Job Description

HEAD: NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Location: South Africa
Industry: Financial Services / Insurance

A leading financial services organisation is seeking a commercially driven and strategic Head of New Business Development to drive revenue growth, expand market share, and unlock new business opportunities.

This is a high-impact leadership role suited to a results-oriented professional who can identify new markets, build strategic partnerships, and lead end-to-end business development initiatives.

THE ROLE

You will take ownership of new business strategy and execution, driving growth through market expansion, partnerships, and innovative commercial initiatives.

Key responsibilities include:

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  Identifying and developing new business opportunities to expand market share
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  Driving diversification of the customer base through strategic initiatives
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  Developing and executing business development and growth strategies
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  Providing strategic recommendations to executive leadership on new opportunities
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  Leading end-to-end business development activities, including:
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    Prospecting and pipeline development
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    Relationship building and stakeholder engagement
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    Negotiation and deal closure
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    Transitioning new clients into active accounts
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  Developing and executing mergers and acquisitions strategies
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  Building and managing a strong pipeline of corporate prospects
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  Driving enterprise and supplier development initiatives
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  Establishing and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders and partners
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  Leading client engagement, sales pitches, and contract negotiations
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  Collaborating with internal teams (Sales, Marketing, ICT, Finance, Legal) to drive opportunities
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  Conducting market research and analysing industry trends to identify opportunities
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  Leveraging data and analytics to monitor performance and inform strategy
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  Leading, coaching, and developing the business development team
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  Managing team performance, recruitment, and capability development

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Key requirements:

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  Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, or related field
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  8+ years' experience in business development or sales
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  Minimum 3 years' experience at senior management level
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  Strong experience within financial services or a related sector
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  Proven track record in driving revenue growth and market expansion
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  Experience in strategic partnerships, deal structuring, and negotiations
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  Strong financial and commercial acumen
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  Advanced MS Office proficiency

WHO YOU ARE

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  A strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen
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  A results-driven leader with a strong growth mindset
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  An influential communicator with strong negotiation skills
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  A relationship builder with the ability to operate at executive level
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  Entrepreneurial, proactive, and opportunity-focused
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  Resilient and able to thrive in a high-performance environment

WHY THIS ROLE

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  Executive-level role with significant impact on business growth
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  Opportunity to shape and drive new market strategies
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  High visibility across executive leadership and key stakeholders
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  Exposure to strategic initiatives, partnerships, and M&A activity
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  Dynamic and growth-focused environment