Strategy and Business Development Manager

About the role

The Strategy and Business Development Manager works directly with the Group CEO to originate, evaluate, validate and develop business opportunities before investment decisions are made. It is a hands-on corporate strategy and venture development role, not a sales or executive assistant position. The role is based onsite in Lagos, Nigeria.

Key responsibilities

• Identify and prioritise business opportunities across sectors, assessing market size, demand, competition, industry economics and routes to market.
• Prepare decision-ready business cases and investment memoranda, and build financial models covering pricing, unit economics, revenue, capital needs, cash flow and returns.
• Test critical assumptions through customer interviews, supplier discussions, pricing checks and scoped pilots, then recommend whether to proceed, pilot, revise, defer or reject.
• Assess potential partners, joint ventures and acquisitions, supporting negotiation preparation and preliminary due diligence alongside Finance and Legal.
• Prepare executive briefs and investment recommendations for the Group CEO, and track decisions, milestones and risks across approved initiatives.

Required profile

• Around 5 to 10 years in corporate development, investment analysis, venture building, strategy consulting or strategic partnerships; demonstrated capability matters more than tenure.
• Experience taking opportunities beyond research and presentations into customer validation, pilots, negotiations, transactions or measurable commercial results.
• Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering or a related discipline; postgraduate or professional qualifications are an advantage.

Required skills

• Strong financial modelling, market assessment and business case writing.
• Advanced Excel.
• Comfortable working across unfamiliar industries and engaging senior stakeholders independently.

Shortlisted candidates complete a mandatory business case exercise as part of the selection process.