AI Commercial Strategy & Operations Manager

Company Description

IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™. Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.

At IFS, we’re flexible, we’re innovative, and we’re focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society’s greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.

We celebrate diversity and understand our responsibility to reflect the diverse world we work in. We are committed to promoting an inclusive workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our customers, our partners, and our communities. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.

By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.

We’re looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs. With the power of our AI-driven solutions, we empower our team to change the status quo and make a real difference.

If you want to change the status quo, we’ll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.

Job Description

The AI Commercial Strategy & Operations Manager is a mid-senior level role within the AI Business Unit Commercial function, reporting directly to the Strategic Growth Operations Lead. The role provides hands-on support across pricing strategy, deal execution, sales enablement and commercial operations for the full AI product portfolio - including Industrial Intelligence, IFS Loops and Nexus Black. 

This role is designed around three core mandates: 

• Act as commercial business partner to IFS sellers, advising on competitive and compliant commercial constructs to ensure IFS wins more deals and realizes pricing in line with targets 

• Equip sellers with the tools, collateral and knowledge to sell AI products effectively 

• Own and execute defined commercial initiatives - from pricing analysis and CPQ configuration to competitive intelligence and enablement materials 

Success in this role is measured across 5 criteria: 

1. The sales organization’s ability to execute deals with AI products, either as standalone deals or bundled into IFS’ wider product portfolio 

1. Release and operationalization of commercial frameworks to support our team’s ability to grow the AI business at scale 

1. The enablement program and rigour for our sales team to be able to operate the commercial standards in the field 

1. Ability to collaborate with sellers and coach them on strategic deals to create compelling commercial constructs that win deals while safeguard IFS’ revenue and margin targets 

1. Ability to independently manage assigned workstreams and projects to deadline 

Essential duties and accountabilities 

The AI Commercial Strategy & Operations Manager has the following responsibilities: 

Pricing & Packaging Support 

• Support the design and maintenance of pricing and packaging across the AI portfolio, including managing the commercial launch of new capabilities / features 

• Analyze pricing performance and trends to inform pricing decisions, including discount analysis, willingness to pay assessments, price dispersion by segments, etc… 

• Maintain and update product packaging documentation, SKU structures and tiering frameworks 

• Support pricing governance by tracking approval workflows and ensuring compliance with commercial policy 

Sales Enablement & Seller Support 

• Build and maintain sales enablement materials including pricing / licensing guidelines, CPQ configuration guides and product pricing and packaging training documentation 

• Act as a primary point of contact for seller queries on AI product pricing, packaging, quoting and commercial terms 

• Deliver training sessions and clinics for the sales organisation on new and updated commercial frameworks 

• Monitor seller feedback to identify gaps in tooling, collateral or process and drive improvements 

• Ensure CPQ configurator logic and sales tools accurately reflect current pricing and packaging structures 

Go-to-Market Execution & Commercial Operations 

• Support go-to-market launches for new AI products, including commercial readiness checklists, launch materials and internal communications 

• Maintain and update competitive intelligence repositories, battlecards and benchmarking assets 

• Maintain commercial process documentation including lead-to-order workflows, deal desk procedures and approval matrices 

• Track and report on commercial KPIs including price realisation, discount waterfall analysis and deal velocity 

• Coordinate cross-functional actions between product management, sales, legal and finance to meet launch and operational deadlines 

Deal Support & Customer-Facing Activities 

• Prepare deal-specific pricing proposals and deal-level analyses (e.g. value case assessment) for strategic opportunities 

• Support RFP/RFI response processes by drafting commercial sections and pricing schedules 

• Collaborate with legal and finance stakeholders to draft custom contract terms for strategic opportunities  

Overall required competence 

Must be able to demonstrate: 

• Strong understanding of B2B software commercial and contracting models 

• Advanced experience working across / supporting multiple domains in the sales and lead-to-order process  

• Solid analytical skills with the ability to build and maintain pricing models, scenario analyses and commercial frameworks  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce customer and executive-ready documentation and presentations  

• Comfort working cross-functionally with product management, sales, legal and finance stakeholders 

• High attention to detail and quality in all deliverables 

• Proactive, self-directed working style with the ability to manage multiple parallel workstreams 

• Strong commercial awareness and an intuitive understanding of how products are taken to market 

• Confidence working in a matrix organisation, delivering results both independently and collaboratively 

• Data-driven decision-making mindset 

• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, evolving business environment 

Qualifications

Essential:

• 7+ years’ experience in commercial operations, pricing, deal desk or sales operations within B2B software companies
• Extensive experience collaborating with sales in a commercial capacity to support strategic, high value deals
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint), with strong data manipulation and presentation skills
• Familiarity with CRM, CPQ or sales configurator tools
• Ability to execute against defined project scope, requirements and deadlines in parallel to day-to-day deal execution responsibilities

Desirable:

• Experience working in a global role or working directly with international colleagues
• Bachelors degree or equivalent

Additional Information

We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.