Lead, Partnerships - Smartcash PSB

Establish the business development strategic direction while identifying and tapping into opportunities for Smartcash PSB enterprise products

• Grow Smartcash PSB’s revenues, transactions share, customer market share and margins in Customer to Business (C2B), Business to Customer to Customer (B2C).
• Manage the end-to-end business development process for all opportunities including initial customer communication, on-site presentations, Request for Information (RFI) response, multi-day customer workshops, Request for Proposal (RFP) submission, negotiation and deal signing.
• Review existing products and services regularly to improve enterprise customer experience and develop tactical plans to stimulate increased usage. 
• Prospect and acquire potential business as strategic Smartcash PSB partners.
• Plan and coordinate the implementation of business plans and penetration of new opportunities.

Drive superior commercial results and financial returns.

• Ensure delivery of all financial targets including revenue & margin. Represent Airtel’s position and vision in Nigeria Corporate and Emerging market communities.
• Lead and drive engagement with the multi-level, cross-functional stakeholders – Airtel Group, Airtel Nigeria, Airtel Business to strengthen commercial and financial analysis in roadmap decision and implementing enterprise products & enablers.
• Develop the respective business cases required to approve the delivery of new products and services for the Smartcash PSB department.
• Support the team’s market research and competitive positioning analysis together with Airtel Business sales, marketing and product development teams.
• Review and enhance the defined prices (tariffs) for new & existing products.
• Liaise with finance to negotiate pricing with vendors and revenue share with partners.
• Analyze market trends, technology trends in mobile financial services planning.

Oversee the development of a strong product strategy for the Smartcash PSB enterprise proposition.

• Lead the Smartcash PSB business proposition for the growth of Smartcash PSB in Nigeria, including the management of commercial, contractual and regulatory work streams.
• Proactively research and investigate functionality suitable for the local market, understand prospective Smartcash PSB customers’ needs and discuss with key stakeholders to obtain buy-in and develop a strategic enterprise product proposal using all relevant information.
• Define use cases, product design and product requirements for customization to meet specific Smartcash PSB customer needs and liaise with the technical team to ensure correct implementation.
• Provide market feedback to Airtel leadership regarding competitive offerings, prospect needs and generate product development ideas.
• Work with the Group and Nigeria teams and leadership to develop the relevant path to launch and scale (products & service, distribution, business processes, contracts, compliance).
• Work closely with marketing to identify appropriate go to market messaging for specific business sectors.
• Manage the Smartcash PSB enterprise services development roadmap working with all technical and commercial teams with the aim of launching approved services.
• Champion sales automation processes
• Work together with business analysts and solution architects in order to design, configure and deliver the Smartcash PSB systems, products and services to meet customers’ requirements and deadlines, including 3rd line support for after sales service levels.

Forge strategic partnerships

• Work closely with Supply Chain Management to Prospect, Identify and acquire potential vendors, platform & service providers as strategic Smartcash PSB partners.
• Work out joint go-t0-market plans and set out clear KPIs for the identified suppliers while monitoring and evaluating performance
• Manage an outsourced channel of business partners in order to expand penetration of our Smartcash PSB services including developing the sales and commission models used to incentivize and remunerate these partners.
• Develop a partners’ strategy and engagement model for Smartcash PSB
• Maintain current knowledge of technologies, products, services, methods and applications and implement new approaches and practices as required through partners 

Coordinate effective internal and external operational support of Smartcash PSB enterprise customers 

• Track and monitor performance of shared services sections to ensure set targets are met, e.g. sales, marketing, usage and retention initiatives, advertising, sales, marketing technical support, supply chain, legal and regulatory and customer service.
• Develop service level agreements (SLAs) with external partners, integrators, aggregators and ensure adherence to the set standards and superior enterprise customer experience.

Team and stakeholder engagement

• Champion the development and maintenance of effective relationships with businesses/enterprises across Nigeria and beyond.
• Manage a team of Smartcash PSB Business sales officers to drive the increase of usage of Smartcash PSB products and services within the Enterprise, Banking, Business and Government sectors as well as into the development partner organizations such as NGOs and global donor agencies.
• Manage an outsourced channel of business partners in order to expand penetration of our Smartcash PSB services including developing the sales and commission models used to incentivize and remunerate these partners.
• Provide required product reports as input to the Smartcash PSB weekly, monthly report, including roadmaps and performance against target dates.
• Undertake talent and performance management of the Smartcash PSB business development team.

Educational Qualifications  

• Bachelors in marketing, Finance, Business, Sales, Commerce or equivalent

Relevant Experience & Functional / Technical Skills

• Minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience in a management role within corporate Sales environment in Financial Services having been exposed to all disciplines. Mobile Money product experience preferred.
• Excellent negotiation skills - proven track records of successfully pitching for new business.
• Strong personal communication and presentation skills - to establish interest, credibility and trust.
• Experience in responding to formal RFIs and RFPs for large brand businesses
• Ability to manage and track lead generation and sales pipeline.
• Strong and long-term relationships and referrals with senior management at businesses.
• Good business acumen and entrepreneurial-oriented philosophy
• Understanding of the Nigerian market.
• Commercially astute – solid understanding of market, competitor & customer
• Strategically oriented – solid understanding of integrated set of products and services included within the Smartcash PSB portfolio; able to identify opportunities for Airtel and define and implement these opportunities into reality. 
• Putting customers first – listens to and understands the needs of customers. Reviews service levels, evaluates feasibility and profitability of service. Makes sure the team focus on delivering customer needs.
• Performing through our people – Manages virtual teams.  Builds on other people’s ideas. Influences, supports, challenge people. Motivates them and performance high.
• Delivering results Sets clear and challenging objectives; collaborative and involving in his/her approach; negotiates and influences stakeholder to obtain preferential positioning for his/her activities; able to see the big picture and at the same time assure the smallest details are accounted for; makes unpopular decisions if necessary
• Managing a changing environment – Inquisitive, curious and keen to learn, has a thirst for knowledge.  Consistently puts forward new ideas, solutions. Analytical, ability to think things through to logical conclusion and perceive things from different perspectives.  Perceives interrelationships between variables, deciphers cause and effect relationships and anticipates consequences of actions. Proactively dismantles barriers to change and continuously looks for way to improve working methodologies.
• Making a personal difference – Builds, develop and leverage from strong networks within the organization and the wider telecommunications industry. Sets high standards for self and the teams do. Takes responsibility for targets and holds self-accountable for actions and achievements.
• Communicating for impact – is clear and concise in written and spoken communication; keeps all relevant people informed of progress in work, presents complex information and concepts in a way which is simple to understand.