Business Development and Operations Manager

Responsibilities:

Business Development & Revenue Growth:

• Develop and deliver practical business development plans aligned with our growth priorities and revenue targets.
• Build and manage a qualified pipeline across stockists, wholesale accounts, corporate gifting, hospitality, strategic partnerships, and other approved opportunities.
• Prepare commercial proposals, presentations and partnership terms for approval, and lead follow-up through to closure and onboarding.
• Identify new markets, customer segments and channel opportunities using sales performance, customer insight and market intelligence.
• Set channel and account targets, monitor performance and take corrective action where results fall below plan.

Stockist Network Development & Performance:

• Lead the identification, assessment, appointment and onboarding of suitable stockists in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and other approved markets.
• Define stockist objectives, service expectations, reporting requirements and proposed commercial terms for approval by the Founder.
• Manage stockist relationships, sales performance, replenishment priorities, payment obligations and compliance with our brand and pricing standards.
• Review stockist sales and inventory reports prepared by the Specialist and resolve performance, stock, settlement or compliance issues.
• Recommend the expansion, restructuring or discontinuation of stockist relationships based on agreed performance criteria.

Commercial, Pricing & Channel Governance:

• Own our pricing framework across the website, direct sales, stockists, wholesale accounts and approved promotional channels.
• Recommend retail prices, channel margins, discounts and promotional mechanics using product cost, target margin, channel economics and market positioning.
• Obtain required approval before implementing price, discount or promotion changes; the Founder retains final pricing authority unless formally delegated.
• Ensure approved prices and product information are communicated and implemented consistently across all channels.
• Review margins, discounting and channel profitability, and address unauthorised pricing or commercial leakage promptly.

Marketing & Social Media Oversight:

• Own the marketing and social media plan, including campaign priorities, content calendar, launches, promotions and channel objectives.
• Translate our brand direction into clear briefs for photographers, designers, content creators, influencers, agencies and other approved partners.
• Review content for brand consistency, product accuracy and commercial relevance before publication through the agreed approval process.
• Track reach, engagement, enquiries, conversion and campaign performance, using results to improve future activity.
• Direct the Specialist on approved offers and customer-response information; the Specialist remains responsible for social enquiries, social selling and routine customer engagement.
• Coordinate external creative support where required; the role is not expected to personally produce every photograph, video or design asset.

Inventory Planning & Control:

• Set inventory-control standards and review consolidated stock positions across the central location, stockists and goods in transit.
• Use sales trends, campaign plans and lead times to forecast demand and recommend replenishment or purchase quantities.
• Approve stock allocation and redistribution within delegated authority, balancing availability, sales velocity and channel demand.
• Review stock counts and reconciliations completed by the Specialist, investigate material variances and ensure corrective actions are documented.
• Monitor stock ageing, low-stock risk, stock-outs, damages, returns and slow-moving inventory, and recommend appropriate action.

E-commerce & Website Management:

• Own the commercial accuracy and effectiveness of our website, including product listings, pricing, availability, launches, promotions and merchandising priorities. Ensure approved routine website updates are completed accurately and on time, either through the Specialist or an authorised technical resource. Review website performance, customer journeys and conversion data, and recommend improvements to content, navigation, merchandising and checkout experience. Coordinate with the developer or other technical partners on functionality, integrations, defects and updates that require specialist support. Ensure website content remains consistent with approved product, pricing, inventory and campaign information across other sales channels.

Customer Experience & Team Leadership

• Manage, coach and set priorities for the Sales, Customer Experience & Operations Specialist, with clear targets, routines and accountability.
• Establish and improve procedures for enquiries, orders, payment confirmation, dispatch, returns, complaints, stock handling and reporting.
• Monitor customer response time, service quality, fulfilment performance and repeat-purchase activity, intervening when standards are not met.
• Handle escalated or high-value customer issues while enabling the Specialist to resolve routine matters within agreed guidelines.
• Build a disciplined, customer-focused operating culture as the team and channel network expand.

