Assistant Manager, Business Development

Cradle Fund; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cradle Fund seeks a dynamic Business Development professional to drive growth for Cradle Innovation Advisory (CIA) in Kuala Lumpur. The role focuses on identifying and converting new business opportunities, building a robust partner network, and leading proposal development across consultancy and advisory services.

You will engage with corporates, government bodies, and regional entities to expand CIA's revenue streams.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in business development, partnerships, consulting, or related roles.
• Experience in proposal writing and client negotiations.
• Mandarin proficiency advantageous for frequent interaction with Chinese-speaking companies.

Responsibilities

• Identify and scope new business opportunities across consultancy, advisory programmes, and innovation services.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of potential clients and partners (corporates, government agencies, regional entities).
• Lead proposal development, including concept notes, pricing inputs, and commercial justifications.
• Track leads, conversions, and deal progress in coordination with the Revenue & Commercial Strategy function.
• Manage relationships with key partners and clients, including initial engagement, needs assessment, and negotiation support.
• Represent CIA in meetings, pitch sessions, and ecosystem engagements.
• Support cross-border and regional initiatives in collaboration with relevant internal teams.
• Conduct market scanning and competitive analysis to identify emerging opportunities.
• Work with internal delivery and commercial teams to design new programmes or advisory offerings.
• Contribute to the productisation of CIA services (e.g. structured advisory packages, innovation diagnostics).

Skills

Business development

Partnerships

Proposal writing

Stakeholder management

Commercial discussions

Market analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field

Job description

Responsible for driving the growth of Cradle Innovation Advisory (CIA) by identifying, developing, and converting new business opportunities and partnerships. The role supports CIA’s mandate as Cradle’s primary revenue-generating and sustainability pillar from 2026 onwards.

Job Description

Business Development & Pipeline Management

• Identify and scope new business opportunities across consultancy, advisory programmes, and innovation services.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of potential clients and partners (corporates, government agencies, regional entities).
• Lead proposal development, including concept notes, pricing inputs, and commercial justifications.
• Track leads, conversions, and deal progress in coordination with the Revenue & Commercial Strategy function.

Partnerships & Client Engagement

• Manage relationships with key partners and clients, including initial engagement, needs assessment, and negotiation support.
• Represent CIA in meetings, pitch sessions, and ecosystem engagements.
• Support cross-border and regional initiatives in collaboration with relevant internal teams.
• Conduct market scanning and competitive analysis to identify emerging opportunities.
• Work with internal delivery and commercial teams to design new programmes or advisory offerings.
• Contribute to the productisation of CIA services (e.g. structured advisory packages, innovation diagnostics).

Collaboration & Internal Coordination

• Collaborate closely with Programme & Advisory Delivery to ensure alignment between proposed scope and delivery capability.
• Work with Marketing and shared Comms teams to ensure consistent messaging and positioning.
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Head of Unit on pipeline status, risks, and opportunities.

Job Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Public Policy, Innovation Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 of experience in business development, partnerships, consulting, or related roles.
• Experience in proposal writing, stakeholder management, and commercial discussions.
• Exposure to innovation, startups, consulting, or ecosystem-based projects is an advantage.
• Candidates who are proficient in Mandarin will have an advantage, as the role involves frequent interaction with Chinese-speaking companies.