Business Development Fellow

VFAxAPP, an AI-powered recruitment screening platform, seeks a Business Development Intern to own and operate its outbound lead generation system. This role involves active prospecting, lead qualification, and accurate routing to drive growth in key African markets.

You'll step into a high-impact role, taking full ownership of our proven outbound lead generation engine. This isn't just about sending emails; you'll be actively engaging prospects across multiple channels, making critical judgment calls, and being the very first human connection many potential clients have with VettedAI. Your work will directly fuel our growth by qualifying and routing leads for our core software and recruitment services.

What you'll do

• Execute daily outbound email sequences across a 400+ lead pipeline, optimizing for deliverability and reply rates.
• Proactively identify and engage high-potential leads on LinkedIn based on hiring signals.
• Conduct 15-20 minute discovery calls to qualify prospects on needs, budget, and timeline.
• Accurately route qualified leads to the appropriate internal sales closers for either software or full-service recruitment.
• Perform targeted cold calling campaigns within the Kenya and Nigeria markets.
• Maintain a pristine CRM, ensuring all lead stages and interactions are meticulously logged for accurate reporting.

Requirements

• You've proven experience in B2B cold outreach via email, phone, or LinkedIn, and understand how to optimize for reply rates.
• You are fluent in English, both written and spoken, capable of crafting compelling emails and leading discovery calls.
• You possess a strong understanding of the business landscape and hiring practices in Kenya or Nigeria.
• You're comfortable initiating cold calls with strangers and can confidently navigate a 15-minute conversation.
• You're proficient with CRM systems, understanding pipeline stages and effective lead tracking.
• You actively leverage AI tools for research and writing, and critically evaluate their output, fixing errors where necessary.

Nice to have

• Experience in recruitment/HR tech industry
• Previous SDR role at a B2B SaaS company
• Familiarity with email sequencing tools (e.g., Lemlist, Instantly, Woodpecker, etc.)
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator experience
• Experience selling to HR leaders or hiring managers