Head of Sales and Business

Job Purpose

The Head of Sales & Business will spearhead the organisation's growth by designing and executing high-impact sales strategies that drive market expansion, revenue growth, and client acquisition across local, regional, and global markets. This role requires a visionary leader with a strong understanding of payment processing technologies, fintech trends, and the regulatory environment, who can build and lead high-performing teams while cultivating strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Market Growth

• Develop and execute a robust sales and business development strategy aligned with the organisation's overall business objectives.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue new market opportunities across African and global regions, ensuring sustainable revenue growth.
• Identify and capitalise on new revenue streams, including cross selling and upselling opportunities within existing jurisdictions.
• Lead the market entry strategy into new geographies, including regulatory compliance, competitive positioning, and product localisation.
• Leverage data-driven insights to forecast market trends, customer behaviours, and competitive movements.

Business Development & Partnerships

• Lead strategic partnerships with banks, payment networks (Visa, Mastercard e.t.c), FinTech's, and SaaS platforms to expand market reach.
• Negotiate high-value commercial agreements with clients, payment facilitators.
• Drive merchant acquisition by engaging with e-commerce platforms, retail chains, and digital businesses.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and fintech forums to enhance brand visibility.

Sales Management & Revenue Optimisation

• Oversee the end-to-end sales cycle, from lead generation to contract closure, ensuring efficient processes and high conversion rates.
• Set ambitious revenue targets and ensure consistent achievement through effective sales planning and pipeline management.
• Design and implement pricing, bundling, and promotional strategies that maximise profitability while maintaining competitive positioning.

Client Relationship & Partnership Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, financial institutions, regulators, and strategic partners.
• Develop strategic alliances with payment networks, banks, and technology providers to enhance product offerings and market reach.
• Ensure customer success by working closely with the support team to resolve pain points and improve retention.

Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing sales and business development team.
• Oversee the Sales Pipeline, ensuring accurate forecasting and reporting to the management.
• Implement performance metrics, sales incentives, and professional development plans to drive excellence.

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Work closely with Data & Technology, Risk & Compliance, Settlements teams to ensure alignment of offerings with client needs and market demands.
• Provide market intelligence to influence product development and strategic decision-making.
• Champion customer feedback mechanisms to continuously enhance products and services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, or related field;
• Minimum of 6 years of progressive experience in sales and business development within fintech, payment processing, or financial services.
• Proven track record of achieving and exceeding revenue targets in multi-market environments.
• Deep understanding of digital payments, merchant acquiring, card processing, and emerging fintech innovations.
• Experience managing high value accounts and negotiating large, complex deals.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing cross-functional and multicultural teams.
• Ability to craft and execute long-term sales strategies.
• Strong persuasion skills to close high value deals.
• Proficient in sales analytics, CRM tools, and performance metrics.
• Thrives in a rapidly evolving fintech landscape.
• Deep understanding of merchant and payment pain points
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and to manage multiple priorities effectively.