Business Development

Business Development & Launch Specialist – West Africa  

Business Development | Côte d'Ivoire or Benin (Hybrid)

Kuunda is a B2B2C embedded digital finance company that provides liquidity to the informal sector through liquidity APIs and proprietary credit scoring algorithms that generate behavioural and transactional borrowing profiles. We specialize in real-time, transaction-based lending solutions that unlock access to capital for mobile money agents, small businesses, and consumers.  

Kuunda builds dynamic, embedded financing solutions that enable sustainable economic productivity and inclusion across Africa.

OUR TEAM

We are a distributed team of bold, passionate, and purpose-driven individuals with deep experience in implementing digital financial services across the continent. With operations in 10+ markets and growing, we bring together diverse skills in product, engineering, partnerships, and credit to drive transformative impact at scale. We value curiosity, ownership, and collaboration, and operate in a hybrid model—working remotely and from partner offices—with key hubs in Cape Town, Nairobi, and beyond.

OUR ROLE

As the Business Development & Launch Specialist – West Africa, you will own and drive Kuunda's commercial growth across West Africa. You'll work closely with telcos, banks, and financial institutions to structure and launch new embedded liquidity solutions. You'll
operate with a high degree of autonomy, serving as Kuunda's lead representative in the region, responsible for sourcing, closing, and implementing strategic partnerships.  

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, high-performance environments, can navigate ambiguity, influence without formal authority, and build strong senior relationships across organizations.  

This role reports to the Commerical Manager Africa and is based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire or Cotonou, Benin, with frequent travel across the West Africa region.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Commercial Growth & Partnership Development

• Identify, approach, and close partnerships with telcos, banks, and other financial institutions to deploy Kuunda products, with the support of the Commercial Manager – Africa.  
• Lead the end-to-end commercial process — from outreach and pitch to business case development, commercial structuring, and contract execution.  
• Engage senior stakeholders and decision-makers, aligning on shared goals and presenting compelling partnership opportunities.  
• Build strong relationships with balance sheet providers to unlock liquidity for product launches.
  

Product Launch & Execution

• Own and drive execution of product go-lives in-market, working with internal product, credit, and engineering teams.  
• Manage timelines, dependencies, and deliverables across multiple internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.  
• Lead weekly standups, track milestones, and proactively resolve operational or partner challenges. 
  

Market Intelligence & Strategic Input

• Monitor and assess market trends, regulatory changes, and competitor activity to inform country and product strategy.  
• Provide insights on macro and microeconomic factors influencing product performance and partner dynamics.  
• Work with the product team to adapt features or co-create new offerings based on local partner needs.  

Operations & Relationship Management

• Serve as Kuunda's in-country representative for partner engagements and strategic meetings.  
• Ensure partners meet agreed SLAs and work collaboratively to address any blockers to growth or service delivery.  
• Represent Kuunda at industry events, forums, and roundtables to build credibility and open new commercial pathways. 

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Experience

• 5–8 years in business development, partnerships, or strategic roles in fintech, telecoms, banking, or financial services.  
• Experience working independently in emerging markets and building commercial playbooks from scratch.  
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders, manage partner relationships, and close complex deals without direct reporting lines.  

Skills & Competencies

• Bilingual: Fluent in French and English (spoken and written).  
• Strong commercial acumen; able to model business cases and structure partnerships that balance risk and reward.  
• Deep understanding of West Africa's telco and financial ecosystems, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and neighbouring markets.  
• Self-starter with high ownership and the ability to operate autonomously in dynamic environments.  
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills. 
  

Personality

• Entrepreneurial and adaptable: Comfortable navigating ambiguity and iterating quickly.  
• Relationship-oriented: Able to build trust and alignment with partners.  
• Politically astute: Understands internal and external dynamics of telcos, banks, and government institutions.  
• Energetic and mission-aligned: Passionate about financial inclusion and scaling impact through innovation. 

WHAT YOU WILL GET FROM US

We're a team of independent thinkers and builders driven by the mission to create sustainable economic futures. Through collaboration and resilience, we design systems that deliver meaningful impact across African markets.

We offer:  

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonus  
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth  
• Flexible work arrangements and supportive culture  
• Exposure to industry-shaping innovation in embedded finance 

LOCATION

This role is based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire or Cotonou, Benin, with frequent travel across West Africa.

INTERESTED, GET IN TOUCH…

Does this role excite you? Do you believe in Kuunda's mission to democratize access to liquidity in Africa?  

If yes, we'd love to hear from you. Please apply online to join our dynamic, purpose-driven team.  

Location

Abidjan (Hybrid)

Department

Operations

Employment Type

Consultant

Minimum Experience

Experienced