Growth and Partnerships Associate

Reports To: Growth and Partnerships Lead

Location: Lusaka (Hybrid), Zambia

Effective Date: January 2026

About BongoHive Consult

BongoHive Consult Limited is a digital and corporate innovation consulting firm providing custom interventions to SMEs and corporations. We help organisations build products and services their customers love. We use strategy, creativity, sector and business insights, and technology, bringing our vast experience supporting high-growth ventures to co-create what's next.

Our Technology Consulting arm creates bespoke software solutions using cutting-edge technology. To date, we have had clients from various sectors, including civil society, development, banking, insurance, agriculture, health and government. Our process uses a human-centred design approach to deeply understand the user and the environment in which the proposed solution will be implemented.

Our Innovation Consulting team delivers tailored, structured innovation solutions that allow clients to grow their market through new ideas, products or approaches. This is done in various ways, including innovation challenges that BongoHive facilitates on behalf of corporate organisations by collaborating with staff through short, intensive hackathons, sprints and co-creation workshops pulling on experts, techies & consumers alike to design & test ideas solving social or business challenges that impede business growth.

Role Overview

You are not merely providing sales support; you are managing the machinery of growth. You will own the proposal pipeline, manage our intelligent lead assessment systems, and ensure that every opportunity moves from "Lead" to "Contract" with speed and precision. This position requires a highly organised, process-driven professional who excels at building systems, managing complex projects, and winning deals through discipline.

Key Responsibilities

Pipeline & Proposal Management (The Core Mandate)

• End-to-End Proposal Execution: Serve as the primary project manager for all inbound and standard Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Ensure that every proposal is high-quality, compliant, and submitted on time.
• Deal Team Coordination: Act as the central point of contact for internal "Deal Teams." You will work directly with Delivery Units (Tech, Innovation, Entrepreneurship) to gather technical inputs and budget estimates, ensuring all contributors deliver on schedule.
• Pipeline Velocity: Maintain the "pulse" of the sales pipeline. You are responsible for following up on stalled deals, scheduling client meetings, and ensuring no opportunity falls through the cracks.

Intelligent Lead Assessment

• Inbound Lead Qualification: Oversee the daily operation of the "Intelligent Lead Assessment" tool. Act as the first human touchpoint for inquiries, filtering out unqualified leads and escalating high-potential opportunities to the Manager.
• Channel & Ecosystem Partner Management: Proactively manage relationships with our network of channel partners, associations, and ecosystem collaborators to ensure they remain engaged and productive sources of leads.

Process, Data & Tooling

• CRM Discipline: Serve as the guardian of the CRM (Single Source of Truth). Ensure all deal data is accurate, up-to-date, and ready for reporting.
• Reporting & Analytics: Generate weekly "Pipeline Health" reports for the Bi-weekly Growth Sync, providing data-driven insights on conversion rates, win/loss reasons, and bottlenecks.
• Systemic Social Proof: Implement an innovative process to capture Reference Letters, Case Studies, and Testimonials immediately upon project closure, building an arsenal of social proof.

Commercial Operations Support

• QBR Preparation: Support the G&P Manager in preparing for Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with Key Strategic Partners. This includes gathering data, drafting "Value Realisation Reports," and preparing presentation decks.
• Event Activation: Ensure BongoHive maintains a presence as a "Key Player." Manage the commercial follow-up from industry events, converting business cards into qualified leads.

Candidate Profile

Essential Attributes (Must-Haves):

• The "Finisher" Mindset: You don't just start things; you finish them. You obsess over deadlines, compliance details, and submission quality.
• Process Oriented: You love checklists, workflows, and systems. You see a messy process and immediately want to fix it.
• Excellent Writer & Communicator: You can write clear, persuasive proposal narratives and communicate effectively with senior technical leads.
• Tech-Savvy: You are proficient with CRMs (HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.), Project Management tools (Asana, Trello), Gen AI Tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) and Google Workspace.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies, or a related field.
• 2-3 years of experience in Business Development, Grant Writing, Sales Operations, or Project Management.
• Proven track record of managing complex proposals or projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience in the Tech, Innovation, or Development sector is a strong plus.

Strategic Impact

As the Growth & Partnerships Associate, you are the engine that allows BongoHive to scale. By keeping the pipeline moving and the process efficient, you enable the organisation to secure the necessary resources to drive innovation across Africa. This is a high-visibility position with a clear path for growth into strategic management.