Kenya Market Research & Business Development Executive, Marketing

Role Overview

An established international textile house is preparing to launch its own premium t-shirt brand in Kenya, and before selling a single unit, it needs a sharp, curious Nairobi-based researcher and business developer to build an evidence-based map of the market. In the first phase, you will investigate how t-shirts actually flow through Kenya—covering importers, wholesalers, distributors, traders and the physical hubs where volume changes hands—and in the second phase, you will turn that knowledge into a verified pipeline of real buyers and channel partners. Working directly with the founders, your recommendations will help decide whether the brand enters through existing wholesale networks or goes retail-direct, so your local insight and ability to verify facts are central to the entire launch strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Trace the full journey of a t-shirt in Kenya, from origin and point of entry through importers, distributors, wholesalers and the central Nairobi trading districts that drive bulk movement.
• Build a clear picture of supply sources—including China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, second-hand mitumba and local Kenyan production—and document the realistic quality tiers and price points associated with each.
• Identify the specific players operating at each stage of the chain, recording what they buy, from whom, in what volumes, and with what purchasing frequency.
• Compare route-to-market options for a premium cotton t-shirt, weighing engagement with the existing wholesale/distributor network against a retail-direct model, and deliver a reasoned recommendation backed by field evidence.
• Segment Kenyan demand into actionable buyer categories such as corporate branding and promotional wear, hospitality uniforms, retail store owners, institutions and online sellers, then rank those segments by accessibility and commercial value.
• Conduct in-person fieldwork across Nairobi, including downtown wholesale markets, retail clusters, textile production zones and export processing areas, to collect first-hand intelligence from real market participants.
• Develop and maintain a clean, verified target list of potential buyers and partners, with named decision-makers currently in post, accurate contact details, and notes on each prospect's typical order size, buying cycle and supplier expectations.
• Keep detailed records of all sources, interviews and findings in a shared workbook, and present progress and emerging insights to the founders on scheduled calls so the research and pipeline can be steered effectively.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Based in Nairobi, with the ability to move between online desk research and in-person visits across the city's commercial and industrial areas.
• Three to five years of experience in market research, B2B sales or business development, distribution, or the textile and apparel trade.
• Strong working knowledge of Nairobi's geography and trade networks, including the downtown wholesale and retail districts as well as the textile and EPZ zones on the city's outskirts.
• A genuine researcher's instinct—resourceful, naturally curious, and willing to speak with traders, factory staff, shop owners and other real people rather than relying only on search engines.
• Fluent English and conversational Kiswahili, sufficient to conduct practical, productive conversations with all parts of the trade chain.
• Organised and evidence-led, with a clear commitment to verifiable, first-hand information; unsourced claims, scraped databases and AI-generated contact details are not acceptable.
• Self-directed and comfortable taking ownership of a defined scope of work while providing regular progress updates without close day-to-day supervision.

What We Offer / Why Join

This is a two-phase engagement that gives you direct influence over commercial strategy: first you shape the founders' understanding of Kenya's t-shirt market, then you help open the doors that make a premium launch viable. You will work closely with the founders of an established international textile house, rather than through layers of management, and you will be trusted to combine rigorous desk research with real fieldwork across Nairobi. It is an opportunity to apply your local market knowledge, build a valuable network of verified contacts, and play a foundational role in how a brand enters Kenya.