Business Development Associate (Nairobi/Jo-burg/Lagos)

AMI is looking for an ambitious and talented Business Development Associate to support the growth of its Entrepreneurship and Management programmes by driving programme sales, partnerships, and market expansion across Africa. This role will focus on identifying, engaging, and enrolling high-potential businesses into AMI’s learning programmes, while also building strategic relationships with ecosystem partners, institutions, and networks that can accelerate reach and impact. The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening AMI’s presence across multiple markets, contributing to both direct sales efforts and broader go-to-market initiatives that drive sustainable pipeline growth and programme adoption.

Responsibilities

• Drive sales and marketing for AMI’s business and management development programmes - implement and contribute to strategy for recruiting, building relationships and enrolling leaders and entrepreneurs in AMI programmes

• Explain the solutions and value derived application of our products and programmes to business leaders and potential participants through various communications channels – video, email, phone, SMS, and social media

• Utilize and manage customer contacts through a customer relationship management (CRM) system

• Analyse sales/marketing data to develop strategic communication and marketing initiatives to support programme recruitment

• Expand relationships with businesses by engaging with potential customers in the AMI business community and across Africa

• Liaise with marketing production team members to deliver events, marketing materials and digital campaigns relevant to the programme

• Coordinate across various departments to ensure incoming and enrolled participants learning needs are adequately served and relevant data is properly captured

• Work across the company with various teams to continually improve the recruitment and enrolment process

Requirements• Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Business, Marketing, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)

• 3–5 years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or B2B sales roles, with a strong track record of lead generation, client engagement, and closing deals

• Experience in programme sales or business development, with exposure to business learning or training solutions being an added advantage

• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth or entrepreneurial environment

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence and conviction to engage and influence senior stakeholders

• Strong commercial acumen and entrepreneurial mindset, with a clear focus on driving growth and closing deals

• Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage senior decision-makers

• Proven ability to generate leads and systematically convert them into revenue through structured sales approaches

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to track and manage leads across the full sales cycle from generation to closure

• Highly organized with strong time management and prioritization skills, able to manage multiple opportunities simultaneously

• Self-driven and proactive, with the ability to operate independently while maintaining accountability for resultsStrong systems and digital proficiency, including:

• CRM systems (Zoho, Salesforce) – above intermediate proficiency required

• Lead generation tools (e.g., Lusha, HubSpot, Browser AI)

• Content and design tools (e.g., Canva) – above intermediate proficiency

• Data and analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Google Analytics)

• Passion for business learning, leadership development, and SME growth across Africa

• High integrity, professionalism, and alignment with AMI’s values of excellence, innovation, and accountability.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-growth, and evolving environment

Benefits A high-impact, diverse and ambitious team with common values:
• Be the best: We work really hard, are proud of what we do, and love delighting our clients with quality.

• Own it: We step up to the task, never pass the buck and hold ourselves accountable for delivering results.

• Push the limits: We ask why, embrace failure and try new things. We never settle.

• Do what’s right: We act with integrity, confront dishonesty, treat people fairly and strive to contribute to the greater good

• ​Always care: We don’t have ego – it’s always ‘team before me’. We are kind, we celebrate each other’s success, and we care enough to give honest feedback.

• A dynamic office & team life:

• Monthly team social events and yearly offsite

• Regular learning and coaching opportunities

• A hybrid working model