Business Development Manager - Immediate Start Needed
Job Description:
PLEASE READ THE FULL JD BEFORE APPLYING. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE DISQUALIFIED.
Please note: This role requires current, hands-on sales or business development experience within freight forwarding, logistics, transport, shipping, customs, or international trade-related services.
Candidates with only transferable sales experience from unrelated industries (including FMCG, telecoms, banking, technology, insurance, retail, or general corporate sales backgrounds) will NOT be considered.
This is NOT a general sales role. The successful candidate must already understand logistics, freight, transport, shipping, customs, or cross-border trade operations and must have previously sold or commercially supported services within the industry.
Candidates without direct industry exposure will not be progressed.
About the Opportunity
Our client is a well-established and growing organisation operating within freight forwarding, logistics, transport, and international trade services across East Africa.
With ambitious regional growth plans for 2026, the business is focused on expanding its customer base, strengthening key commercial accounts, and increasing revenue across freight forwarding, transport, customs, and cross-border logistics services.
They are now seeking an experienced Business Development Manager / Sales Professional to support commercial growth in Rwanda. This role will report into the senior commercial leadership team in Rwanda and will play a key role in building pipeline opportunities, developing client relationships, and converting new business across logistics and transport services.
The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying and converting new B2B opportunities, managing strategic client relationships, supporting revenue growth targets, and working closely with operations teams to ensure strong service delivery and customer satisfaction.
The client is specifically seeking a commercially driven logistics or freight sales professional who can contribute quickly, build relationships confidently, and begin generating pipeline activity within the first few months.
This role requires being office-based 5 days per week.
Application Process & Mandatory Questions
As part of your application, please answer the following mandatory questions with your covering note/letter:
1. Please confirm the number of years you have worked in a Business Development or Sales role specifically within:
- Freight forwarding
- Logistics
- Transport
- Shipping
- Customs clearance
- International trade-related services
If your experience is primarily from unrelated industries without direct logistics/freight exposure, please do not apply.
2. Please briefly describe the logistics or transport-related services you have personally sold or commercially supported.
Examples may include:
- Air freight
- Sea freight (FCL/LCL)
- Cross-border trucking
- Customs clearance
- Transport/logistics services
- Import/export coordination
- Warehousing
- Supply chain solutions
3. Please describe one logistics, freight, transport, or import/export-related deal/project you have worked on within the last 12 months, including:
- Type of client
- Nature of the shipment/project
- Your role in the process
- Commercial outcome/result (if possible)
4. Based on your experience, how long would it take you to build an active commercial pipeline and begin converting opportunities in a new organisation?
Please explain briefly.
5. Please confirm:
- Your required monthly compensation in USD (NET)
- You are available to start immediately, if selected
- Your right to work in Rwanda without restriction
Key Responsibilities
- Identify, profile, and convert new B2B commercial opportunities across logistics and transport services
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients and commercial partners
- Support revenue growth across freight forwarding, transport, customs, and logistics solutions
- Manage proposals, quotations, negotiations, and client follow-up
- Work closely with operations teams to ensure successful service delivery
- Conduct market research and identify commercial growth opportunities
- Attend networking meetings and industry events where required
- Monitor pipeline activity and commercial performance against targets
- Support account growth through upselling and cross-selling opportunities
- Maintain high levels of customer engagement and commercial responsiveness
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Proven current experience in B2B sales or business development specifically within:
- Freight forwarding
- Logistics
- Transport
- Shipping
- Customs clearance
- International trade-related services
- Strong understanding of:
- Cross-border logistics
- Import/export processes
- Freight operations
- Transport coordination
- Commercial logistics environments
- Demonstrated ability to build pipeline opportunities and support revenue growth within the logistics or freight sector
- Strong commercial acumen with confident communication and negotiation skills
- Experience engaging clients across East African markets is highly desirable
- Organised, proactive, commercially driven, and capable of working independently
- Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, performance-focused commercial environment
- Experience using CRM systems and commercial reporting tools is advantageous
Candidates with only transferable sales backgrounds from unrelated industries will not be considered.
On Offer
- Competitive pay in USD (depending on experience)
- Opportunity to join a growing regional logistics business
- Strong exposure to East African commercial operations
- Career growth within an expanding freight and transport environment
- Fast-moving and commercially driven team culture