Country Manager - Business Development, Kenya

About the role

Adexen has been mandated by a client, a leading diversified industrial group, to recruit a Country Manager - Business Development for the Group's activities in Kenya. Based in Kenya, the successful candidate will act as the Group's senior business development representative, building market intelligence, relationships and a qualified opportunity pipeline to support growth across industrial, energy, infrastructure and related sectors. This is a highly strategic position for a commercially driven leader with strong local market knowledge and senior stakeholder access.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute an annual business development strategy for Kenya aligned with Group priorities.
• Identify, assess and shape new opportunities and maintain a structured, quantified pipeline; prepare opportunity briefs and coordinate market, commercial, technical, financial, legal and risk assessments.
• Recommend whether opportunities progress, pause or discontinue in line with the Group's approval process.
• Monitor political, economic, competitive and regulatory developments and provide market intelligence and early warnings.
• Build senior-level relationships with government institutions, regulators, national companies, customers, investors and strategic partners.
• Support engagement on licences, approvals, concessions, investment facilitation and strategic partnerships, and identify customers, distributors, suppliers, investors, joint-venture and technical partners.
• Lead early-stage commercial discussions and negotiations until approved opportunities are transferred to the business unit, and coordinate executive visits, presentations and follow-up.
• Lead and develop the local business development team, manage the approved budget and deliver high-quality monthly reporting.
• Ensure all engagement and commitments comply with the Group's governance, integrity and approval requirements.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in business, economics, engineering, finance, international relations or a related discipline; a postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• Typically 12 to 15 years of relevant experience, including senior responsibility in business development, investment, commercial management, government-facing projects or industrial development.
• Kenyan national or candidate with substantial, credible and recent experience in the Kenyan market.
• Proven record of originating, structuring and advancing material business opportunities, and exposure to industrial, energy, infrastructure, mining, logistics or other capital-intensive sectors.
• Fluency in English; proficiency in French is a distinct advantage.

Required skills

• Strong commercial judgement, strategic thinking and negotiation skills.
• Ability to engage with senior government and business leaders and to lead across functions in a complex group environment.
• High personal integrity and strict respect for governance and compliance requirements.