Job Opportunity// Business Development Manager with MEST

November 20, 2020

Job Opportunity// Business Development Manager with MEST

Our member MEST Africa is looking for a Business Development Manager who is a smart-working individual to work in a key sales and relationship-building role for MEST, with the focus to explore and create relationships and partnerships with African and international corporates, organizations, and other international innovation ecosystems.

To excel in this role you should be an active listener, have a compelling personality, and a hunger to chase and close new business.

About the company

Launched in 2008 by Meltwater Founder & CEO Jorn Lyseggen, MEST is a Pan-African training program, seed fund, incubators, and hubs for technology entrepreneurs in Africa, providing critical skills training in software development, business, and communications. Headquartered in Accra, Ghana, MEST is funded by the Meltwater Foundation, the non-profit arm of Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence.

Key Responsibilities

Source commercial opportunities with different stakeholders of MEST: International Development organizations, Multilateral banks, Corporates, Investors, Governments, NGOs, and startups. HUNT!!
Develop relationships with the different stakeholders and ecosystem enablers while strengthening our presence with business development activities on the ground.
Maintain and develop a solid relationship with our key existing clients of different Programs and Events. FARM!!
Responsible for full sales cycle (acquisition, activation, negotiation, closing) for:
- MEST Impact Programs: acceleration, incubation, venture-building, co-development, training among others.
- MEST Hubs: rent of large offices, creation of events & campaign to generate leads for our coworking.
Use, update, and analyze the sales funnels. Discipline & data!
Manage applications to public/private tenders.
Managing budget and P&L along with Director Consultancy

Skills & Requirements

Experience

Bachelor’s degree in marketing or business-related field.
Minimum of six (6) years of related experience with progressive management experience
Professional Qualification or Master’s degree in Marketing or related field will be an added advantage Project/Program management experience.
Experience in tender processing and management

Characteristics

The ability to motivate and capture an audience with storytelling and being a big-picture thinker
Demonstrated capability to manage all phases of the business development process, from market planning, personal outreach, lead identification to deal development
A strong network within senior design and innovation management communities, spanning startups, corporate intrapreneurs, and influencers
Experience with the entrepreneurial dynamics of a start-up and a clear understanding of corporate dynamics.
Experience in some of our key business and design domains: Health & Wellness, Industry & Manufacturing, FinTech, AdTech & MarTech, Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare, Edtech Consumer
Effective verbal and written communication abilities and strong interpersonal skills
Solid problem-solving skills and willingness to do what it takes to manage and close deals
Strong ability to drive change and understand future industry trends
Self-starter capabilities and ability to handle dynamic and fast-paced work environment
Experience developing and creating well-defined sales processes
Agile, open-minded, and comfortable with ambiguity
Self-driven, quick learner, and decisive