Business Development & Sales Manager – ActivEdge Technologies & PayEdge (Supply Chain Financing)

Company: ActivEdge Technologies

Products: ActivEdge Enterprise Technology Solutions & PayEdge – Supply Chain Financing Platform

Location: Kenya (Office, Remote & Field Travel)

Department: Sales & Business Development (ActivEdge & PayEdge)

Reports To: Head of Business Development / Chief Commercial Officer

Direct Reports: Pre-Sales Executive – ActivEdge & PayEdge

Seniority Level: Senior-Level

About ActivEdge Technologies

ActivEdge Technologies is a leading pan-African IT consulting firm and solutions provider, headquartered in Lagos with operations in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Côte d'Ivoire. From its Nairobi office, ActivEdge serves leading banks and enterprises across East Africa. Its core practices are Cybersecurity (Zero Trust security), Infrastructure & Cloud (Azure, AWS, GCP migration and modernisation), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) and Enterprise Fraud Management, Enterprise Applications (including transaction reconciliation, settlement automation and ATM dispute management), Digital Business & Innovation, and Technology & DevOps Services. ActivEdge works with leading global OEMs such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and F5. Its clients include banks, pension funds, insurers, telecoms, oil & gas, manufacturing and the public sector. The company's FinTech arm focuses on payments, lending, collections and supply chain financing.

PayEdge is ActivEdge's intelligent B2B supply chain financing and payment automation platform designed to simplify vendor payments, drive efficiency, and eliminate reconciliation errors. PayEdge serves mid-to-large enterprises, financial institutions, and procurement-driven industries across Africa, helping finance and procurement teams streamline their payment workflows and gain real-time visibility into spend.

Together, ActivEdge and PayEdge give this role two ways into the same clients. A bank buying cybersecurity, GRC or reconciliation solutions from ActivEdge is often also a funding partner for PayEdge, and a corporate buyer financing its suppliers through PayEdge often needs ActivEdge's cloud, security or enterprise application solutions.

Role Purpose

ActivEdge Technologies is seeking a high-calibre Business Development & Sales Manager to drive new revenue across both ActivEdge's enterprise technology portfolio and the PayEdge supply chain financing platform in Kenya and the wider region. This is a revenue-owning, field-intensive role whose success is measured by deals closed and contracts signed, not by the number of leads added to the pipeline.

The successful candidate will personally open doors and secure face-to-face meetings with decision-makers (CEOs, CFOs, CIOs/CTOs, CISOs, Chief Risk and Compliance Officers, Heads of Treasury, Procurement, Operations and Supply Chain) in banks, financial institutions and large enterprises. They will then drive those meetings to signed agreements. The role leads the existing Pre-Sales Executive for ActivEdge and PayEdge, who will report directly to this position and support qualification, solution design, demos and proposals, freeing the Manager to focus on high-value conversations and closing.

Role Focus: Meetings and Closing

• Closing over pipeline building: Success is measured by signed contracts, purchase orders and revenue collected. Adding leads is not a measure of success on its own.

• Decision-maker access: Use your personal network, referrals, OEM partners and existing ActivEdge clients to get in front of the people who sign off on budgets. Meetings with junior contacts or influencers alone do not count towards targets.

• Qualified meetings only: Every meeting should have a clear business problem, a decision-maker in the room, and an agreed next step towards a proposal or contract.

• Cross-selling: Spot opportunities to sell both ActivEdge and PayEdge to the same client, for example pairing PayEdge funding partnerships with ActivEdge GRC, fraud or reconciliation work at banks, or pairing PayEdge buyer programmes with ActivEdge cloud and security at corporates.

• Clear hand-off with Pre-Sales: The Pre-Sales Executive handles research, technical qualification, demos and proposal drafting. The Manager owns access to decision-makers, negotiation and closing.

Key Responsibilities

Sales, Deal Closure & Revenue Generation

• Own and close new business across the ActivEdge portfolio (cybersecurity, infrastructure & cloud, GRC & anti-fraud, enterprise applications, reconciliation & settlement, digital business and DevOps services) and the PayEdge supply chain financing platform. Target banks and other financial institutions, insurers and pension funds, telecoms, corporate buyers and large enterprises.

• Lead the full sales cycle, with personal ownership of the stages that matter most: getting meetings with decision-makers, discovery, value proposition, commercial negotiation, contract signing and handover to delivery or onboarding. Hand prospect research, qualification and demo preparation to the Pre-Sales Executive.

