Head: New Business Development

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:

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

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Key requirements:

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

WHO YOU ARE

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

WHY THIS ROLE

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