Senior Business Development Manager (Embassy)

Role Overview

This position sits at the centre of efforts to connect international companies with commercial opportunities across East Africa. You will be responsible for spotting promising market openings, nurturing relationships with key public and private players, and turning regional intelligence into actionable strategies for foreign investors. Your daily work will involve everything from market analysis and stakeholder outreach to planning high-impact trade events, all aimed at increasing two-way business flows between the region and global markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and qualify new business prospects, helping international firms understand and enter East African markets with a clear entry plan.
• Develop and maintain trust-based relationships with government agencies, trade bodies, private companies, and civil society organisations to open doors for market access.
• Generate a steady pipeline of leads by tracking market trends, investment flows, and policy changes that signal commercial opportunity.
• Carry out targeted research on specific sectors and geographies, producing market-entry assessments and sectoral strategies that guide business decisions.
• Design and coordinate trade missions, investor delegations, market visits, and networking events that connect foreign buyers with local suppliers and partners.
• Support bilateral trade facilitation initiatives, ensuring smooth collaboration across regional and international teams and contributing to policy-level dialogue.
• Prepare concise briefs, presentations, and reports that translate complex market data into clear recommendations for stakeholders and decision-makers.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, ideally in economics, business, international relations, or a related discipline.
• At least five years of professional experience in trade promotion, investment attraction, business development, market research, marketing, banking, or a comparable field.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deliver persuasive presentations and write polished, well-structured reports.
• Solid research and analytical ability, comfortable working with economic data and qualitative inputs to produce insights that inform commercial strategy.
• Excellent organisational skills and a track record of managing multiple priorities under tight deadlines, with minimal supervision.
• Full professional fluency in English, with a readiness to travel regularly across East Africa and work effectively in multicultural, multi-location teams while upholding high ethical standards.