Business Unit Associate (Midrand)

Job Gade: B4

Job Purpose:

The Junior Business Unit Associate supports the coordination, administration, and execution of vendor, partner, sales, and programme-related activities within an assigned business unit and/or vendor portfolio.

The role exists to build capability in commercial and vendor ecosystem management while contributing to strong customer experience, effective internal coordination, pipeline support, and the successful delivery of vendor-aligned training and enablement activities.

Depending on the organizational structure, the role may operate in one of two ways:

• as a support role to a Business Unit Manager, assisting with the administration and execution of BU activities; or
• as a standalone portfolio support and coordination role with direct responsibility for managing an assigned vendor portfolio, maintaining stakeholder relationships, monitoring actions, and ensuring that operational and commercial follow-through is delivered without day-to-day input from a Business Unit Manager.

Over time, the incumbent is expected to develop the business acumen, vendor knowledge, stakeholder management ability, and commercial discipline required to progress into a Business Unit Manager role

Responsibilities:

• The Junior Business Unit Associate is responsible for supporting or independently coordinating assigned vendor portfolio activities, business administration, pipeline tracking, customer and partner communication, meeting preparation, reporting, and follow-up actions.
• This role may function either as a direct support role to a Business Unit Manager or as an independently managed junior portfolio role responsible for allocated vendor portfolios, depending on organisational design and business requirements.
• Vendor and Portfolio Coordination- Support or independently coordinate assigned vendor portfolio activities, including meeting scheduling, follow-ups, document preparation, and action tracking.
• Stakeholder Communication - Maintain timely and professional communication with vendors, customers, internal teams, and other stakeholders, ensuring queries, updates, and commitments are tracked and resolved.
• Pipeline and Opportunity Administration - Assist with maintaining the business unit pipeline by capturing leads, updating opportunity records, tracking progress, and supporting follow-up actions to help improve conversion.
• Sales and Customer Support - Provide administrative and coordination support for customer meetings, quotations, proposals, presentations, and related sales activities that contribute to revenue growth.
• Programme and Campaign Support - Assist in the coordination of vendor programmes, marketing campaigns, events, launches, and related logistics to support market visibility and customer engagement.
• Reporting and Record Keeping - Compile accurate reports, trackers, and status updates on vendor activity, pipeline movement, follow-up items, and portfolio tasks within required timeframes.x
• Operational Follow-Through - Ensure deadlines, actions, and deliverables are followed up and closed out efficiently, supporting strong execution, reliability, and service discipline.
• Cross-Functional Support - Work with sales, marketing, operations, finance, and delivery teams to help coordinate business unit activities and maintain internal alignment.
• Customer Experience Support - Contribute to a positive customer and partner experience by supporting responsiveness, professionalism, and effective issue escalation where necessary.
• Learning and Capability Development - Actively build knowledge of vendor ecosystems, products, training solutions, and commercial processes, while demonstrating readiness for broader responsibility over time.
• Vendor Portfolio Ownership Support — Where applicable , assist in managing a defined portfolio of vendors or alliances, ensuring continuity, communication, and follow-through on agreed actions.
• Growth Enablement — Support the identification and conversion of opportunities that contribute to BU revenue, customer growth, and partner engagement.
• Market and Programme Readiness — Help maintain portfolio and programme information so that the business unit is ready to respond to customer, vendor, and market opportunities quickly

AD HOC DUTIES:

• Various tasks, beyond the above listed, from time to time.

Qualification, Experience and Skills:

• A diploma or certificate in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Project Coordination, Customer Service, or Information Technology is preferred.
• A bachelor’s degree will be advantageous, especially for candidates being developed into future Business Unit Managers.
• Any vendor, IT, sales, or business administration-related short courses will be an added advantage.
• 1 to 3 years’ experience in administration, sales support, customer service, coordination, account support, or a related commercial role.
• Experience in an ICT, training, education, or professional services environment will be advantageous.
• Exposure to vendor support, customer communication, document control, meeting coordination, or pipeline administration will be highly beneficial.
• Previous experience working in a structured team environment with deadlines, reporting requirements, and stakeholder engagement is preferred.
• For a more capable junior portfolio role, experience supporting customers, partners, or vendor activities in a commercial setting would be ideal.

Knowledge:

The incumbent is expected to demonstrate strong knowledge in the following areas:

Business Unit and Commercial Operations

• Basic understanding of how a business unit functions, including sales support, customer coordination, reporting, follow-up, and internal administration.
• Awareness of revenue drivers, pipeline stages, customer engagement, and the role of execution discipline in business performance

Vendor and Partner Ecosystems

• Working knowledge of vendor relationships, partner structures, and how alliances contribute to business growth and customer value.
• Understanding of basic vendor communication, meeting coordination, action tracking, and portfolio administration.

ICT, Training and Service Environment

• General knowledge of the ICT, training, or professional services sector, including the types of products, services, and certification offerings commonly managed in a vendor-led environment.
• Awareness of the role of vendor-authorized training in building capability, supporting customer needs, and enabling organizational growth

Customer Service and Stakeholder Engagement

• Understanding of professional customer service principles, responsiveness, relationship management, and the importance of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Knowledge of how to communicate appropriately with internal and external stakeholders, including vendors, customers, and colleagues.

Sales and Pipeline Support Basics

• Basic understanding of sales administration, lead tracking, quotations, proposals, and opportunity follow-up.
• Awareness of how sales support contributes to customer acquisition, retention, and growth.

Administrative and Reporting Processes

• Knowledge of document control, records management, meeting coordination, tracker maintenance, and routine reporting.
• Understanding of deadlines, workflow discipline, and the importance of accurate information management.

Cross-Functional Working

• Basic knowledge of how sales, marketing, operations, finance, and delivery teams interact to support business outcomes.
• Awareness of when to escalate issues, where to obtain information, and how to support internal coordination.

Compliance, Quality and Confidentiality

• Understanding of basic confidentiality expectations, quality standards, and adherence to internal processes and approved ways of working.
• Awareness of the importance of accu