Supply Chain Partnerships & Commercial Growth Lead

Pezesha, a holistic financial marketplace for MSMEs, is seeking a Supply Chain Partnerships & Commercial Growth Lead. By offering lending, financial education, and debt counselling to borrowers, plus a proprietary credit scoring system to vet MSMEs without a credit history, Pezesha derisks lending to SMEs. Lower risks bring commercial banks and capital providers onto the platform. As a collaborative structure, Pezesha is helping to tackle the $19 Billion financing gap for SMEs. The company is led by a highly experienced and passionate local team with more than 10 years of local and international experience in fintech, management of growth and technology companies, and unparalleled local market knowledge and reach.

This is a full-time position requiring a BA/BSc/HND qualification. The ideal candidate understands how supply chains work, can identify financing opportunities within them, and has the ability to take a partnership from prospecting to deal closure, credit program design, launch, and portfolio growth.

Key Responsibilities

Develop & Close Supply Chain Partnerships

Identify and build relationships with strong anchor partners across key sectors including FMCG, Healthcare, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail, and other relevant value chains. Target businesses with established networks of distributors, retailers, agents, merchants, and MSMEs. Build and maintain a strong monthly pipeline of high-potential anchor partnerships. Develop relationships with senior decision-makers including CEOs, CFOs, Commercial Directors, Supply Chain Directors, and Heads of Distribution. Lead commercial discussions and negotiate partnership agreements that create scalable origination opportunities for Pezesha. Drive partner acquisition, onboarding, activation, and retention. Consistently meet agreed monthly and quarterly partnership origination targets.

Marketing, Go-to-Market & Strategy

Clearly position Pezesha’s Origination-as-a-Service value proposition across priority supply chain sectors. Develop and execute sector-specific go-to-market strategies to acquire high-quality anchor partners. Develop targeted commercial and marketing initiatives that increase access to finance among MSMEs, with a particular focus on women-owned MSMEs. Identify market opportunities and emerging financing needs within different supply chains.

Develop Credit Programs for Supply Chain Partners

Assess financing needs and credit gaps across different points of the supply chain. Identify where working capital or other forms of credit can unlock growth for distributors, retailers, and MSMEs. Work with anchor partners to co-create tailored credit programs based on their specific supply chain needs. Develop commercially viable credit program concepts, including target customers, use cases, ticket sizes, repayment structures, and expected volumes. Work with Pezesha management, Credit, Product, and Capital teams to determine the appropriate funding requirements and capital structure for each program. Support the launch, activation, and scaling of partner-led credit programs. Monitor program performance and identify opportunities to improve adoption, portfolio growth, and profitability.

Pipeline, Forecasting & Commercial Modelling

Build and maintain a robust partnership pipeline with clear stages, expected close dates, deal values, and revenue potential. Develop commercial models and revenue forecasts for partnerships and credit programs. Implement effective pipeline management and opportunity tracking systems. Monitor commercial performance, including partner acquisition, activation, portfolio growth, revenue, and growth within women-owned MSME segments. Provide accurate weekly and monthly reports on pipeline health, partnership performance, revenue generation, credit program performance, and inclusion metrics. Use commercial data and market insights to identify opportunities, improve conversion, and maximise revenue.

Cross-Functional Execution

Work closely with Product, Credit, Data, Technology, Operations, Finance, Marketing, and Capital teams to move partnerships from origination to launch. Ensure smooth partner onboarding and handover from commercial negotiations to implementation. Maintain strong partner relationships throughout the lifecycle of each program. Act as the commercial owner and key relationship manager for strategic anchor partners.

Qualifications & Experience Required

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Marketing, Supply Chain, or a related field. 5+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, sales, supply chain finance, fintech, banking, FMCG, distribution, or a related commercial role. Demonstrated track record of originating and closing B2B partnerships, preferably with mid-sized and large organisations. Strong advantage: coming with existing supply chain networks across East Africa market. Strong understanding of supply chains and the dynamics of distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and MSMEs. Strong existing supply chain networks across East Africa, particularly relationships with anchor businesses, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and MSME networks. This will be a significant advantage. Experience managing a commercial pipeline and working against revenue or partnership targets.

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Strong commercial negotiation and relationship-management skills. Ability to build relationships with senior executives and decision-makers. Strong analytical and financial modelling skills, with the ability to understand commercial economics and credit programs. Strong written and verbal communication skills. High level of ownership, execution, and entrepreneurial drive.

Preferred

Experience in fintech, embedded finance, digital lending, supply chain finance, banking, or financial services. Experience developing or launching credit/financing programs. Existing relationships across FMCG, Agriculture, Healthcare, Distribution, Retail, or other MSME-heavy sectors. Experience working with financial institutions, investors, lenders, or capital providers. Experience serving or developing products for women-owned MSMEs. Experience working in a fast-growing startup or scale-up environment.

Commission & Performance Structure

This is a target-driven commercial role, with significant earning potential linked to successful origination and commercial performance.

Compensation

Base Salary: Competitive fixed monthly salary based on experience and seniority. Variable Commission: Commission will be earned based on measurable commercial outcomes, including: Partnership Closure – commission for qualifying anchor partnerships successfully signed and approved. Partner Activation – additional commission when a signed partner successfully launches and begins originating transactions. Revenue Generation – commission linked to revenue generated from originated partnerships. Portfolio/Origination Performance – additional performance incentives linked to the growth and quality of credit originated through the partner. Strategic Partnership Bonus – additional incentives may be awarded for high-value partnerships that generate significant origination potential or strategic value to Pezesha. Long-Term ESOP: Opportunity to earn ESOP shares after 12 months, subject to demonstrating sustained revenue growth, strong partnership performance, and significant contribution to Pezesha’s long-term commercial growth.

Method of Application

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