Business Development Manager East Africa - Nairobi, Kenya at Optoma Europe Ltd

About the role


Optoma is the #1 DLP brand in EMEA. This is Optoma's first Business Development hire in East Africa — a strategic role designed to identify, develop, and unlock new market segments, partnerships, and long-cycle opportunities that a traditional sales role cannot pursue alone. The BDM will build the market architecture for Optoma's 3 - 5-year East Africa growth.
This is a high-impact, high-autonomy role for a driven BDM professional who thrives in a first-mover, entrepreneurial environment. You will report to the Territory Manager META.


Key Responsibilities


Map and develop new market segments for Optoma in East Africa: smart classrooms, govt digital infrastructure, hospitality AV, corporate workspace, and healthcare.
Identify, evaluate, and establish strategic partnerships with system integrators, AV consultants, architects, and specification-influencers.
Lead relationship development with large institutional buyers: ministries of education, municipal governments, international development organisations, and NGOs.
Drive Optoma product specification into long-cycle projects — government tenders, World Bank/USAID-funded programmes, and large private-sector deployments.
Develop and execute go-to-market plans for new verticals and geographies beyond Kenya (Ethiopia, DRC, Angola, Senegal).
Represent Optoma at industry conferences, education summits, and government AV/ICT forums across East Africa.
Hand off qualified, specification-led opportunities into an active sales pipeline.
Report market insights, opportunity mapping, and pipeline to META Territory Manager with quarterly BDM review.


Candidate Specification

About You

Key Skills & Experience:


Experience in business development, strategic sales, or market development in IT, AV, or technology sectors.
Demonstrated success opening new market segments or territories in East or sub-Saharan Africa.
Experience engaging with ministries, government agencies, or large institutional procurement bodies.
Strong network of contacts in East African education, government, or NGO/international org sectors.
Understanding of AV/display technology: projectors, IFPs, LED displays, and integrated AV systems.
Experience influencing product specification in large, long-cycle procurement projects.
Excellent stakeholder management and C-suite communication skills.
English required; Swahili and/or French a strong advantage (for francophone market access).
Comfortable working independently with a long-horizon, high-autonomy mandate.
Experience with World Bank, USAID, EU or similar development-funded programmes a significant advantage.