Marketplace Business Development Manager

Souq.com; Kuwait City; On-site; KWD 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading e-commerce platform in Kuwait City is looking for a Marketplace Business Development Manager to oversee day-to-day operations and drive growth strategies. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in business development, excellent communication skills, and leadership experience to influence and enhance the seller base. This role includes managing a sales team and working closely with various operational teams to achieve business objectives.

Qualifications

• Proven background in business development or sales management.
• Ability to lead and train sales teams effectively.
• Strong ability to build relationships with clients.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations of the business development division.
• Develop and execute strategies to grow the seller base and revenues.
• Work cross-functionally with operations, marketing, and clients.

Skills

Business development/sales management experience

Strong presentation skills

B2B sales experience

Research and strategic analysis skills

Excellent communication skills

Arabic language proficiency

Deal closing skills

Organizational skills

Time management skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Job description

Marketplace Business Development Manager

The main objective of Souq.com Business Development Manager is to manage the day‑to‑day operation of the division. This means a couple of things, in terms of what you’ll do:

• First, you’ll need to understand what Souq.com Marketplace is and how it works, and develop and execute strategies to grow the division in general.
• Second, you’ll need to think creatively about everything you know about Souq.com. This is the part of the job in which you identify possible ways to improve the company’s seller base, selection, and revenues.

Business Development Professional Job Duties

• Hiring, training, and leading a team of salespersons and associates who will manage the day‑to‑day activities of marketplace clients, including both prospective sellers.
• Working cross‑functionally with various members of Souq’s operations and technology teams, Souq’s account management and marketing teams, and various contacts from each client to achieve business objectives.

English - Fluent / Excellent

Arabic - Fluent / Excellent

Own a Car

Yes

Have Driving License

Yes

Job Skills

• A proven background in business development/sales management is a must.
• A proven track‑record in strong presentation skills is essential in the role.
• Business Developers need a strong track record of business‑to‑business sales at a corporate level.
• Business Developers need to have strong research and strategic analysis skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and be able to cold call potential clients with confidence are key for a successful Business developer.
• Arabic speaker and writer is a big plus and so is having contacts in a major category.
• Business Developers need to be skilled at agreeing and closing deals with clients.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills are essential as well as performance monitoring will be a requirement.
• Self‑motivated with a strong passion and enthusiasm about Souq.com’s mission, products, and services and perseverance in the face of challenges and setbacks.
• Ability to self‑analyse performance, learn from mistakes, and find creative ways to correct and avoid in the future.
• Must be able to operate Microsoft Office and associated programs.
• Managing and updating own business development contacts and data via company CRM.
• Must be willing to go outside to meetings.

About The Company

Souq.com is the largest e‑commerce site in the Arab world, featuring more than 200,000 products across categories such as consumer electronics, fashion, household goods, watches, or perfumes. Today Souq.com attracts over 8 million visits per month and is fast growing as more consumers shop online in the Arab world.

Often tagged as the "Amazon of the Middle East", Souq.com operates both as a retail site and as a marketplace for third‑party sellers. It offers a convenient and safe online shopping experience with online payments, option to pay cash on delivery and free returns.

Established in 2005, Souq.com pioneered online shopping in the region as an auction site linked to the Arab internet portal Maktoob. When Yahoo! acquired Maktoob in August 2009, Souq.com was not included in the sale and was spun off as part of Jabbar Internet Group. The site then switched to a marketplace with a fixed price model in early 2011, and then launched its retail division late 2011.

Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, Souq.com caters to the needs of local markets with commercial offices in Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and a technical and development centre in Jordan.