Head of Business Development, Marketing & Partnerships - Microfinance

About this role

Our client is seeking a commercially astute, strategic and execution-oriented Head of Business Development, Marketing & Partnerships to lead its commercial growth agenda and strengthen its market position within Kenya's financial services and digital credit sector.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a member of the Executive Committee, the role holder will be responsible for developing and executing integrated business development, sales, marketing and partnership strategies that drive sustainable revenue growth, loan book expansion, customer acquisition, profitability and market penetration.
The role will provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple product lines, distribution channels and customer acquisition platforms, including the branch network, field sales, digital channels and strategic partnerships.
A key priority will be to accelerate the commercialisation and market penetration of new and existing products, including digital lending solutions and revamped loan products, while ensuring that growth is supported by sound portfolio quality, effective customer acquisition, responsible lending practices and strong commercial discipline.
The successful candidate will lead a large, geographically distributed commercial team, build strong functional leadership capability, and establish a performance-driven culture anchored in data, accountability, customer focus and measurable business outcomes.
This is a high-impact executive role in a fast-paced, target-driven environment that requires a leader who can translate strategy into tangible results, make informed decisions quickly, and drive execution across multiple business functions.
3. Key Roles & Responsibilities
A. Commercial Strategy, Business Development and Growth

• Develop and execute the organisation's commercial strategy, translating enterprise objectives into integrated business development, sales, marketing and market expansion plans.

• Drive sustainable loan book growth, revenue growth, customer acquisition and profitability across product lines, channels and geographical markets.

• Identify and evaluate new markets, customer segments, business opportunities and distribution channels to expand the organisation's market reach.

• Develop strategies to strengthen customer acquisition, increase repeat business and improve customer lifetime value.

• Translate enterprise KPIs into clear departmental, functional and individual performance targets, ensuring alignment across the commercial organisation.

• Monitor commercial performance, identify emerging opportunities and performance gaps, and implement timely corrective measures.

• Provide strategic commercial insights and recommendations to the CEO and EXCO to support business planning and decision-making.

B. Sales and Business Development Leadership

• Lead the sales and business development function, ensuring effective execution of commercial plans across branches, regional teams, field sales, team leaders and other customer acquisition channels.

• Establish clear sales targets, performance standards, productivity expectations and accountability mechanisms across the commercial network.

• Drive customer acquisition, lead conversion, disbursement performance, portfolio growth and repeat business in line with approved business targets.

• Strengthen sales execution through effective pipeline management, customer segmentation, territory planning and performance monitoring.

• Identify opportunities to improve sales productivity, channel effectiveness and conversion rates.

• Work closely with Credit, Risk, Collections and Operations to improve the customer acquisition and disbursement journey while maintaining portfolio quality and responsible lending standards.

• Review commercial capacity, staffing requirements and sales coverage to ensure the organisation is appropriately positioned to deliver its growth objectives.

C. Marketing, Brand Positioning and Customer Acquisition

• Develop and implement an integrated marketing strategy that supports business growth, customer acquisition, product uptake and brand positioning.

• Lead the development and execution of marketing campaigns across digital, traditional, field activation, referral and other relevant channels.

• Oversee brand positioning, marketing communications, public relations and customer engagement initiatives.

• Drive qualified lead generation and improve the conversion of marketing leads into active customers.

• Monitor marketing effectiveness, campaign performance, customer acquisition costs and return on marketing investment.

• Use market intelligence, customer insights and competitor analysis to refine marketing strategies and improve campaign effectiveness.

• Ensure consistent brand identity, messaging and customer communication across all channels.

• Lead the development of marketing strategies that support new product launches, market expansion and customer retention.

D. Product Commercialisation and Market Expansion

• Lead the commercial development and market introduction of new products, product enhancements and digital lending solutions.

• Conduct market assessments, customer research and competitor analysis to identify opportunities for product innovation and commercial growth.

• Collaborate with Credit, Risk, IT, Operations, Finance and other relevant functions to ensure products are commercially viable, operationally deliverable and aligned with the organisation's risk appetite.

• Develop and execute product commercialisation strategies, including customer segmentation, pricing input, positioning, distribution and promotional plans.

• Monitor product performance against approved business cases and commercial targets, identifying opportunities to improve uptake, profitability and customer experience.

• Recommend corrective actions for underperforming products and support decisions on product enhancements, repositioning or market…