Head Of Business Development

Job Summary
BioLite is seeking a Head of Business Development for West Africa, who will be responsible for business development and partner relationships in West African markets. The Head of Business Development for West Africa is also responsible for lead generation and assessing potential / prioritization for all prospective accounts in West Africa.
LOCATION: Nairobi (with frequent travel to West Africa)
REPORTS TO: Managing Director, Emerging Markets
START DATE: May 2019 (or as soon as possible thereafter)
Your main responsibilities will be to identify, pursue, and nurture prospective business partners while providing ongoing account management support to existing partners. This will include, but not be limited to the following:

Lead generation and deal closure

Leverage existing networks to find potential distribution partners.
Generate leads by identifying and initiating relationships with suitable potential distribution partners.
Be persistent in pursuing leads and maturing them to successful partnerships.
Influence decision makers at varying levels within customer organizations.

Consultative selling:

Use active listening to understand customers’ needs and package BioLite products as the solution to their needs.
Build and maintains trust and rapport with existing and potential customers.
Prioritize leads in order to maintain a healthy sales pipeline and meet targets.
Strategically maintain and grow a network of potential clients through events, relationships with professional bodies, etc.

Reporting:

Produce monthly reports for the senior management team highlighting new partner potential, forecasts, successes & failures, and path forward.
Keep records on potential sales to assist operations.

Cross-functional communication:

Work with the operations department to ensure successful, on-time delivery to partners.
Work with the finance department to ensure on-time payment from partners.
Work with the marketing department to determine collateral required to convert new partners.
Collect partner feedback on products to inform the product development team on market trends and customer preferences.

Qualification and Experience

Bachelor’s degree required
Relevant field experience: 5+ years of sales experience in the off-grid energy industry, 3+ years of sales experience in West Africa
Fluency in both written and spoken English and French required
Strong commercial acumen and analytical skills with an ability to identify market trends and opportunities.
Strong local networks: experience and relationships working with players in the West African off-grid energy sector.
Project management and sales: experience creating and successfully executing timelines, budgets, and forecasts.
Team player and self-starter: ability to work collaboratively, but also self-managing and work well independently

Please submit your resume and cover letter.
Company is not accepting candidates via recruiters.