Business Development (BD) Manager

Cash Back Application; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

MOVA Malaysia is seeking a Business Development Manager to lead the BD team, drive merchant acquisition, and cultivate strategic partnerships for growth and revenue generation. The role emphasizes end-to-end BD leadership, strategy development, and performance coaching.

Responsibilities include managing onboarding, monitoring partnership performance, and delivering management updates. Strong negotiation and analytical skills are essential to translate opportunities into measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field.
• 3–5 years in business development, sales, partnerships, or related role.
• Experience leading a BD or sales team preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead merchant acquisition, partner development, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Manage BD team performance, KPIs, and reporting to Management.
• Oversee onboarding of merchants and ensure term compliance.
• Develop strategies to increase merchant participation and revenue.
• Plan and execute roadshows, events, and promotions to boost partnerships.

Skills

Merchant acquisition

Strategic partnerships

Leadership

Negotiation

Business development

Sales strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The Business Development Manager will be responsible for leading and managing MOVA Malaysia's Business Development team, with a primary focus on merchant acquisition, membership partner development, strategic partnerships, business growth, and revenue generation.

The role will oversee the end-to-end business development process, from identifying and acquiring potential merchants and partners to developing long-term relationships, monitoring partnership performance, and driving overall business results.

The Business Development Manager will set team objectives and KPIs, develop business strategies, coach and manage the BD team, monitor individual and team performance, and provide regular business updates and recommendations to Management.

The role requires strong leadership, negotiation, communication, analytical, and commercial skills, with the ability to build strategic relationships and translate business opportunities into measurable growth for MOVA Malaysia.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

a) Business Development Strategy & Growth

Develop and implement business development strategies to achieve MOVA Malaysia's revenue, merchant acquisition, membership, and business growth objectives.

Identify new business opportunities, potential merchants, brands, partners, and strategic channels that align with MOVA's business direction.

Lead the team in prospecting, approaching, pitching, negotiating, onboarding, and maintaining business partnerships.

Develop strategies to increase merchant participation, membership adoption, transaction volume, and overall platform growth.

Analyse market trends, competitor activities, consumer behaviour, and industry developments to identify new opportunities and potential business risks.

Develop and maintain a healthy business development pipeline and ensure sufficient potential leads and partnership opportunities are available for the team.

Evaluate potential partnerships based on commercial value, business potential, strategic fit, and expected return.

Recommend new business initiatives, partnership models, promotional opportunities, and market expansion strategies to Management.

b) Merchant & Strategic Partnership Management

Lead negotiations with merchants, brands, business partners, and other potential strategic partners on commercial terms, membership benefits, promotional activities, and partnership arrangements.

Establish and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key merchants and strategic partners.

Oversee the onboarding process of new merchants and ensure that agreed partnership terms and requirements are properly implemented.

Monitor the performance and contribution of key merchants and partners.

Identify opportunities to increase partner engagement, transaction volume, promotional participation, and business contribution.

Manage escalated merchant or partner issues and coordinate with relevant internal departments to ensure timely resolution.

Develop strategies to improve merchant retention and strengthen MOVA's overall partner network.

c) Team Leadership & Performance Management

Lead, manage, and motivate the Business Development team to achieve individual and overall team KPIs.

Set clear individual and team targets covering areas such as merchant acquisition, partnership conversion, revenue, membership growth, sales activities, and business performance.

Monitor team performance regularly and identify gaps against agreed KPIs and targets.

Conduct regular team meetings, performance reviews, pipeline reviews, and business discussions.

Provide coaching, mentoring, guidance, and training to BD team members to improve their sales, negotiation, communication, and business development capabilities.

Support team members in handling challenging negotiations, merchant objections, partner concerns, and escalated business issues.

Identify high-performing employees and development areas, and provide appropriate recommendations to Management.

Ensure team members follow established SOPs, reporting requirements, company policies, and professional standards.

Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new Business Development team members when required.

Establish and maintain a structured sales and partnership pipeline for the BD team.

Monitor the progress of leads from initial contact through negotiation, onboarding, activation, and ongoing partnership management.

Review key performance indicators including new leads, conversion rate, merchant acquisition, active merchants, membership acquisition, revenue contribution, transaction volume, and other relevant business metrics.

Analyse individual and team performance against monthly, quarterly, and annual targets.

Identify bottlenecks in the business development process and implement corrective actions.

Ensure accurate and timely updates of business development activities, leads, partnerships, and pipeline status in the relevant system.

