Merchant Growth Lead

Who we are:

Tushop is building the commerce rails that help Kenyan merchants, wholesalers, distributors, markets, and manufacturers sell directly to customers online, with payments, delivery, storefronts, customer support, and marketing support handled through one platform. Through this, we seek to make food and groceries more affordable and convenient for customers, while helping suppliers, manufacturers, and businesses grow.

Tushop is at an early but exciting stage supported by a cadre of eminent investors. What we do has real impact: we help suppliers and manufacturers sell products people want; we empower businesses and entrepreneurs to provide more value to their customers; and we help anyone who buys food to do so more cheaply and conveniently.

And we help our own employees learn what they want to learn, build what they want to build, and become who they want to become (and get paid doing so!).

Your role:

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

We are looking for a Merchant Growth Lead to help us acquire and activate high-value merchant accounts. This is not a traditional sales role. We are looking for someone who can find the right merchants, get in front of decision-makers, close them, and help them go live and generate real sales on Tushop.

Our current focus is on high-volume accounts: wholesalers, FMCG manufacturers, distributors, markets, bulk sellers, and strong local retailers. Think accounts like large wholesalers, food distributors, household goods suppliers, office suppliers, and manufacturers with strong pricing and inventory.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identifying and building a pipeline of high-potential merchants, especially in FMCG, wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, markets, and bulk retail
• Getting Tushop in front of owners, CEOs, commercial leads, and decision-makers
• Pitching Tushop’s value proposition clearly and commercially
• Understanding each merchant’s business, pricing, supply, operations, and customer base
• Closing merchants that have strong GMV potential and fit Tushop’s ICP
• Working with our internal team to get merchants live quickly with the right catalogue, pricing, stock, and launch plan
• Supporting early activation so merchants generate paid orders and meaningful GMV
• Tracking pipeline, follow-ups, conversion, launch status, and performance clearly
• Sharing market feedback that helps us improve our product, pricing, and go-to-market strategy

The profile we're likely to hire:

• 3–6+ years of experience in sales, business development, partnerships, growth, trade marketing, key account management, or commercial roles
• Experience or strong relationships in FMCG, manufacturing, distribution, retail, wholesale, e-commerce, logistics, or trade
• Comfortable selling to business owners, CEOs, founders, commercial directors, and senior operators 
• Highly proactive and can open doors, follow up consistently, and push deals forward
• Understands that the real work starts after the first meeting
• Commercially sharp and can quickly assess whether an account is worth pursuing
• Organized enough to maintain a clear pipeline and report progress weekly
• Comfortable working in a startup environment where priorities move quickly and ownership matters
• Existing relationships with FMCG manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, market associations, or large retailers in Kenya is a plus
• Experience launching or growing B2B/B2B2C partnerships is a plus
• Experience in e-commerce, trade marketing, route-to-market, or informal retail is a plus
• Comfort working with data, GMV targets, sales funnels, and activation metrics is a plus

What success looks like
The goal is not just to sign accounts. The goal is to activate commercially meaningful accounts. You will be expected to help Tushop bring on 2–3 high-quality merchant accounts per month that can go live and generate meaningful GMV.

Why Tushop?

This is a high-ownership role at the center of Tushop's next phase of growth, where you will work directly with the founders and help shape how merchants and manufacturers in Kenya sell directly to customers online. The right person will not just do sales, but will help define our merchant acquisition playbook, build relationships with key commercial partners, and turn high-potential accounts into real revenue.

You will have ownership of your work, will not be micromanaged, and will work with a fun, fast-moving, customer-centric, reliable, and supportive team.

Why not Tushop?

• We experiment a lot. If you like dotting all your is and crossing all your ts before making a move, then you might not enjoy working with us.
• We are low-ego individuals. If you need praise, need to always be right, or need someone else to fail to feel self-worth, this role is not for you.
• We believe that fieldwork makes the dreamwork. We dont hide behind laptops every day; we instead thrive by engaging with customers, suppliers, partners, and teammates on the phone and in the streets. (We find it invigorating - and hope you'd find it that way too!)

If this sounds like a place where you are looking to work, then come join us. If not, then please share this JD with someone who might be a great fit (and become our customer!)