Business Development Manager

Responsibilities:

Market Expansion & Opportunity Development:

• Identify new business opportunities, emerging markets, and strategic areas for growth across all SAO sectors.
• Conduct market research to understand industry trends, customer needs, and competitor activities.
• Lead proposal development, pitch presentations, and concept note creation for new projects. 

Client Acquisition & Relationship Management:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, investors, and government agencies.
• Serve as a primary contact for key clients, ensuring needs are met and expectations exceeded.
• Manage end-to-end client engagement—from lead generation to contract signing. 

Strategic Partnerships & Collaboration:

• Identify and develop partnerships that support the Group’s strategic objectives and project execution.
• Represent SAO companies at high-level meetings, industry events, and investor forums.
• Collaborate with internal teams to package solutions tailored to client needs. 

Proposal, Deal Structuring & Revenue Growth: 

• Develop winning proposals, bids, EOIs, and tender submissions.
• Participate in negotiation of contracts, pricing, terms, and partnership agreements.
• Drive revenue targets by securing new accounts and expanding existing ones.

Project Support & Internal Coordination:

• Work with project teams to ensure smooth onboarding of new clients and markets.
• Provide input into project design, execution plans, and monitoring frameworks from a business perspective.
• Track performance metrics, sales pipelines, and business outcomes.

Reporting & Performance Tracking:

• Maintain accurate data on leads, pipelines, and transactions using CRM tools.
• Prepare periodic business development reports for executive leadership.
• Forecast revenue and track progress against targets. 

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, or a related field.
• Master’s Degree (MBA or equivalent) is an added advantage.
• 8+ years’ experience in business development, consulting, investment, or sales (preferably multi-sector).
• Proven track record of securing high-value deals or managing strategic partnerships.
• Strong understanding of markets in agriculture, energy, advisory, or development (experience in at least one is required).
• Excellent presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to work across multiple business units and manage complex stakeholders.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills
• Relationship-building & stakeholder management
• Proposal writing and presentation excellence
• Negotiation and deal-closing skills
• Market research and opportunity mapping
• CRM and pipeline management skills
• High energy, professionalism, and initiative
• Ability to work under pressure and meet targets.