Business Development Executive at Synnefa
Job Description
Job Summary
We are seeking a driven Business Development Executive (BDE) to lead outbound sales and partnership development for enterprise and institutional clients. You will sell integrated B2B solutions that combine hardware, software, and data-driven services — Smart Solar Dryers, FarmShield IoT, and the FarmCloud platform. In your first six months, you will focus primarily on cooperatives and mid-tier agro-processors, expanding to NGO programmes, county governments, and other institutional buyers thereafter.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
1. New Business Development
- Identify, engage, and close new B2B customers — with a primary first-6-month focus on cooperatives and mid-tier processors, expanding to NGOs, county governments, and other institutional buyers
- Manage the full sales cycle from prospecting to close
- Conduct discovery sessions, product demos, and solution presentations
- Develop account-penetration and territory strategies
2. Pipeline & CRM Ownership
- Own and maintain an active, well-documented CRM pipeline
- Track deal stages, next actions, and forecast accuracy
- Provide structured weekly pipeline updates
- Ensure disciplined follow-up and conversion tracking
3. Solution Selling
- Translate customer needs into tailored technical-commercial proposals
- Work with technical, agronomy, and engineering teams to align solutions to client requirements
- Support pricing, proposals, and negotiation processes
4. Market Engagement
- Build relationships with key institutional and enterprise decision-makers
- Represent Synnefa in client meetings, demos, and field visits
- Capture market feedback to inform product and commercial strategy
Sales Handover & Customer Success Transition
After closing a deal, the BDE supports a structured handover to Customer Success:
- Attend late-stage demos where required to support closure
- Conduct a formal CRM-based handover to Customer Success
- Document all commitments, expectations, and deal context
- Support onboarding alignment between the client and the Customer Success team
- Flag upsell, renewal, rent-to-own compliance, and risk indicators early
- Ensure a smooth transition from sales to implementation and adoption
Scope, Travel & Working Rhythm
- Geographic scope: Kenya-focused role, based in Nairobi. Regional (Uganda/Ghana) opportunities may be supported case-by-case but are not the primary mandate.
- Field travel: Roughly 40–60% of time in the field — cooperative sites, processor facilities, and client premises — with the balance on pipeline management and proposals.
- Reporting cadence: A weekly 30-minute pipeline review and a monthly deal debrief with the CEO. This cadence is a core part of the role.
Performance Expectations
- Active pipeline generation from Month 1
- First meaningful closed revenue within 60–120 days (aligned with institutional B2B cycle timelines)
- Consistent month-on-month growth in closed-and-collected revenue against targets agreed at offer stage
- Strong CRM discipline and consistent deal progression
- Demonstrated ability to close institutional or enterprise B2B deals
Contract & Probation
This is a two-year contract, renewable based on performance. The first six months are a probation period, with bi-weekly check-ins to support your performance and set you up to succeed in the role.
Educational Qualifications, Experience, & Skills Required
- Education: A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Technical and engineering backgrounds — Mechanical, Civil, Mechatronics, Electrical, Biosystems Engineering, or Renewable Energy — are welcome and an advantage given our product, as are business, commerce, or agribusiness backgrounds paired with a strong commercial record.
- Added advantage: Skills in solar energy installation, and proficiency in AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
- Closing record (required): A proven track record of closing deals — not just generating leads (be ready to walk us through your three largest closed deals: size, cycle length, and how you got to signature). This is the one non-negotiable.
- 2–4 years’ experience in B2B technical sales or business development
- Experience with institutional, NGO, cooperative, or enterprise clients preferred; agritech, hardware, or capital-equipment exposure a strong plus
- Strong consultative selling and negotiation skills
- High ownership, discipline, and an execution mindset
- Comfortable operating in structured, target-driven environments with significant field time
- We are AI-first! You must be comfortable using AI tools — we use Claude and Gemini, and provide premium account access to supercharge your role.
