Business Unit Associate (Midrand)

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 accuracy, professionalism, and compliance with company rules and vendor requirements.

Learning and Development Orientation

• Basic knowledge of how to build c