Partnerships Associate {Business Development} job at Numida

Vacancy title:
Partnerships Associate {Business Development}

Jobs at:
Numida

Deadline of this Job:
Friday, January 9 2026

Duty Station:
Nairobi (Kenya) or Kampala (Uganda) | Kampala

Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, January 6 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:

About Numida:

Numida uses proprietary credit models and tech-enabled underwriting processes to provide unsecured working capital loans to African micro and small businesses. Instead of borrowing from informal lenders or family, business owners download the Numida app, apply in minutes, and receive capital within a day. There are 20 million of these businesses in Africa, representing a $5 billion market opportunity, and traditional microfinance is failing them. We have figured out how to score and disburse unsecured loans to cash-based businesses that have no digital transaction history, with excellent collection rates. Within 10 years, we anticipate enabling at least 1 million small business owners on the continent to achieve their dreams. We are backed by world-class investors such as Serena Ventures, Onafriq, Breega, and 4Di Capital.

Job purpose:

Numida is seeking a commercially minded and execution-driven Business Development Officer – Partnerships to support the sourcing, development, and conversion of strategic partnerships. This role sits at the front end of the partnership lifecycle—owning partner lead generation, early engagement, discovery, and internal coordination required to translate partnership opportunities into live, revenue-generating products.

The role works closely with the Partnerships Manager to ensure alignment on target sectors, partner profiles, and product strategy, while also bridging internal teams (Relationship Officers, Credit, Operations, and Marketing) to ensure partner-led opportunities convert into active customers and disbursements.

It is a pipeline-building, deal-support, and execution role focused on moving partnerships from idea to pilot to scale.

The ideal candidate should possess the following skills:

• Core Commercial & Partnership Skills

  • Partner prospecting & lead qualification

  • Value proposition articulation

  • Discovery & needs assessment

• Execution & Deal Support Skills

  • Follow-through discipline

  • Cross-functional coordination

• Analytical & Market Skills

  • Market research & competitive analysis

  • Working knowledge of lending structures, pricing, credit risk drivers, and portfolio performance.

  • Strong data interpretation and analysis skills, including the ability to run effective analyses using tools such as pivot tables

• Communication & Influence Skills

• Confidence and credibility in pitching to C-suite and senior decision-makers, representing Numida professionally in high-stakes conversations.

• High-impact pitching and presentation skills

• Clear and structured internal communication

• Personal Effectiveness & Mindset

  • High ownership mentality

  • Structured but flexible

  • Integrity and realism

  • Commercial curiosity

Reporting Line:

This role typically reports to the Partnerships Manager.

Key responsibilities

Partner Lead Generation & Pipeline Management

• Proactively source and qualify partnership leads across Numida’s priority sectors.

• Build and maintain a structured partnership pipeline, tracking leads from introduction through launch.

• Continuously align with the Partnerships Manager on target partner profiles, product fit, and prioritization.

• Maintain accurate CRM and pipeline reporting to support decision-making and forecasting.

Partner Discovery & Early Engagement

• Lead first discovery and qualification calls with prospective partners.

• Assess partner business models, customer base, data availability, and strategic fit with Numida’s lending products.

• Document discovery insights clearly and work alongside the Partnerships Manager during deal structuring and negotiation, ensuring discovery learnings are accurately reflected in the commercial and operational design.

Partnership Execution Support

• Support the Partnerships Manager in ongoing partner conversations through structured follow-ups and action tracking.

• Monitor project timelines, pilots, and agreed milestones to ensure partnerships move forward as planned.

• Review performance and operational reports to ensure partnership goals and KPIs are being met.

Market Research & Strategy Support

• Conduct ongoing market research on industry trends, competitor partnerships, and emerging business models.

• Analyze customer and partner feedback to identify gaps, risks, and new partnership opportunities.

• Share structured insights to inform partnership strategy, product design, and go-to-market approaches.

Pitching, Proposals & RFP Support

• Prepare partnership pitches, proposals, presentations, and Requests for Proposal (RFP) responses for prospective partners.

• Customize materials to reflect partner context, customer base, and value proposition.

• Support commercial and operational alignment internally before proposals are shared externally.

Events & Network Management

• Identify relevant industry events, conferences, and networking forums aligned with Numida’s partnership strategy.

• Represent Numida professionally at events to build a pipeline and relationships.

• Track and follow up on leads generated from events and industry engagements.

Issue Resolution & Internal Coordination

• Troubleshoot operational or service-related issues affecting partner workflows in real time.

• Coordinate cross-functionally with internal teams (Credit Operations, Tech, Finance, and Collections) to resolve issues promptly.

• Escalate complex or high-risk matters to the Partnerships Manager or relevant team leads when necessary.

Job Requirements:

Profile:

The ideal candidate is commercially driven, organized, and proactive, with the ability to balance outbound business development with internal coordination and execution. They are comfortable initiating conversations, qualifying opportunities, and ensuring nothing stalls due to poor follow-through.

• 3+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, sales, or account management—preferably in fintech, lending, or financial services.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.

• Experience managing pipelines, discovery calls, and early-stage partnership conversations.

• Strong exposure to cross-functional collaboration (credit, operations, product, relationship teams).

• Understanding of lending products and customer acquisition funnels is a strong advantage.

• Tech-savvy and comfortable working with CRMs, reporting tools, and internal systems.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Self-starter with high accountability and execution discipline.

Key Performance Indicators

• Number of qualified partnership leads generated per quarter

• Conversion rate of partnership leads to active pilots or launched products

• Value and volume of customers sourced through partnerships

• Number of actionable market or partnership insights contributed

Why Numida is a fit for you

• At Numida, we believe our values make a difference

• We are committed to active inclusion and diversity

• We are transparent

• We succeed when our customers succeed

• We do not only get things done, but also in the right way.

• We value, support, and help each other grow.

What we offer

This is a full-time, high-growth opportunity at an early-stage East African technology start-up, offering a competitive salary, medical insurance, and performance-based incentives for meeting or exceeding KPIs. You’ll be part of an international, ambitious, and open-minded team, working in a dynamic culture that values continuous learning, meaningful impact, and plenty of fun along the way.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 36

Level of Education: bachelor degree

Job application procedure

Interested and qualified? Click here to apply