Account Manager

The Company

Stears is a Pan African financial data and software company that provides access to the most comprehensive data on Africa’s private capital market for fund managers, corporates and service providers. For Africa-focused investors, Stears provides access to a private transactions database, robust company and fund profiles, industry research, and macro data for country risk analysis. By combining hard-to-find data with proprietary enrichment and forecasts, Stears accelerates the deal process.

The Role

Why it's Important: Across the globe, companies and investors are increasingly seeking to understand Africa's unique market dynamics and investment opportunities. This is where Stears comes in. Our mission is to empower private capital investment in Africa by delivering high-quality financial data, insights, and solutions that inform decision-making.

We are looking for a high-performing Account Manager to drive revenue growth by acquiring new clients and expanding relationships with existing investors. You will play a pivotal role in selling our data and intelligence solutions to deal teams in private equity and investment banking.

You will be responsible for owning the entire sales cycle, from prospecting and consultative selling to closing deals and ensuring customer success.

Your work directly impacts Stears’ ability to provide critical investment insights to investors, addressing key challenges such as limited data transparency and inefficient deal sourcing in Africa’s private markets.

If you thrive in consultative sales, understand the financial landscape in Africa, and want to be part of a fast-growing team making an impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

Sales & Revenue Growth

1. Achieve or exceed monthly and quarterly net sales targets by securing new logos and expanding existing accounts.
2. Own the end-to-end sales cycle, including prospecting, lead qualification, conducting demos, and closing deals.
3. Execute a structured outbound sales process, engaging decision-makers at investment firms.
4. Develop a robust sales pipeline and forecast revenue accurately using CRM tools.

Client Relationship Management

1. Employ a consultative sales approach, deeply understanding clients’ business models, investment strategies, and workflows.
2. Serve as a trusted advisor to investment professionals, positioning Stears as a must-have data solution.
3. Manage and nurture long-term client relationships to drive renewals and upsells.

Market Expertise & Thought Leadership

1. Stay informed on African investment trends, private equity transactions, and financial data needs.
2. Represent Stears at industry events, panels, and conferences to strengthen our market presence.
3. Collaborate with internal research and product teams to enhance data offerings based on client feedback.

Internal Collaboration

1. Work closely with economists, analysts, and data scientists to meet client needs.
2. Partner with the marketing team to refine messaging, case studies, and go-to-market strategies.
3. Provide feedback to product development to improve the Stears platform for investors.

Who you will work with: This role is part of the Revenue team. You will report to the Chief Revenue Officer.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

1. 3+ years of experience in B2B sales, business development, or account management, ideally selling financial information products, SaaS, or investment data solutions.
2. Proven ability to sell complex, consultative solutions with deal sizes of $15,000+.
3. Established network within the investment community (private equity, venture capital, investment banking, asset management).
4. Strong knowledge of African capital markets, investment transactions, and asset classes.
5. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with executive presence.
6. Experience with CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar) and strong pipeline management skills.

Preferred

1. Bachelor's degree (or higher)
2. Deep familiarity with private equity and alternative investments.
3. Comfort discussing macroeconomic trends, industry shifts, and financial markets across Africa (South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt).

What it Takes to Thrive at Stears

At Stears, we operate in a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape. That means constant change, complexity, and a degree of unpredictability—it’s the nature of building the most trusted financial data platform in Africa. We’re looking for individuals who thrive in this environment, who are comfortable with ambiguity and eager to adapt. If you prefer a highly structured environment, Stears might not be the best fit, and that’s okay.

Before you apply, we’d like for you to consider if you:

1. Are deeply passionate about understanding and driving positive change in the financial information ecosystem in Africa.
2. Can embrace rapid professional growth and actively seek opportunities to learn and develop.
3. Can navigate a fast-paced environment where priorities can shift quickly to meet evolving market needs.
4. Can demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness in the face of uncertainty, and see change as an opportunity for growth.
5. Can bring strong analytical skills and well-informed perspectives to the table.
6. Can collaborate effectively with diverse teams, valuing different viewpoints to achieve shared goals.
7. Can work responsibly, efficiently and effectively in a digital-first and often remote environment.

Why Join Us?

1. Impact: Be a part of a mission-driven team transforming how private capital flows into Africa.
2. Growth: Join a fast-growing company at the forefront of financial data innovation.
3. Culture: Work with intelligent and passionate professionals who value innovation, collaboration, and impact.
4. Competitive Package: Attractive compensation, including equity, to reward your contributions to our success.

Perks

Meaningful perks matter to us. They make employees better and contribute to making Stears a great place to work. If you join us, you can be assured that you’ll enjoy a wide range of generous perks, rewards and office benefits, including:

1. Competitive salary
2. Flexible working. We are currently a hybrid workforce.
3. Help lay the platform foundations of our African expansion. We are currently fleshing out our expansion strategy and would love you to be a part of this growth while doing impactful work.
4. Be part of our new product offerings
5. Unlimited access to Stears Intelligence Solutions
6. Paid time off - 25 days, excluding public holidays and sick days (prorated)
7. Compassionate Leave
8. Parental Leave
9. Unlimited Sick Leave
10. The Stears Experience - These are the top reasons employees are having the best experience of their careers at Stears:
1. Deepen their analytical & critical thinking skills, which apply beyond a specific domain.
2. Gain a high level of autonomy and responsibility by taking on a senior role in our high-trust startup environment and relatively flat organisational hierarchy.
3. Do something meaningful by being part of a team making African data more widely available.
11. Special emphasis on learning and development
12. Regular social activities, including annual off-site team bonding
13. Stears branded merchandise and swag

Diversity

Stears is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants regardless of colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, actual or presumed belonging to an ethnic group, or any other legally protected status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.