Overview of role purpose:
The Commercial Analyst supports the Head of CCP (Commercial Costing and Projects) in driving profitability, costing excellence, and commercial discipline across the business.
The role acts as a key analytical partner to Sales teams, ensuring that high-quality data, financial insights, and costing models support day-to-day commercial decisions, providing financial input into customer negotiations.
This position plays a hands-on role in costing related to the RFQ (Request For Quotation), cost modelling, profitability analysis, and cost recovery tracking, enabling the Head of CCP to focus on strategic leadership and stakeholder alignment.
Key Accountabilities:
Costing & RFQ Support
- Prepare detailed costings for RFQs, tenders, and pricing requests
- Ensure all costings reflect latest standard costs, assumptions, and validated inputs
- Support evaluation of capacity and sourcing options in collaboration with Supply Chain
- Maintain consistency and accuracy across all submitted costings
- Assist in implementing RFQ processes within CRM systems
Cost Model Development & Maintenance
- Build, maintain, and update customer cost models and pricing structures
- Support Sales teams with financial analysis for negotiations
- Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, and improve cost models
Profitability Analysis
- Produce profitability reviews across:
- Products
- Customers
- Market segments
- Geographic regions
- Support deep-dive analysis to identify:
- Margin erosion drivers
- Pricing gaps
- Cost inefficiencies
- Prepare insights and recommendations for profitability review meetings
Cost Recovery Tracking
- Track and analyse price increases and cost recovery actions
- Support execution of targeted recovery campaigns (e.g., inflation impacts)
- Ensure alignment with Finance on performance tracking and reporting
Process & Governance
- Support adherence to commercial and pricing processes
- Support development and documentation of standard methodologies and tools
- Improve data quality, transparency, and auditability of costing decisions
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives led by Head of Commercial Costing
Role dimensions:
- Strong focus on financial modelling, data analysis, and commercial insight
- High degree of cross-functional collaboration
- Exposure to multi-culture/multi-country/multi-market environment
- Fast-paced, deadline-driven commercial decision support
Internal and External Relationship / Contacts:
Internal
- Commercial Excellence team
- Sales Directors and Sales managers
- Finance teams (cost validation, profitability analysis)
- Technical/ R&D (manufacturing capability)
- Supply Chain / S&OP (capacity & allocation)
- Operations (efficiency & manning assumptions)
External
Very limited exposure (supporting role in customer-facing situations where required)
Requirements:
Knowledge and Experience
- Minimum 3 years of experience in Commercial/Finance
- Knowledge and experience in:
- Financial modelling
- Data analysis
- Business partnering
- Manufacturing industry
Education and Certifications
- University degree in Finance, Economics, Business or a related field
Job Specific Technical Requirements
- Strong analytical and modelling capability
- Commercial acumen and understanding of pricing dynamics
- Attention to detail with high data accuracy standards
- Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines
- Strong communication and ability to translate data into insights
- Proactive, solution-oriented mindset
- Ability to work effectively in a matrix organisation
#LI-AO1
We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.
Skills Required
- Minimum 3 years of experience in Commercial/Finance
- University degree in Finance, Economics, Business or related field
- Experience in financial modelling
- Experience in data analysis
- Experience in business partnering
- Experience in the manufacturing industry
- Strong analytical and modelling capability
- Commercial acumen and understanding of pricing dynamics
- Attention to detail with high data accuracy standards
- Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines
- Strong communication and ability to translate data into insights
- Proactive, solution-oriented mindset
- Ability to work effectively in a matrix organisation
Sonoco Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Sonoco and has not been reviewed or approved by Sonoco.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a strong employer match, including safe‑harbor and year‑end true‑up features, is highlighted in recent plan materials. This level of retirement support is presented as a competitive component of total rewards.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage, alongside disability, EAP, and FSA/HSA options, form a comprehensive core package. This breadth is characterized as competitive and adds meaningful value to overall compensation.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered fair to competitive across many roles, with production and skilled trades pointing to solid hourly rates and overtime opportunities. Relative positioning against similar‑sized firms is portrayed as favorable.
Sonoco Insights
What We Do
Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a leading manufacturer of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging. With more than 19,000 employees working in 34 countries, Sonoco serves many of the world’s best-known brands. Our integrated packaging solutions help define brand personalities, create unique customer experiences and enhance the quality of products and the quality of life for people around the world. It’s all in the service of our purpose: Better Packaging. Better Life. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities. Sonoco was listed as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2021 as well as being included in Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the third year in a row. Learn more at Sonoco.com