Reporting, Controls & Continuous Improvement:

• Prepare concise weekly and monthly management reports covering sales, pipeline, stockists, inventory, margins, website, marketing and customer operations.
• Review the Specialist’s daily and weekly reports for accuracy, completeness and required follow-up.
• Monitor stockist settlements, approved credit arrangements, outstanding payments and commercial commitments, escalating financial risk promptly.
• Maintain clear approval, documentation and audit trails for pricing, discounts, stock transfers, returns, write-offs and promotions.
  
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement practical improvements that support profitable growth and a stronger customer experience.

Commercial & Operations Reporting:

• The Manager will provide the Founder with clear visibility of business performance, including: Revenue, units sold, channel performance, gross margin, and sales forecast. Business development pipeline, new accounts, conversion, and partnership status. 
  
• Stockist sales, stock position, replenishment, settlements and compliance.
• Central inventory, stock ageing, variances, stock-out risks and purchase recommendations.
• Website, social media, campaign, customer service and fulfilment performance.
• Priority decisions, emerging risks and agreed corrective actions.

Requirements:

• A minimum of an HND, or equivalent qualification in Business, Marketing, Management, Retail, Communications or a related field.
• 5-7 years’ relevant experience across business development, sales, e-commerce, retail operations, marketing or channel management.
• At least two years’ experience supervising people, partners or commercial accounts, with evidence of setting targets and improving performance.
• Demonstrated success in winning new business, developing sales channels or managing distributors, stockists, wholesale accounts or partnerships.
• Strong commercial judgement, including pricing, margin analysis, forecasting, negotiation and performance reporting.
• Working knowledge of inventory control, order fulfilment, stock reconciliation and multi-location stock management.
• Practical experience overseeing social media, digital campaigns, content calendars and external creative resources.
• Comfort with e-commerce platforms, CRM tools, Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets and digital reporting tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, organisation and follow-through.
• Ability to lead hands-on in an early-stage business while building scalable processes and controls.

Strong Advantage:

• Experience within fragrance, beauty, luxury, lifestyle, home, hospitality or premium consumer products.
• Experience managing an omnichannel business across website, social commerce, direct sales and third-party stockists.
• Experience with Shopify or a comparable e-commerce platform and basic website content management.
• An established network across corporate gifting, hospitality, retail, lifestyle or premium consumer markets in Nigeria.
• Experience managing agencies, influencers, photographers, designers or content creators.

The Ideal Candidate:

• We are looking for a commercially sharp and highly organised manager who can build relationships, create structure and follow through on execution.
• The ideal candidate can move confidently between a stockist negotiation, a pricing review, an inventory decision, a campaign brief and a team performance conversation without losing attention to detail.
• You should be comfortable taking ownership, making evidence-based recommendations and escalating decisions appropriately.
• You will know how to delegate routine execution while remaining accountable for results, controls and the quality of Zaurhe’s customer and partner experience.

Key Performance Indicator:

• Revenue growth, sales target achievement and gross-margin performance.
• Value and conversion of the business development pipeline.
• Number, quality, productivity and retention of approved stockists and commercial accounts.
• Pricing compliance, channel profitability and control of unauthorised discounting.
• Inventory availability, stock ageing, stock-out rate, variance resolution and replenishment accuracy.
• Website accuracy, conversion improvement and timely implementation of approved updates.
• Marketing and social-media performance against agreed campaign and conversion objectives.
• Customer-service, fulfilment and repeat-purchase performance delivered through the team.
• Accuracy, timeliness and usefulness of management reporting and forecasts.
• Performance and development of the Sales, Customer Experience & Operations Specialist.

What  We Offer:

• Competitive remuneration commensurate with experience and capability.
• Performance-based incentives linked to agreed commercial and operational targets.
• The opportunity to shape the commercial systems and growth path of an emerging premium Nigerian brand.
• Meaningful responsibility, direct access to leadership and scope to build a high-performing team and channel network.
• A dynamic, entrepreneurial and collaborative working environment.

How to Apply:

• Please submit a CV and a brief introduction outlining relevant experience in business development, channel or stockist management, e-commerce, marketing and commercial operations, and explaining why you would be a strong fit for us and the Business Development & Operations Manager role.