Business Development Manager

Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR)

Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), founded in Nigeria, is an indigenous non-profit organization dedicated to researching and developing evidence-based approaches for implementing high-impact health interventions in Africa. We work with businesses, governments, researchers and development organizations to develop innovative solutions that address pressing development challenges. We are a dynamic and growing organization committed to improving health and social outcomes through effective program implementation, capacity building and dissemination of insights from rigorous research for policy change.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business Development Manager

Location: Abuja

Division: Operations

Report to: Principal

Travel requirement: Up to 20 percent (20%)

Role Summary

• As a Business Development Manager, you will lead SCIDaR’s business growth, geographic expansion, and strategic partnership development across Africa, while being based in Nigeria.
• You will identify, qualify, and convert high-value opportunities across priority African markets, with a focus on the public health and development sectors, by engaging governments, public health institutions, donors, international development organisations, foundations, private-sector entities, and other strategic partners.
• Leveraging a strong understanding of Africa’s public health and development ecosystem, including country and regional health priorities, donor funding mechanisms, procurement processes, and the consulting and technical assistance landscape, you will translate SCIDaR’s technical expertise into compelling, locally relevant value propositions.
• Through strategic market intelligence, stakeholder engagement, proposal development, and opportunity pipeline management, you will expand SCIDaR’s regional footprint, drive sustainable business growth, and advance the organisation’s mission across Africa.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Expansion Strategy:

• Develop and implement an Africa-wide business development and market expansion strategy aligned with the organisation’s overall strategic priorities;
• Identify and prioritize African countries and markets with the greatest potential for growth and impact;
• Develop country- and region-specific market-entry and growth plans, including priority sectors, clients, donors, partners, and engagement strategies;
• Assess markets based on public health needs, funding flows, donor priorities, market potential, competitive landscape, regulatory environment, organisational capabilities, and likelihood of success;
• Establish measurable business development targets for the Africa portfolio and track performance against agreed KPIs.

Business Intelligence & Opportunity Identification:

• Build and maintain strong knowledge of the African public health and development landscape, including national and regional health priorities, government program, donor investments, procurement mechanisms, and emerging opportunities;
• Proactively identify and track consulting, technical assistance, research, program implementation, capacity-building, and other relevant opportunities across African markets;
• Monitor donor platforms, government procurement portals, development partner announcements, tenders, grants, and other relevant sources;
• Map key decision-makers, funders, implementing partners, competitors, and influencers across priority markets.

Client, Donor and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Establish and maintain relationships with government ministries and agencies, national public health institutions, donors, development partners, foundations, NGOs, private-sector organisations, and other strategic stakeholders across Africa;
• Develop and execute stakeholder engagement plans for priority countries and strategic accounts;
• Represent the organisation at relevant African and international conferences, technical meetings, donor forums, industry events, and networking platforms;
• Lead introductory meetings, capability presentations, partnership discussions, and opportunity-development engagements with prospective clients and partners;
• Build a strong network of senior-level contacts and influencers across priority African markets.

Business Pipeline Analysis & Database Management:

• Work with the KML unit and other critical stakeholders to develop business development dashboards and periodic management reports to provide insights into pipeline health, market performance, opportunity conversion, and revenue forecasts;

• Work with the leadership team to review SCIDaR’s business development performance indicators, including pipeline value, conversion rates, win rates, revenue projections, and opportunity status;

• Analyze historical proposal and project data to identify patterns in successful bids, client preferences, pricing, and win/loss factors, and translate findings into actionable recommendations;

• Analyze financial data and performance metrics to track progress against business development goals and identify areas for improvement or optimization;

• Support the development of annual business development plans and market-entry strategies, using market intelligence and organisational performance data to inform growth priorities;

• Maintain an up-to-date database of donors, development partners, government agencies, NGOs, private-sector organisations, and other target clients relevant to the firm's growth strategy.

• Key Success Measures

Success in the role will be measured by the ability to:

• Build and grow a high-quality Africa-wide business development pipeline.
• Identify and convert opportunities across priority African markets.
• Secure new clients, contracts, grants, and strategic engagements.
• Establish a strong and diverse network of African partners and stakeholders.
• Improve proposal submission quality and win/conversion rates.
• Support successful entry into new African markets.
• Generate measurable growth in revenue and/or funding from African opportunities.
• Strengthen SCIDaR’s visibility, reputation, and positioning within the African public health ecosystem.
• Provide actionable market intelligence to support strategic decision-making.
• Contribute to SCIDaR’s long-term growth, sustainability, and public health impact across the continent.

Requirements

Essential:

• Academic training: Minimum of a Second-class Upper Bachelor’s Degree with a Master’s Degree in Public Health, International Development, Business Administration, Business Development, Social Sciences, Marketing, or a related discipline from an accredited institution.

Experience

• 7 – 10 years progressive experience in business development, partnerships, consulting, fundraising, or a related growth-focused role, preferably within the public health, healthcare, international development, managem