Head of Business Development West Africa

About Turaco

Most people in Africa have never had insurance. Turaco exists to change that.

Our mission is to relieve people from the fear of financial shocks. We do it by embedding affordable simple insurance into the everyday transactions people already make partnering with banks MFIs SACCOs fintechs and telcos that serve emerging consumers.

Since launching in 2019 Turaco has reached over 7 million customers across Kenya Uganda Ghana Nigeria Zambia and 2026 we were ranked 29th on the Financial Times Africas Fastest Growing Companies list and won the Innovation of the Year Award at the prestigious African Insurance Awards. We are in the claims-paying business and we take that promise seriously.

Role Overview

We are looking for a Head of Business Development to own growth across West Africa. This is not a relationship maintenance role. It is a builder role.

You will be responsible for identifying winning and scaling high-value partnerships with financial institutions MFIs fintechs telcos and employers across Nigeria Ghana and other West African markets. You will own the full deal cycle from first conversation to live launch and you will work closely with internal teams to ensure every partnership actually delivers for our customers.

This is a high-stakes commercial role. We expect the person in this seat to be closing partnerships that generate above $1 million in GWP per quarter. If you have done that before and want to do it in a mission that matters we want to talk to you.

What you will do

Own Regional Revenue

• Own the West Africa pipeline and take full accountability for hitting ambitious GWP and partnership targets with a clear expectation of closing deals that generate above $1 million per quarter.
• Lead the end-to-end deal cycle: origination qualification pitching negotiation and handover to account management.
• Structure partnerships designed for long-term growth not just launch.

Build the Market

• Design and execute a West Africa go-to-market strategy aligned to Turacos product capabilities and the specific dynamics of the regions markets.
• Identify and prioritize high-potential segments: microfinance digital lending saccos telecoms employer groups and more.
• Provide market intelligence back to the product and commercial teams to sharpen pricing product design and competitive positioning.

Lead Relationships at the Right Level

• Build and maintain relationships with C-suite executives founders and key regulators across the region.
• Navigate multi-stakeholder environments with patience and skill unblocking deals where others get stuck.
• Represent Turaco at industry events and in regulatory conversations as a credible trusted voice.

Maintain Commercial Discipline

• Manage a clean well-structured pipeline in our CRM with accurate forecasting.
• Standardize how opportunities are sourced tracked and handed over so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Systematically capture competitor and market data to inform company strategy.

What Success Looks Like in Year One

• A qualified active pipeline of at least 8 to 10 strategic partnership opportunities across Nigeria and Ghana.
• At least 2 to 3 new partnerships signed and generating above $1 million in GWP per quarter.
• Strong working relationships established with key regulators underwriters and distribution partners in the region.
• A clear market map that informs Turacos 3-year West Africa growth strategy.

Who You Are

• You have 7 to 12 years of experience in B2B sales or business development with at least 3 of those years in financial services insurance fintech or a related sector in West Africa.
• You have a personal track record of closing high-value deals with individual partnerships generating $1 million or more in annual revenue.
• You understand the Nigerian and Ghanaian financial services ecosystem: who the key players are how decisions get made and how to navigate regulatory environments.
• You have closed complex multi-stakeholder deals and can speak credibly to both a CFO and a compliance officer in the same meeting.
• You are comfortable with technology. Turacos model is tech-integrated and you should be able to explain API-driven distribution simply and confidently to a partner who has never done it before.
• You have an existing senior network in financial services telecoms or fintech in West Africa.
• You are a builder not a maintainer. You do not wait for warm introductions.
• You live Turacos values: pushing boundaries working with excellence and profound respect for the individual.
• Minimum qualification: Bachelors degree in Business Finance or a related field.

Our Culture

Turaco is a fast-moving mission-driven team. We push boundaries hold ourselves to high standards and genuinely believe that what we do matters for the people we serve. We are building a team where diverse backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger and where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Turaco values diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Were building a team where our differences enhance and strengthen us. We strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race color sex religion sexual orientation national origin disability genetic information pregnancy or any other protected characteristic.

Compensation and Benefits

Turaco offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience stock options and a comprehensive benefits package. You will be joining a company at an inflection point with real opportunity to shape the direction of a fast-growing region.