Business Development Manager - Supply Side Sales
Reporting Manager: Category Manager
Location: Remote in South Africa
Budget: Rk - Rk p / a
About the Role
As a Supplier Business Development Manager reporting to the Supplier Category Manager, you'll play a critical role in growing and managing our supplier base for the B2B diamond marketplace.
This role is for a driven, strategic professional who excels in building supplier relationships, optimising their performance, and aligning their products with market needs.
You'll act as a revenue co-pilot for suppliers, working closely with them from onboarding through sustained success.
Your work will ensure that our platform offers the best quality, selection, and value for buyers, creating a dynamic and profitable environment for both suppliers and our business.
What You'll Do
- Supplier Acquisition and Onboarding: Identify and onboard high-quality suppliers that align with category standards. Communicate marketplace value propositions clearly and drive their engagement with our platform.
- Account Management and Supplier Support: Build strong, consultative relationships with suppliers to ensure alignment with business goals. Act as a primary point of contact for their growth, success, and troubleshooting needs. Work hand in hand with tech and customer support teams to ensure every interaction is seamless.
- Performance Analysis and Reporting: Use data to assess supplier performance, identify growth opportunities, and provide actionable feedback on selection, pricing, and quality metrics.
- Sales Enablement and Revenue Growth: Drive suppliers to meet revenue targets by optimising product assortment, pricing, and inventory levels. Promote express stock initiatives to ensure fast delivery options.
- Quality and Compliance Oversight: Work closely with suppliers to maintain high-quality standards, minimising return rates and customer complaints through proactive quality assurance.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with category management, product, and operations teams to align on category objectives, drive buyer engagement, and support product marketing initiatives.
- Supplier Training and Development: Develop training resources and guides to help suppliers understand best practices for product listing optimization, quality control, and category-specific performance metrics.
- Growth Strategy Implementation: Implement growth initiatives based on category OKRs, aiming for increased active suppliers and improved supplier performance on key metrics (availability, sold-out rates, and express sales).
Key Objectives (OKRs)
- Supplier Activation and Engagement: Achieve and maintain 95% active suppliers, consistently engaging with suppliers to foster long-term marketplace participation.
- Revenue and Growth: Drive incremental supplier sales through proactive support, strategic product alignment, and seasonal optimisation.
- Product Quality and Availability: Ensure 98% of listed products are active and in stock, with a sold-out rate below 0.50%.
- Express Revenue: Target a sell-through rate (STR) of 75% on express products and increase express stock availability.
Your Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- 4+ years of experience in account management, sales, business development, or a related role, ideally within B2B marketplaces or e-commerce.
- Strong Communication Skills: Exceptional relationship-building and communication abilities, with a consultative approach to supplier management.
- Data-Driven Mindset: Proficiency in using data and analytics to guide decisions and performance improvements.
- Customer-Centric & Quality-Oriented: A commitment to ensuring the highest quality standards and a positive customer experience through strong supplier support.
- Self-Starter with Growth Focus: Highly motivated to achieve targets, with a proactive approach to problem-solving and supplier growth.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in B2B marketplaces, luxury retail, or tech-enabled marketplaces.
- Familiarity with supply chain processes and inventory management.
- Proven success in driving revenue growth and optimising supplier performance.
What You'll Get
- World-class sales training and techniques.
- Fast-paced and multinational working environment.
- The opportunity to be part of a hyper-growth scale-up.
- Flexibility with remote working.
- Generous holiday allowance.
- Highly competitive base salary.
- Lucrative bonus structure.
- Medical aid through Discovery.
If you're ready to take on a dynamic role with opportunities to shape supplier success in a fast-growing marketplace, we'd love to hear from you!
This position is perfect for someone who enjoys both the strategic and relational aspects of supplier development, with a passion for driving measurable impact.