Head of Investment and Trade Facilitation

Role Summary

The Business Development Manager drives market expansion client acquisition and revenue growth across SAO diverse business linesincluding agriculture energy capital and advisory services. This role focuses on identifying new opportunities building strategic partnerships strengthening the companys market presence and supporting the design and execution of high-impact projects. The ideal candidate is a proactive strategist with strong commercial skills and the ability to convert ideas into profitable business ventures.

Key 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.
  

2. 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 engagementfrom lead generation to contract signing.
  

3. Strategic Partnerships & Collaboration

• Identify and develop partnerships that support the Groups 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.
  

4. 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.
  

5. 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.
  

6. 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

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelors Degree in Business Administration Marketing Economics or a related field.
  
• Masters 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.
  

Key Competencies

• 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