Founding Business Development Partner

Company Description

Roavva is an early-stage experiences and exploration company on a mission to cure digital fatigue. We design intentional, real-world activities, journeys, and community-driven programs that push people to look up from their screens and connect deeply with the world around them. We do not just market events; we build the infrastructure for modern human connection. By partnering with local and regional creators, we curate high-quality, safe, and deeply memorable experiences rooted in personal growth. At Roavva, we do not care about bureaucratic hierarchies or clock-punching. We value raw creativity, measurable impact, and meticulous design. We are building a high-trust, fast-moving team where your ideas do not just get heard, they get built.

Role Description

The Founding Business Development Partner is a full-time, on-site role based in Nairobi. This is not a comfortable corporate sales job; you are stepping in as a core builder to co-author our growth story from scratch. Your primary mission is to build Roavva’s commercial engine, forge high-value strategic partnerships, and lock down new revenue streams.

On any given day, you will be hunting for high-potential local partners, pitching the Roavva vision to skeptical stakeholders, drafting creative proposals, and closing complex commercial agreements. Beyond sales, you will work hand-in-hand with the executive leadership team to reverse-engineer our go-to-market strategy, test pricing models, and launch new experience verticals. You will be responsible for writing our sales playbook, tracking unit economics, and funneling ground-level partner feedback directly into product development. This role sits at the intersection of marketing, operations, and product, requiring a partner who can bridge the gap between a grand vision and flawless execution.

Qualifications
• Relentless Dealmaker: Proven track record in high-impact sales and business development, with an obsession for cold outreach, pipeline velocity, and closing complex, non-standard agreements.
• People & Culture Leader: Strong background in leadership development and training, with the ability to coach external partners, build local creator communities, and cultivate a high-performance culture.
• Scrappy Project Manager: Exceptional ability to prioritize ruthlessly, juggle chaotic timelines, and drive projects across the finish line with minimal supervision.
• Strategic Solution Consultant: A sharp consulting mindset, you do not just sell a product, you analyze a partner's business problems, co-create custom solutions, and use data to back up your choices.
• Compelling Storyteller: Elite communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the gravitas required to command a room of senior corporate stakeholders or inspire grassroots local vendors.
• Battle-Tested Entrepreneurship: Direct experience surviving and thriving in a startup, growth-stage tech company, or self-built entrepreneurial venture. You run toward ambiguity, not away from it.
• Credentials: A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field, or a proven portfolio of real-world business wins that proves you do not need one.
• Nairobi Rooted: Deeply connected to the local Nairobi ecosystem, fully available to work on-site, and ready to travel regionally to scout new experience territories.