Business Development Manager - Premium Brands Africa

About Premium Brands & Africa Business Development (ABD)

ABD specializes in growing and managing portfolios of premium products across various African markets. Partnering with both global and regional brands, the team emphasizes creating sustainable market footholds and fostering long-term business growth. Their comprehensive services include market entry strategies, distribution network expansion, and brand positioning initiatives. Collaboration with both local and international stakeholders is central to uncovering new opportunities and improving commercial outcomes. Core values guiding their work include innovation, integrity, and cultivating strong relationships.

Role Overview

The Business Development Manager (BDM) position is a full-time remote role focused on accelerating growth for premium brands throughout African territories. Key responsibilities include identifying promising business opportunities, managing sales funnels, and forging strategic partnerships with distributors, retailers, and significant accounts.

Primary Duties

• Conduct detailed market research, analyze trends, and prepare strategic proposals, commercial offers, and business cases to inform decision-making.
• Coordinate daily with internal teams and lead client discussions, either virtually or face-to-face when necessary.
• Negotiate contracts and monitor progress against revenue and market share objectives.
• Contribute actively to go-to-market strategies and support branding and marketing efforts.
• Maintain consistent reporting and communications with company leadership.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Proficiency in business development and sales activities including lead generation, pipeline oversight, and relationship nurturing.
• Strong strategic and analytical mindset for market research and opportunity evaluation leveraging data-driven insights.
• Expertise in account management, contract negotiations, stakeholder engagement, and customer loyalty.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities, capable of crafting compelling proposals and reports.
• Familiarity with African markets and regional business cultures; experience with premium or consumer product brands is advantageous.
• Capability to work autonomously in a remote setup while managing multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Collaborative approach to engage cross-functional teams spanning marketing, finance, operations, and supply chain.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related disciplines; postgraduate credentials are a plus.
• Comfort with CRM software, MS Office applications (notably Excel and PowerPoint), and virtual collaboration tools.
• Professional English fluency; additional African or other international languages are considered beneficial.