[Hiring] Director, Retail Business Development @Kafene

Role Description

The Business Development Manager (BDM) is a critical driver of growth at Kafene, responsible for identifying, signing, and onboarding new retail partners. The BDM will build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, focusing on expanding Kafene’s footprint across target industries, such as furniture, appliances, and other durable goods. This role demands a strategic thinker with a hunter mentality who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

What you’ll do:

• Team Leadership & Management
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 8-10 Business Development Managers focused on small business retail partner acquisition.
  • Set clear performance expectations, KPIs, and accountability measures for the team.
  • Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance reviews, and provide ongoing coaching.
  • Drive team motivation and maintain high performance standards in a fast-paced environment.
  • Collaborate with HR on hiring, onboarding, and talent development initiatives.
  • Provide ongoing feedback to the broader Revenue team on activities, production, and goals using internal analytical and reporting tools.
• Strategic Business Development
  • Develop and execute comprehensive strategies for small business retail partner acquisition.
  • Evaluate the competitive landscape, identify strategic partnership opportunities in SMB sector.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with key industry stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Direct Sales Execution
  • Support BDMs in closing high-priority or challenging opportunities.
  • Lead presentations and proposals for retail partnerships.
• Operational Excellence
  • Monitor individual and team KPIs and expenditures to promote the highest ROI sales activities.
  • Manage, update, and maintain the sales pipeline through our CRM.
  • Ensure seamless transitions to account management teams.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Revenue Operations, and Product.
  • Report on team performance, pipeline health, and market insights to sales leadership.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of outside sales leadership experience in a high-growth B2B environment, with a track record of managing and scaling multi-rep sales teams.
• 3+ years as a strong individual contributor in an outside B2B sales role.
• Experienced leading full-cycle sales teams of 8-10+ field reps.
• A player-coach who gets in the trenches with your team when deals get complicated.
• Someone who holds people accountable with both directness and empathy.
• A strategic and analytical thinker who can spot growth opportunities.
• Ready to lead people who were once your peers.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building in fast-moving environments.
• Background in consumer products, financial services, lending, or fintech is a strong plus.
• Excellent communicator — confident in writing, in conversation, and in the room with senior leadership.
• Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent professional experience.
• Able and willing to travel 40-50% throughout your assigned SMB region.

Requirements

• Exceptional leadership and people management skills with ability to inspire and develop talent.
• Strategic thinking combined with tactical execution capabilities.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Data-driven approach to performance management and decision making.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.

Benefits

• Base Salary: Earn a competitive base salary of $115,000 to $155,000.
• Commissions based on team goal achievement.
• Healthcare: We prioritize your well-being by covering 80% of medical, dental, and vision insurance costs.
• Retirement Benefits: Begin planning for your future from day one with our 401K plan.
• Paid Time Off: Flexible paid time off days starting from day one of your employment.