Develop action plans for underperforming areas and follow up on implementation and results.

e) Road Booth, Roadshow & Promotional Activities

Lead the planning and execution of MOVA road booths, roadshows, events, exhibitions, and other on-ground promotional activities.

Develop event objectives, target audiences, activity plans, manpower requirements, and expected business outcomes.

Coordinate with internal teams, external vendors, merchants, and partners to ensure smooth execution of events.

Brief, train, and supervise BD team members and booth staff to ensure professional representation of MOVA.

Monitor event performance, including registrations, leads, merchant engagement, membership acquisition, customer engagement, and business opportunities generated.

Ensure proper usage and presentation of MOVA's branding, promotional materials, merchandise, and marketing assets.

Review post-event performance and prepare reports covering results, feedback, challenges, and recommendations for future activities.

Work closely with Marketing, Operations, Customer Service, Finance, Product, Technology, and other departments to ensure successful execution of business initiatives.

Coordinate with internal teams on merchant onboarding, promotional campaigns, membership benefits, operational requirements, and partner-related matters.

Provide the relevant teams with accurate and timely information regarding merchant partnerships, promotions, and business requirements.

Coordinate with Operations and Customer Service teams to resolve escalated merchant or customer issues that may affect partner relationships.

Work closely with Management to align BD strategies with MOVA Malaysia's overall business objectives.

g) Business Analysis & Market Intelligence

Analyse business performance, merchant contribution, market trends, competitor activities, and customer insights to support business decisions.

Prepare regular analysis on merchant acquisition, partnership performance, revenue contribution, sales pipeline, and team productivity.

Identify underperforming partnerships and recommend strategies to improve their business contribution.

Monitor competitor offerings, merchant programmes, membership benefits, and market activities.

Provide Management with actionable insights and recommendations based on market and business data.

Identify potential risks and opportunities that may affect MOVA's business development performance.

h) Management Reporting

Prepare and submit accurate weekly, monthly, and quarterly Business Development reports to Management.

Report on team performance, KPI achievement, merchant acquisition, partnership pipeline, revenue contribution, roadshows/events, and key business developments.

Highlight key achievements, challenges, pending matters, risks, and required Management support.

Provide clear action plans and recommendations for areas that are below target.

Present business performance and strategic updates to Management when required.

i) Customer & Partner Relationship Management

Ensure professional and effective communication with merchants, business partners, customers, and other external stakeholders.

Support the team in handling customer or partner complaints, feedback, and escalated issues.

Ensure concerns are followed up and resolved within an appropriate timeframe.

Maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to support long‑term business growth.

Protect and promote MOVA's brand image through professional business conduct and communication.

j) Compliance & Business Conduct

Ensure all BD activities and partnership arrangements comply with MOVA's internal policies, SOPs, and applicable requirements.

Ensure commercial agreements, promotional arrangements, and partnership commitments are properly documented and communicated.

Maintain accurate records of merchant and partnership information.

Identify potential commercial, operational, or reputational risks and elevate relevant issues to Management.

Ensure the BD team maintains professional standards and follows company policies in all business activities.

k) Attendance, Productivity & Team Discipline

Maintain strong attendance, punctuality, and professional conduct.

Ensure the BD team maintains appropriate attendance, productivity, and work discipline.

Monitor team workload and ensure timely completion of assigned tasks and business activities.

Demonstrate strong ownership, accountability, and a results‑oriented approach.

Perform other relevant duties and responsibilities assigned by the Reporting Manager or Management from time to time.

Requirements & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree, Diploma, or equivalent qualification in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, Management, or a related field.

Minimum 3–5 years of experience in Business Development, Sales, Partnerships, Account Management, or a related commercial role, with at least 1–2 years of team leadership or managerial experience preferred.

Proven track record in merchant acquisition, partnership development, sales, or business growth.

Experience managing and developing a Business Development or Sales team is highly preferred.

Strong understanding of sales pipelines, business development processes, partnership management, and KPI management.

Strong negotiation, presentation, communication, and relationship‑building skills.

Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify and convert business opportunities.

Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret business data and performance metrics.

Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other business reporting tools.

Experience in e‑commerce, cashback, membership, affiliate, digital platforms, retail, F&B, or related industries is an advantage.

Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, motivate, and manage team performance.

Able to work independently, make sound business decisions, and manage multiple priorities.

Results‑oriented, proactive, resilient, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced business environment.

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with internal teams, Management, merchants, and external partners.

Willing to participate in roadshows, events, and other business development activities when required.