Partnership & Business Development Manager

Job title : Partnership & Business Development Manager

Job Summary:

• 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.