The Partnership & Business Development Manager is responsible for building and managing the acquisition pipeline that supports growth objectives.
Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, the role focuses on generating and qualifying new business opportunities through strategic partnerships, venture capital networks, accelerator programs, and direct outreach to founders.
The successful candidate will develop scalable business development strategies, maintain a structured sales pipeline, and ensure seamless handover of qualified opportunities to the commercial team.
Key Roles & Responsibilities:
Develop and execute business development strategies to drive client acquisition and revenue growth.
Build and manage relationships with venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, and ecosystem partners.
Identify, engage, and qualify prospective clients through outbound outreach initiatives.
Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified leads and partnership opportunities.
Conduct market research to identify emerging opportunities and industry trends.
Manage and update CRM systems to ensure accurate pipeline visibility and reporting.
Coordinate partnership initiatives, events, and networking activities to strengthen brand presence.
Collaborate with internal teams to align business development efforts with organizational goals.
Prepare partnership proposals, presentations, and commercial materials.
Ensure timely and effective handover of qualified opportunities to the Chief Commercial Officer.
Monitor business development performance metrics and provide regular reports to leadership.
Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and stakeholder meetings.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Number of qualified conversations generated each month.
Number of active partnership discussions with venture capital firms and accelerators.
Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate.
Growth of the qualified sales pipeline.
Number of strategic partnerships established.
CRM data accuracy and pipeline visibility.
Achievement of monthly and quarterly business development targets.
Required Experience & Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in business administration, Marketing, Finance, Economics, International Business, or a related field.
Minimum of five years of experience in business development, partnerships, sales, or account acquisition within fintech, professional services, compliance, legal, advisory, or technology sectors.
Proven track record of building outbound sales pipelines and generating qualified leads at scale.
Demonstrated experience developing relationships with senior decision-makers, investors, and ecosystem partners.
Strong understanding of the African technology, venture capital, and startup ecosystem.
Experience using CRM platforms and sales reporting tools.
KEY COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS
Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities.
Results-oriented with strong commercial acumen.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Proactive, self-motivated, and highly organized.
Strong networking and business development capabilities.