required infrastructure).
• After-Sales Integration: Coordinate closely with the Group After-Sales division to ensure JMC’s customers experience minimal downtime and strong support – a critical factor in commercial vehicle purchase decisions. This means ensuring adequate spare parts availability for JMC models nationwide, training programs for technicians on JMC diesel engines or EV commercial tech, and possibly mobile service units for fleet clients.
• Dealer & Service Network Development: Expand the network of JMC authorized outlets, especially in regions with high commercial activity (industrial hubs, agricultural belts). Some JMC dealerships or service centers might be standalone commercial vehicle centers or attached to multi-brand dealers. The GM should identify partners capable of reaching target customers.
• Financial & Operational Control: Manage JMC’s business performance including revenue, costs, and inventory. Monitor the importation/assembly costs for JMC units, and set pricing that balances competitiveness with profitability. Oversee inventory levels of vehicles and parts, adjusting procurement as needed so that supply matches demand (avoiding long lead times for popular models or excess stock of slow-moving variants). Provide regular reports and updates on JMC’s performance to the executive team, highlighting sales achieved, deals in pipeline, market challenges

Commercial KPIs: The GM, JMC will be judged by metrics that reflect the growth and reliability of the JMC brand business:

• Sales Volume (Commercial Vehicles): Achieve unit sales targets for each category of JMC vehicles (e.g. pickup trucks, light trucks, vans). Because commercial vehicle markets can be cyclical, also track order backlogs and deliveries for fleet deals. Success includes expanding JMC’s share of the pickup/truck segment in Nigeria.
• Fleet Wins and Key Accounts: Number and value of fleet contracts secured. For example, winning a government tender for utility pickups or a corporate deal for a logistics fleet is a major KPI. The GM should report on significant wins and also on pipeline
• Revenue & Profit: Total revenue from JMC sales and the profit contribution. Often, commercial vehicles can have thinner unit margins but generate profit through volume and parts. The GM must ensure profitability per deal (avoiding over-discounting in tenders) and overall gross profit targets for the brand.
• After-Sales Service Levels (JMC specific): Since uptime is crucial, track JMC’s service performance metrics: e.g. average repair turnaround time for JMC trucks, parts availability rate, warranty costs as a percentage of sales. High first-time fix rate and low downtime for customer fleets will indicate that the brand promise is being kept. These metrics will be provided by the after-sales team but are key to JMC’s reputation and repeat sales, so the GM is accountable for monitoring them.
• Dealer/Network Coverage: Growth in the number of JMC service and sales outlets, especially in target regions

Ideal Candidate Profile: This role demands a leader with deep understanding of the commercial automotive sector and a strong orientation toward B2B sales and operational reliability. The ideal candidate would have:

• Commercial Vehicle Experience: 10–15+ years in the automotive industry with a significant portion in commercial vehicles (trucks, pickups, vans) or related heavy equipment.
• Proven B2B Sales Skills: A history of structuring and closing large deals is important. The ideal individual might have led negotiations for fleet supply contracts or established key account programs. They should understand tender processes, fleet financing, and total cost-of-ownership considerations that business customers care about.
• Operational & Technical Acumen: Because commercial vehicles are performance tools, the GM should have enough technical understanding to discuss product capabilities with savvy customers
• Leadership & Integrity: A hands-on leader capable of managing a diverse team (salespeople, dealer managers, technical liaisons). They must demonstrate integrity and reliability – reflecting JMC’s brand values – as they will often be making promises to business customers that must be kept. Strong organizational skills are needed to juggle multiple large accounts and projects simultaneously. The candidate should also be adept at stakeholder management, from convincing a small business owner to try JMC, up to assuring a state government of after-sales support.
• Preferred Background: Likely candidates might currently be serving as a General Manager or Sales Director in a commercial auto company, or as a regional manager overseeing multiple dealerships for commercial vehicles. A business degree is expected; an MBA or technical degree (mechanical/automotive engineering) would be a plus. They should have a performance-driven mindset and familiarity with using KPIs to manage a sales operation.

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