Key Account Manager – Business Development at Airtel

About the Role

The position of Key Account Manager – Business Development within Airtel's Global Wholesale Voice division is centered on identifying and acquiring new carrier, operator, and wholesale voice accounts internationally. This role demands active business hunting to open strategic accounts, negotiate commercial deals, and convert partnerships into consistent revenue-generating traffic. The role collaborates closely with routing, pricing, finance, and operations to enable seamless onboarding and ongoing business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead onboarding of new accounts and spearhead business development initiatives.
• Boost revenue through deeper account penetration, including cross-selling multiple service portfolios like wholesale voice, SMS Hub, and ITFS.
• Implement Government Relations mandates and secure net revenues by engaging in swaps and trade deals regularly.
• Plan and strategize to increase traffic volumes (minutes) for sustained growth.
• Manage comprehensive P&L responsibilities for assigned accounts.
• Identify and convert prospective leads into confirmed sales.
• Coordinate with internal departments such as product, finance, and settlements to ensure order fulfillment and customer satisfaction.
• Monitor competitor activities and develop pricing strategies to gain market advantage and lure carriers away from rivals.
• Manage destination costs to support Airtel’s retail outgoing expenses and stimulate wholesale business growth.
• Provide timely market intelligence and competitor analysis to stakeholders.
• Promote Airtel's brand presence and visibility in designated regions.

Hunting and Business Development Focus

• Target and qualify new wholesale voice customers including carriers, mobile operators, international hubs, and strategic telecom partners.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospects segmented by region, traffic type, and strategic relevance.
• Develop acquisition plans tailored to priority markets and named accounts.
• Lead outbound efforts via direct contact, referrals, networking, and industry event participation.
• Manage the entire sales cycle from prospecting to contracting, onboarding, and operational handover.
• Create compelling business cases emphasizing expected traffic, margins, and strategic benefits.
• Negotiate commercial terms including rates, interconnection, payment conditions, and service commitments aligned with company goals.
• Collaborate internally with pricing, routing, fraud prevention, finance, legal, and technical teams for account activation.

Decision-Making Authority

• Primary decision-maker for account funnel creation, customer segmentation, revenue management strategies, product penetration, and cost management.
• Shares pricing and commercial decisions with peers for deviations or to support existing partners.
• Contributes to decisions on expanding into new segments and forming new regional partnerships.

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum educational qualification: Bachelor of Engineering (BE) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• At least one year of relevant experience in the telecom or related industry.

Core Competencies

• A proactive hunter mindset with resilience, urgency, and high drive.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to qualify deals strictly.
• Skilled in opening doors, building credibility, and influencing decision-makers.
• Understanding of telecom industry nuances and global customer dynamics.
• Customer-focused approach and general management capabilities.
• Ability to network and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Enterprising mindset combined with leadership qualities.

Impact and Reporting

The role significantly influences gross revenue, managing customers sourced through hunting efforts and nurturing accounts for maximized potential. The position interacts with a varied customer mix and reports through a structured functional hierarchy including reporting manager, functional head, business HR, and compensation & benefits.