Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships

Reports To: Country Manager
Location: Nigeria (Hybrid) | Pan-African Scope
Experience Level: Senior Leadership (10–13 years)
Product: COVER-CONNECT – Pan-African Embedded Insurance Infrastructure Platform
Salary: ₦1,500,000 – ₦2,500,000 monthly (based on experience and performance)

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly strategic and commercially astute Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships to drive revenue growth, market expansion, and ecosystem development for COVER-CONNECT, a pan-African embedded insurance infrastructure platform.

This role is suited for a relationship-driven, consultative commercial leader with deep exposure to fintech, insurtech, insurance, and digital platforms, and a proven track record of selling technology-enabled platforms, APIs, and infrastructure partnerships—rather than traditional insurance products.

The successful candidate will own high-value partnerships, shape go-to-market strategies, and position COVER-CONNECT as Africas leading embedded insurance infrastructure platform.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem Development

• Identify, engage, and onboard high-impact ecosystem partners, including:

  • Insurance companies

  • Fintechs and digital banks

  • Telcos

  • E-commerce, mobility, logistics, and lifestyle platforms

• Structure and negotiate scalable commercial models, including revenue-sharing, commissions, and usage-based pricing.

• Build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that drive recurring platform revenue and geographic expansion.

2. Business Development & Revenue Growth

• Own the full partnership lifecycle from prospecting through post-launch expansion:

  • Lead generation and opportunity qualification

  • Pitching and solution-based presentations

  • Commercial negotiations and deal closure

  • Partner onboarding, enablement, and growth

• Clearly articulate COVER-CONNECTs value proposition to C-suite executives and senior decision-makers.

• Translate technical capabilities (APIs, integrations, multi-tenancy, analytics) into compelling business and revenue outcomes.

3. Market Education & Thought Leadership

• Educate partners and stakeholders on embedded insurance, digital distribution models, and retail insurance innovation.

• Represent our client and COVER-CONNECT at industry events, conferences, and ecosystem forums across Africa.

• Support the development of go-to-market strategies, sales enablement materials, case studies, and partner success stories.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, Legal, Compliance, and Marketing teams to ensure seamless integrations and regulatory alignment.

• Provide market intelligence, customer insights, and partner feedback to inform product roadmap and strategic decisions.

5. Performance & Revenue Management

• Drive revenue growth through:

  • Platform usage and transaction volumes

  • Strategic partnerships

  • Advertising and sponsored placements (where applicable)

• Track, analyze, and report on KPIs, revenue performance, pipeline health, and partnership outcomes.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• 10–13 years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or enterprise sales.

• Proven experience in one or more of the following sectors:

  • Fintech

  • Insurtech

  • Insurance

  • Digital banking

  • Payments or enterprise SaaS

• Strong understanding of African financial services and digital markets.

• Demonstrated experience selling platform-based, API-driven, or infrastructure products.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and senior stakeholder management skills.

• Bachelors degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field (MBA strongly preferred).

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Existing relationships with insurers, fintechs, banks, telcos, or large digital platforms.

• Experience operating across multiple African markets.

• Familiarity with insurance and financial services regulations.

• Experience scaling B2B2C or platform-based ecosystems.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strategic and consultative selling

• Partnership structuring and commercial negotiations

• Ecosystem and platform-led growth thinking

• Executive-level relationship management

• High-impact presentation and storytelling

• Strong commercial acumen and data-driven decision-making

• Technical curiosity with API-level understanding

What Success Looks Like

• High-value partners actively distributing insurance via COVER-CONNECT

• Consistent, scalable, and recurring platform revenue growth

• Strong partner retention and expansion metrics

• Successful rollout of COVER-CONNECT across new products and African markets

• Market recognition as Africas leading embedded insurance infrastructure platform

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary

₦1,500,000 – ₦2,500,000 monthly (based on experience and performance)

Performance-Based Incentives

• Competitive commissions tied to:

  • Partnerships closed

  • Platform usage growth

  • Revenue generated

• Profit-sharing eligibility based on company performance

Benefits & Allowances

• Health Insurance (HMO)

• Housing Allowance

• Pension (in line with Nigerian regulations)

• Transport & Communication Allowance

• Business travel and representation expenses

Long-Term Rewards

• Leadership growth as the platform scales across Africa

• Potential participation in long-term incentive or equity-linked plans

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a brief cover note highlighting relevant experience in platform sales, fintech, insurance, or strategic partnerships to: hiring@mysigma.io

Subject Line: Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships