We are looking for a highly motivated Business Development Officer to drive business growth on IRES’ offerings across Africa. The ideal candidate should display mastery at client acquisition, proposal development, sales support, and team coordination, with the potential to grow into a supervisory role overseeing a team of sales executives.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development & Client Acquisition

Identify and target new business opportunities in NGOs, government agencies, and private sector organizations across Africa.

Develop and implement strategic sales plans to expand IRES’ client base.

Conduct market research to understand industry trends, competitor offerings, and client needs.

Attend industry conferences, workshops, and networking events to generate leads.

Sales & Client Relationship Management

Serve as the primary point of contact for corporate and institutional clients.

Deliver compelling presentations and demonstrations of IRES’ services and industry solutions (training, research, GIS, data analytics, etc.).

Negotiate contracts, pricing, and service agreements to close deals.

Maintain a robust sales pipeline using CRM tools.

Proposal & Bid Development

Lead the end-to-end process of proposal development (RFPs, EoI, and RFQs), bid submissions, and tender responses.

Customize proposals to align with client requirements and IRES’ service offerings.

Collaborate with technical teams to ensure proposals are accurate and competitive.

Track and report on proposal success rates and areas for improvement.

Technical Sales Support & Product Knowledge

Develop a deep understanding of IRES’ services and industry solutions.

Translate technical service details into clear, client-friendly value propositions.

Provide pre-sales and post-sales support to ensure client satisfaction.

Gather client feedback and relay insights to the product development team.

 Team Collaboration & Leadership

Mentor and train sales executives on B2B sales strategies, proposal writing, and CRM usage.

Potentially supervise a sales team, ensuring performance targets are met.

Foster a collaborative sales culture with regular team meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions.

Reporting & Performance Tracking

Prepare weekly/monthly sales reports for management.

Analyse sales data to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges.

Recommend strategies to improve conversion rates and revenue growth.

Requirements:

Qualifications & Skills:

Master's degree in Business Administration, Sales and Marketing, Economics and Statistics, International Development, or a related field.

3+ years in B2B sales, preferably in selling services.

Proven track record of selling to NGOs, government agencies, or corporations in Africa.

Strong proposal writing, negotiation, and presentation skills.

Proficiency in CRM software (HubSpot) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Experience in public sector procurement and tender processes.

Personal Attributes:

Exceptional communicator with the ability to simplify technical concepts.

Self-starter with strong problem-solving and strategic thinking skills.

Adaptable to working across diverse industries and cultures in Africa.

Willingness to travel occasionally for client meetings and industry events.