Head of Business Development (Africa)

 Directly reporting to the Regional Manager

  About Us:

Study Now is a leading education consultancy firm, dedicated to assisting students in  finding the best study opportunities worldwide. We work closely with universities, colleges, and other educational institutions to facilitate the recruitment and admission process of students. We are committed to providing personalized support and guidance to our clients, ensuring they make informed decisions about their academic and career paths.

We are seeking an accomplished and strategic leader to take on the role of Head of Business Development (Africa). This senior leadership position involves overseeing all Business Development Managers (BDMs) and Business Development Executives (BDEs) across the African countries where Study Now operates. The role requires strategic vision, operational leadership, and a results-driven mindset to expand Study Now’s footprint across the continent, build partnerships, and drive student and Agent recruitment targets.

Working Hours: Full Time (Mon -Fri) 8 AM – 4 PM OR 9 AM - 5PM

Salary expectations: Competitive (Based on Experience)

Office Location: Victoria Island

Main activities and responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Market Expansion

• Develop and execute an Africa-wide business development strategy aligned with Study Now’s commercial and growth objectives.

• Identify priority markets, emerging opportunities, and new partnership channels across the continent.

• Set clear country-level and individual KPIs for BDMs and BDEs.

• Recommend market entry, scaling, or exit strategies based on performance and risk analysis.

2. Commercial & Financial Accountability

• Own regional recruitment and revenue targets across Africa.

•  Forecast performance, manage pipelines, and drive conversion from lead to enrolment.

• Monitor agent performance, commission structures, and return on investment by market.

3. Team Leadership & Performance Management

•  Lead, mentor, and manage all African business development teams, ensuring accountability and high performance.

•  Conduct regular performance reviews, training sessions, and structured team meetings.

•  Build a strong leadership pipeline within the region.

•  Address underperformance decisively through coaching, restructuring, or corrective action.

4. Partnerships & Business Development

•  Oversee the identification, negotiation, and management of partnerships with universities, colleges, agents, NGOs, and other education stakeholders.

•  Secure long-term, multi-market agreements with key education providers.

•  Represent Study Now at conferences, exhibitions, and industry events across Africa.

•  Act as a senior escalation point for strategic or high-value partnerships.

• Conduct agent trainings for GSP and webinars ensuring Agents follow sector policies and are compliant.

• Conducting Regular B2B Events to foster partnership growth and onboard agents. 

5. Student Recruitment & Operational Oversight

• Oversee agent recruitment and management, ensuring quality, compliance, and performance.

•  Support teams with complex, high-value, or sensitive student cases.

•  Ensure recruitment activities align with marketing campaigns and institutional priorities.

•  Remain actively involved in recruiting students in key strategic markets when required.

6. Data, CRM & Reporting

• Ensure consistent and accurate CRM usage across all African markets.

• Track and analyse recruitment data including leads, deposits, CAS issuance, visa outcomes, and enrolments.

•  Produce regular performance reports for senior management with actionable insights.

•  Drive data led decision making and continuous improvement.

7. Compliance, Risk & Reputation Management

• Ensure full compliance with UKVI requirements, university partner regulations, and local laws.

• Monitor visa refusal trends, agent risk, and reputational exposure.

• Act as the regional escalation point for compliance sensitive matters.

•  Implement risk mitigation strategies to protect the company’s operations and brand.

8. Collaboration with Events, Marketing, Operations & Product Teams

• Align marketing strategies with regional recruitment cycles and market needs.

• Provide market intelligence to support content creation, campaigns, and messaging.

•  Co-develop country-specific digital and offline marketing initiatives to improve lead generation and conversion.

9. Authority & Decision-Making

• Authority to recommend hiring, restructuring, or exiting underperforming markets, agents, or partnerships (subject to executive approval).

• Authority to approve agent onboarding and performance actions within company frameworks.

• Ownership of regional execution within agreed strategic and commercial parameter

Additional Key Requirements:

· Strong network of contacts with educational institutions, agents, and other stakeholders in African markets.

· Demonstrated ability to achieve ambitious business development and student recruitment targets.

· Deep understanding of the African education landscape, cultural nuances, and market-specific challenges.

· Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.

· Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

· Ability to travel across African markets as required.

Person Specification

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., education, business administration, marketing, social sciences or a related field). A master's degree is a plus.

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in business development, student recruitment, admissions, student placement services in the education industry or a related field or a similar market.

• Familiarity with international education systems, study abroad programs, admissions processes for universities and colleges, and visa requirements for various countries.

• Strong knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and compliance requirements.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to interact effectively with students, parents, and educational institutions.

• Detail-oriented, with strong organizational and time management skills.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and CRM systems.

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, is required, proficiency in additional languages

is a plus.

Able to demonstrate:

● A high degree of self-motivation with the ability to work independently, take effective decisions, resolve unforeseen problems and adapt to changing circumstances.

●  Ability to work under pressure, prioritizing own workload and that of the team and planning ahead to meet deadlines.

●  An understanding of information governance and data protection.

Special requirements

Able to undertake duties at different premises. Flexibility to work outside of normal office hours to effectively support the company’s operations and events.

Travel may be required in order to attend conferences, events, new projects and effectively represent the Company in key networks.

Expectations of all staff

Professional standards

All staff employed by Study Now are expected to exhibit high professional standards which promote and demonstrate the company’s core values of Excellence, People Focused, Partnership Working, Fairness and Integrity.

Equal Opportunities

All staff are expected to understand and enact the company’s commitment to ensuring equality and diversity in all activities. This commitment is enshrined in the Equality Statement and core values.

Dignity at work

Every member of staff has a responsibility to ensure colleagues are treated with dignity and respect.

The Company is committed to creating a work environment for all staff that is free from harassment, intimidation and any other forms of bullying at work, where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and professional courtesy.

Citizenship

All staff are expected to adhere to good citizenship, being generous with help and support to others, collaborating with colleagues and working for the benefit of the University as a whole. In particular working to provide a positive student experience and achieving excellence in all the University’s activities.

This job description indicates the expectations of staff at this level. Job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be required to undertake other duties of a similar level and responsibility.