Senior Business and Partnership Manager

About the role

Farmerline, an African agtech company founded in 2013, connects farmers to markets through a digital marketplace combining logistics, field agents, farm resources and agribusiness partnerships. The Senior Business and Partnership Manager, reporting to the CEO's office, meets and exceeds sales targets by bringing Farmerline's tools and services to clients and partners worldwide. Success is measured by partnerships initiated and managed and sales closed.

Key responsibilities

• Support business development by taking part in concept notes, proposals and marketing materials such as management plans and corporate capability statements
• Stay ahead of market trends, seek new opportunities and formulate sales strategies
• Build relationships with key contacts in potential organizations and understand customer needs
• Prospect and manage a pipeline of partners (agribusinesses, global traders, cooperatives, NGOs, government institutions) and assess and convert leads from the Marketing and Communications team
• Grow Farmerline's market share in Africa's digitalization of commodities through prospecting, cold calling and networking
• Prepare proposals and give professional presentations to prospects and existing partners
• Research new markets, trends, customers and partnerships, carry out sales forecasts and present findings to senior management and the board
• Negotiate prices and secure deals with local and international businesses
• Attend relevant seminars, conferences and events to expand the network
• Support the Corporate and Farmer Services operations and advise the team and partners on collaboration approaches

Required profile

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Agriculture, International Development, Economics, Marketing, Finance or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of proven experience in business development, strategic partnerships, client relationship management and revenue generation, preferably in agriculture, agritech, commodities, financial inclusion or development sectors
• Strong track record building high-value partnerships across agribusiness, financial institutions, NGOs and public or private sector stakeholders
• Good working knowledge of the cocoa and coffee sectors across Africa, including crop calendars, value chains and regional market dynamics
• Understanding of sustainability and compliance topics such as child labour risks, premium payments, deforestation and EUDR requirements
• Understanding of financial inclusion models in agriculture, including farmer profiling, KYC, digital payments and credit enablement

Required skills

• Excellent writing, presentation and communication skills in English, including proposal development, concept notes, commercial writing and budget preparation
• Experience in prospecting, negotiation, closing and account growth, meeting or exceeding targets
• Advanced proficiency in productivity tools and sales systems, including CRM platforms such as Pipedrive
• Ability to learn quickly, adapt to fast-changing environments and manage multiple opportunities and stakeholders