• Build and execute account plans for a defined list of priority accounts, mapping the decision-makers, budget holders and buying process for each, to meet and exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets for both ActivEdge and PayEdge.

• Move opportunities through the pipeline quickly. Close or disqualify stalled deals, and focus effort on opportunities with a confirmed decision-maker, budget and timeline. Keep the CRM accurate and up to date at all times.

• Work with the Pre-Sales Executive and technical teams to deliver tailored pitches, solution proposals and commercial offers to the decision-makers at each target client.

• Negotiate and secure signed contracts, purchase orders, MoUs and LOIs, and turn PayEdge pilots and ActivEdge proofs-of-concept into full commercial agreements and recurring revenue.

Pre-Sales Leadership

• Lead, coach and manage the Pre-Sales Executive for ActivEdge and PayEdge, who reports directly to this role. Set clear weekly priorities, review their work and track their performance.

• Agree a clear split of responsibilities: pre-sales handles research, qualification, technical discovery, demos, solution design and proposal drafting, while the Manager handles access to decision-makers, negotiation and closing.

• Run weekly deal reviews with the Pre-Sales Executive so that pre-sales effort goes to opportunities that are qualified and likely to close.

• Develop pre-sales capability across both portfolios, including product knowledge, demo quality, proposal standards and response times for RFPs and tenders.

Business Development & Partnerships

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, partnerships and strategic alliances (including OEM partners, banks, fintechs and development finance institutions) that open doors to decision-makers and expand the reach of both ActivEdge and PayEdge.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with C-suite and senior decision-makers, including CEOs, CFOs, CIOs/CTOs, CISOs, Chief Risk and Compliance Officers, Heads of Treasury, Chief Procurement Officers, Heads of Operations and Heads of Supply Chain. Focus on financial services, insurance and pensions, telecoms, FMCG, manufacturing, oil & gas, retail and the public sector.

• Organise and lead focused executive engagements, such as CXO roundtables, breakfast briefings, workshops and joint OEM events, designed to produce follow-up meetings with decision-makers rather than general brand visibility.

• Represent ActivEdge and PayEdge at industry forums, banking, cybersecurity and fintech conferences, and policy platforms, and turn the contacts made there into scheduled meetings with decision-makers.

• Engage research and ecosystem partners to collect market insights and optimize product-market fit.

Market Strategy & Intelligence

• Develop and execute strategic plans to drive business growth and achieve market penetration targets.

• Conduct ongoing competitor research, market analysis and customer segmentation to find positioning opportunities for ActivEdge's technology solutions and for PayEdge.

• Stay abreast of industry trends, regulatory developments, and competitive landscape dynamics to inform business strategies and product roadmap feedback.

• Translate technical product and solution features into clear business value propositions (risk reduction, compliance, cost efficiency, working capital and cash flow) that match what each decision-maker cares about.

Pilot, Proof-of-Concept & Account Management

• Scope, prepare and coordinate PayEdge pilot programmes and ActivEdge proofs-of-concept with committed clients, with clear success criteria agreed upfront and a defined path to a commercial contract.

• Manage post-signature handover, onboarding and early account health, and grow signed accounts through upselling and cross-selling between ActivEdge and PayEdge.

• Support revenue operations activities to realize pipeline and commercial conversion goals.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, product, marketing, customer success, and technology, to ensure client satisfaction and product adoption.

Reporting & Performance Management

• Provide weekly and monthly reports to senior management covering meetings held with decision-makers, deals advanced, deals closed, revenue secured and forecast accuracy, for both ActivEdge and PayEdge.

• Ensure 100% CRM compliance for yourself and the Pre-Sales Executive. All meetings with decision-makers, demos, proposals, negotiations and signed agreements must be tracked in real time.

• Deliver regular performance reviews against KPIs and contribute to business planning cycles.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPI = Target

Meetings held with decision-makers (C-suite / Head-of level budget holders) - Minimum 3 per week (12+ per month)

Meetings that turn into qualified opportunities (with an agreed next step) - At least 40%

Client site visits and executive presentations - Minimum 4 per month

Proposals / commercial offers submitted to decision-makers Minimum 4 per month

Contracts, purchase orders or MoUs/LOIs signed (ActivEdge & PayEdge combined) - Minimum 3 per quarter

PayEdge pilots / ActivEdge proofs-of-concept turned into commercial contracts - At least 50%

Proposal win rate At least 25%

Active qualified pipeline (with confirmed decision-maker, budget and timeline) - KSh 10M+ / equivalent

Revenue closed and secured - KSh 2M+ per quarter (PayEdge), plus the ActivEdge revenue quota set each year

CRM compliance (Manager and Pre-Sales Executive) 100%

Note: The number of leads added to the pipeline is not a KPI for this role. Performance is measured on meetings with decision-makers, conversion and closed revenue.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, Economics, or related STEM fields.

• MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification is a strong advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 5–7 years of proven business development and enterprise sales experience in enterprise IT solutions (cybersecurity, cloud, GRC, enterprise applications), FinTech, banking, financial services or supply chain finance.

• At least 3 years of direct experience selling to financial institutions (commercial banks, development finance institutions, insurers, pension funds, microfinance banks, SACCOs or similar) and/or large enterprises in Kenya and East Africa.

• A documented track record of personally closing high-value B2B deals, with evidence of quotas achieved, contract values and sales cycles, including complex sales involving several stakeholders at C-suite level.

• Experience leading, coaching or working closely with pre-sales and solution teams. Line management of at least one pre-sales or sales team member is a strong advantage.

• Prior experience managing pilots, proofs-of-concept, commercial agreements (MoUs/LOIs) and onboarding with institutional clients.

Competencies

• Proven ability to get meetings with C-suite decision-makers through personal networks, referrals and focused outreach, and to move those meetings to signed deals.

• Strong closing skills, including consultative selling, commercial negotiation, objection handling and the discipline to drop deals that are not progressing.

• Ability to navigate complex multi-stakeholder environments and secure buy-in from technical, financial, and executive decision-makers

• Comfortable preparing and delivering polished, tailored product demos and pitch presentations both virtually and on-site

• Strong understanding of supply chain financing, trade finance, vendor financing, and B2B payment workflows

• Working knowledge of enterprise technology solutions, including cybersecurity, cloud, GRC, fraud management and enterprise applications, and the ability to discuss them credibly with CIOs, CISOs and risk leaders.

• Familiarity with financial products, services, and regulatory frameworks relevant to East and West African markets

• Understanding of enterprise financial workflows including accounts payable/receivable, procurement, treasury, and spend management

• Awareness of emerging digital finance technologies including API-driven platforms, cloud infrastructure, mobile payments, and data analytics

• An established network of C-level and senior executive relationships in banking, insurance and pensions, telecoms, FMCG, retail, manufacturing, oil & gas and the public sector, especially in Kenya and East Africa.

• Ability to use existing relationships for warm introductions to decision-makers and to shorten deal cycles.

• Experience engaging ecosystem stakeholders such as regulatory bodies, industry associations, and development finance organizations

• Strategic thinker with ability to translate high-level vision into executable go-to-market actions

• Results-driven with relentless focus on exceeding commercial targets

• Leadership and coaching skills to direct, motivate and develop pre-sales staff, with clear accountability for the team's output.

• Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and negotiation skills

• Strong organizational discipline with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple concurrent deals

• Strong analytical and logical skills to interpret market data and pipeline metrics for decision-making

• Resilient and self-motivated, thrives under pressure in fast-paced, dynamic FinTech environments

• Proficiency in CRM software (HubSpot, Salesforce) and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace Suite

• Familiarity with LinkedIn Sales Navigator for targeted prospecting and outreach

Requirements

We are the specialized HR advisory division of East Africa’s premier talent platform. We focus on creating strategic connections between exceptional professionals and forward-thinking organizations. When you apply for a role through our team, you enter a curated talent ecosystem. Our experts evaluate your unique skills, experience, and aspirations to align you with opportunities that don't just offer a job, but provide a platform for meaningful impact and long-term career growth

Similar open roles

• Sales Manager - MicroFinance - 100,000 KshBrighterMonday Consulting · Nairobi
• Account Manager at TugendeTugende · Nairobi
• Submit CVs – New Recruitment at Centum Real EstateCentum Real Estate · Nairobi
• Zonal Business Manager, Coastal Zone at Sun King (Formerly Greenlight Planet)Sun King (Formerly Greenlight Planet) · Nairobi
• Sales Executive – Water Refill & Beverage Solutions at Nexus Staffing SolutionsNexus Staffing Solutions · Nairobi
• Business Development Manager (Financial Services) at BushaBusha · Nairobi