Group Director – Business Development
Position: Group Director – Business Development
Reporting To: Group Chief Executive Officer
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
About AGF
The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) is a Pan-African non-bank financial institution whose primary mandate is to
assist financial institutions (FIs) in Africa to scale up their SME financing initiatives. AGF contributes to the
promotion of economic development, vital for the prosperity, stability and poverty reduction in Africa, through
provision of a mix of financial guarantees and other products. AGF’s products and solutions will reduce the risks
supported by financial sector lending to SMEs that have insufficient collateral and support for capacity
development of the partner financial institutions.
AGF is rated ‘AA- ‘by the globally renowned Fitch Ratings Agency.
Position Summary
The Group Director of Business Development is a senior leadership position responsible for driving the growth
of AGF’s Guarantee and products across Africa. This role involves optimizing partnerships, identifying new
market opportunities, designing new products and leading business development efforts to achieve revenue
targets and enhance the AGF's market position.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
Business Development
• Develop and implement new business development strategies to grow AGF’s guarantee business;
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with Partner Financial Institutions to meet their risk sharing
needs and guarantee requirements.
• Manage the existing portfolio to ensure that credit quality is maintained while ensuring incremental
growth.
• Establish a strong Customer Relationship Management framework and discipline to provide efficient
coverage, the best Customer Experience to our partner financial institutions to drive utilization and new
business opportunities.
Strategy Development & Execution
• Develop and implement strategy to source and acquire new business opportunities.
• Continuously carry out market and competitor analysis as part of gathering market intelligence to inform
business decisions.
Provide clear leadership in understanding the market, technology and financial institution’s needs and
trends and how these translate into possible opportunities for AGF.
• Thought leadership on strategic marketing, communication and new products development.
• Develop strong strategic partnerships with different stakeholders to catalyze more financing for the
African SMEs.
Pipeline and Portfolio Management
• Oversee the development of the guarantee pipeline at Group level and ensure proper tracking of
opportunities.
• Collaborate with regional business development teams to optimize lead generation, conversion
strategies and guarantee portfolio optimization.
Leadership
• Lead with consistency and clarity in a way that unifies staff and builds a sense of shared accountability
for the success of the department.
• Set clear targets and monitor the achievement of performance and personal development goals for all
direct reports, so that a culture of continuous improvement is embedded within the team.
• Show resilience, navigate challenges and resolve conflicts with internal and external stakeholders with
diplomacy, sensitivity and transparency.
• Strategize, develop, and build senior-level relationships to establish long-term, meaningful partnerships
within the region.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications, skills, knowledge and experiences
• Master’s degree in finance, Business, Development Economics and/or Financial Inclusion.
• At least 10 years’ managerial and leadership experience, gained in a financial institution.
• Extensive experience in business development, sales, or marketing, often 10+ years, with several years
in a leadership role.
• Minimum of five (5) years leadership and management experience including managing staff and
coaching, mentoring and providing feedback.
• Have a good understanding of financial institutions’ approaches to SME lending, risk mitigation
strategies, loan appraisal criteria, among others.
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills; strong leadership and team building
abilities.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the financial institution landscape and SME context in Africa.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Bilingual French is required.
• Self-driven individual with a passion and flair for helping SMEs succeed.
• Team player with strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
Benefits
African Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (AGF) is an equal opportunity employer
and offers a regionally competitive salary with an excellent benefits package.
AGF prides itself on its
collegial, supportive and gender-sensitive working environment and believes that staff diversity promotes
innovation and excellence.
Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.