Business Development Manager

 Retail Channel Prospecting and Partner Acquisition

• Build and manage a structured target list of retail brands and individual store owners aligned to SPOT Connect’s channel strategy.
• Design and execute outreach campaigns across direct visits, phone, and digital channels to generate and qualify new retail partner leads.
• Qualify prospects against defined commercial, operational, and brand criteria before advancing them into the active pipeline.
• Lead negotiations with prospective partners, managing commercial terms, objections, and expectations to achieve mutually viable agreements.
• Finalize deal and manage the handover to the Channel and Operations teams for activation, maintaining accountability for the outcome through to Trading status.

  Onboarding Oversight and Activation
• Own the activation journey for each new store, co-ordinating with Operations, Channel, and the partner to meet Onboarding-to-Live SLAs.
• Proactively identify and escalate blockers that risk a store not reaching Live or Trading status.
• Conduct post-activation check-ins with new store partners within the first 30 and 90 days to monitor performance and resolve issues.

    Pipeline Management and Reporting

• Maintain a clean, accurate, and up-to-date pipeline at all times, with current status, next action, and probability for every opportunity.
• Produce weekly pipeline reports and monthly performance summaries covering store acquisition, activation status, commercial performance, and retention metrics.
• Use pipeline data and conversion analytics to identify trends, adjust targeting strategy, and improve lead quality and cycle time.

    Commercial Intelligence and Channel Input
• Monitor competitor retail channel activity, partner pricing, and market developments relevant to SPOT Connect’s retail expansion strategy.
• Provide structured feedback to the direct Manager, Channel Head and Product team on partner needs, operational blockers, and commercial opportunities identified in the field.

    Stakeholder Engagement

• Maintain strong working relationships with retail store owners and brand decision-makers to build long-term commercial partnerships.
• Engage the Channel Head, Operations Manager, and Finance as required to resolve activation issues, commercial disputes, and partner onboarding blockers.
• Represent SPOT Connect professionally at all retail partner interactions, maintaining the brand’s reputation and commercial relationships.

• Matric
• Bachelor’s degree Sales, Marketing, Business or in a relevant field preferred

   

  Experience

• At least 3 years’ experience in a business development or B2B sales role.
• Experience working with CRM systems and using data to drive decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to generate leads, manage long sales cycles, and close complex deals.
• Experience engaging with internal stakeholders and external partners at various levels.Skills and Competencies
• Solid knowledge of business development strategies and B2B sales methodologies.
• Skilled at identifying new market opportunities and positioning solutions effectively.
• Proficient in sales automation and CRM tools (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot).
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong negotiation and closing capabilities.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to take initiative and work independently.
• High level of integrity and ability to build trust-based relationships.
• Analytical thinker with strong commercial acumen.
• Persistent and resilient in achieving targets and dealing with rejection.
• Collaborative, with an ability to influence cross-functional teams.

 DIGITAL AND AI FLUENCY

At Ignition Group, digital and AI fluency is not a nice-to-have — it is a core performance requirement for every role, at every level. As AI and automation reshape how work gets done, the ability to work confidently and responsibly alongside these tools is as fundamental as any technical or professional skill.

What this means in practice:

• Digital fluency — navigating and using digital platforms, tools, and systems relevant to your role with confidence and competence
• AI tool adoption — actively using approved AI productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot) to improve the quality, accuracy, and efficiency of your work
• Data literacy — reading, interpreting, and applying data and AI-generated outputs to make better decisions, not replacing your judgement but sharpening it
• Automation awareness — recognising tasks and processes that can be improved through automation, and contributing to those improvements
• Learning agility — staying curious, upskilling continuously, and adapting as tools and practices evolve
• Responsible and ethical AI use — understanding data privacy obligations, the limits of AI-generated content, and applying sound human judgement at all times