Vacancies

Job Title: Business Development Manager

Reporting to: Head of Commercial Services

Job Summary: The Business Development Manager (BDM) will lead the growth and delivery of SRCC’s consulting portfolio by originating business opportunities, developing winning proposals, managing client relationships, and overseeing consulting engagements from contract award through delivery and close-out.

This role is specifically designed for professionals with a strong consulting background who thoroughly understand the end-to-end consulting cycle from opportunity identification and proposal development, through project execution, monitoring and evaluation, and client relationship management. The BDM will serve as a key interface between clients, partners, technical experts, and internal teams, ensuring both commercial success and high-quality consulting outcomes.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND CONSULTING SALES

• Identify, qualify, and pursue consulting opportunities across SRCC’s thematic areas, including management consulting, commercialization, and project fund management.
• Lead the full pre-contract consulting process, including opportunity scoping, client needs assessment, solution design, pricing, and negotiation.
• Develop and manage a robust consulting pipeline that ensures predictable revenue generation and portfolio growth.
• Lead the preparation of high-quality consulting proposals, Expressions of Interest (EOIs), concept notes, technical and financial proposals/bids, and capability statements.
• Translate client needs into tailored, evidence-based consulting solutions that align with client, public sector, and private sector requirements.
• Achieve agreed business development and revenue targets.

2. CONSULTING ENGAGEMENT AND PROJECT OVERSIGHT

• Provide oversight and coordination of consulting projects once proposals are approved, ensuring seamless transition from business development to delivery.
• Act as the primary client focal point during project implementation, ensuring clear communication, expectation management, and client satisfaction.
• Support project planning, resourcing, budgeting, scheduling, and risk management in collaboration with technical leads.
• Ensure projects are delivered in line with contractual obligations, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.

3. CLIENT ENGAGEMENT & PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT

• Build and manage long-term relationships with clients including government agencies, development partners, private sector firms, and foundations.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships to strengthen SRCC’s consulting positioning and access to opportunities.
• Manage key accounts across the consulting lifecycle, from prospecting to repeat business and portfolio expansion.
• Strengthening internal partnerships with Strathmore University faculties, institutes, and centers to mobilize expertise and develop competitive consulting teams.

4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING INTEGRATION

• Demonstrate a strong appreciation of M&E principles within consulting assignments.
• Support the integration of results frameworks, indicators, reporting schedules, and learning mechanisms into project designs.
• Review and contribute to technical reports, progress updates, and final deliverables to ensure quality and accountability.
• Use project data and performance insights to inform business development, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Lead post-engagement and post-bid learning reviews to strengthen delivery quality, proposal success rates, and institutional learning.

5. MARKET DEVELOPMENT AND ADVISORY GROWTH

• Track market trends, client priorities, policy developments, and competitor positioning to inform business development strategy.
• Contribute to the design, packaging, and scaling of SRCC’s advisory and consulting services.
• Support thought leadership, visibility initiatives, and strategic convenings that position SRCC as a trusted advisory partner.

6. LEADERSHIP AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

• Provide leadership and coaching to business development staff supporting the consulting function.
• Prepare pipeline, performance, and market intelligence reports for senior management.
• Uphold SRCC’s quality standards, ethics, and professional consulting practices.

7. TEAM LEADERSHIP AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

• Lead convenings such as executive roundtables, workshops, conferences, and networking forums to showcase SRCC’s advisory capabilities and connect clients, partners, consultants, and academic experts.
• Build, manage, and sustain a high-quality ecosystem of consultants and subject-matter experts internally and externally to support proposal development and project delivery.
• Support SRCC’s market positioning by driving thought leadership, visibility initiatives, and representation across social media platforms.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to have and demonstrate evidence of the following qualifications, attributes, and skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Economics, Management, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Master’s degree (MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification) strongly preferred.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a consulting or professional services environment.
• Demonstrated experience across the full consulting lifecycle, including proposal leadership and engagement oversight.
• Proven track record of winning and managing consulting assignments.
• Experience with client-funded, public sector, or development consulting is an advantage.

KEY COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• Strong consulting commercial acumen and client advisory mindset.
• Excellent proposal development and bid management capability.
• Solid understanding of project governance, M&E, and results-based management.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive-level communication skills.
• Analytical, structured problem-solving approach.
• Ability to operate across sales, delivery oversight, and relationship management.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Strong consulting commercial acumen and client advisory mindset.
• Advanced proposal development and bid management capability.
• Solid understanding of project governance, M&E, and results-based management.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive-level communication skills.
• Analytical, structured problem-solving approach.
• Ability to operate across sales, delivery oversight, and relationship management.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Willingness to travel for business development activities, stakeholder engagements, and project assignments.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

If you are interested in the position and have the skills we are looking for, we would like to hear from you. Please forward an application letter together with a copy of your updated resume, quoting ‘Business Development Manager – SRCC’ to srccrecruitment@strathmore.edu by 16^th April 2026.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Please be advised that Strathmore Research and Consultancy Centre(SRCC) is an equal opportunity employer and does NOT ask for money from applicants under any circumstances during its recruitment process. Interested applicants are encouraged to exercise caution upon receiving any such interview opportunity that requires payment of any money.