We’re making Africa the first cashless continent.
In 2017, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That’s for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.
We’re solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don’t always work, you can still send money with Wave. In November 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. In 2019, we expanded to Cote d’Ivoire. Now, we have millions of users and are growing fast. Our goal is to make Africa the first cashless continent. And that’s where you come in….
How you’ll help us achieve it
We’re looking for a Head of Business Development to lead Wave’s business development strategy and partnerships in Senegal. You’ll be responsible for establishing a dynamic team to acquire the necessary partners to support various business needs. These needs include but are not limited to product, integration, and agent networks as we continue to scale in Senegal.
The ideal candidate enjoys building and nurturing teams, has an excellent track record in strategic partnership building, and has a deep network of contacts across various industries: telcos, financial institutions, and other technology companies.
Our Senegal business development team currently has three team members, and in this role, you’ll;
- Build and strengthen relationships with banks, telecom operators, and businesses that Wave needs to succeed.
- Manage and scale Wave’s business development team in Senegal, including identifying the optimal structure, hiring the individuals needed, and leading the team as we grow.
- Design and shape processes; define the team’s role and execute efficiently in meeting the business’ dynamic needs.
- Maintain a deep understanding of how Wave operates and positions itself to effectively prioritize work in response to complex problems faced across Wave’s different teams.
- Facilitate communication between external partners and internal Wave teams (Product, Finance, Distribution).
- Proactively build in-country and multi-country partnerships that effectively achieve Wave’s objectives in Senegal.
- Lead by living Wave’s values, and ensure they’re deeply ingrained within your team.
Key details
- Location: You’ll work from our office in Dakar and the possibility of short-term relocations within Senegal.
- Work authorization in Senegal.
- You’d be required to travel within Senegal to meet with partners and help the team close complex deals. There might be some travel to our existing/new markets to understand business development best practices better and mentor new team members.
- Our salaries are competitive and calculated using a transparent formula. We run performance reviews twice a year and award bonuses to strong performers who have been with the company for more than 6 months.
- We pay 100% of your health care insurance premium cost for yourself and your dependents.
- We support working parents – we offer generous parental leave policies (26 weeks for mothers and 4 weeks for fathers) and subsidized childcare when you return to work.
- We help you live your fullest life now! We subsidize gym memberships, fitness classes, and workout equipment.
- Airtime reimbursement
- Free food and a beautiful office space
Requirements
- 4+ years experience in a senior business development management role at a global organization.
- Excellent leadership skills with experience leading a large team of experienced people.
- 4+ years of experience in finance, fintech, telecoms, or technology sectors, leading partnerships or business development in West Africa.
- Fluent in French and English.
- Track record in preparing presentations and documents in French/English for external partners.
- Strong track record in building country-level and multi-country partnerships in Africa.
- Powerful communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience working in the mobile money sector will be an added advantage.
You might be a good fit if you
- Slow-moving processes or partners frustrate you, but you’re inclined to lean into the problem and push however you can rather than accept a slow pace.
- A clear and proactive communicator, you can independently follow through on tasks and manage priorities effectively.
- You know how to navigate working with senior partners and stakeholders by spotting and seizing upon mutually beneficial opportunities.
- Are intellectually curious, creative in the way you go about tackling problems, and embrace failure as a means to spark innovation and growth.
- Demonstrate tenacity and a willingness to go the distance to get something done.
- Well organized and can manage competing priorities.
- You can quickly learn regulatory requirements and prioritize paths to meeting them.
- You’re enthusiastic about Wave’s mission and excited to do what needs to be done to achieve it.
Our team
- We have a rapidly growing in-country team in Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Uganda, plus remote team members spread across the world. We’re deeply passionate about our mission of bringing radically affordable financial services to the people who need them most.
- We foster autonomy for our employees. You’ll own your own projects at every stage, from understanding the problem to monitoring your solution in production.
- We’re backed by world-class investors including Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator and Partech Africa.
How to apply
Fill out the form below, and upload a resume in English.
Optional: Please feel free to add a cover letter or note if there is anything additional that you would like to share about your interest in Wave/the role or your experience. We review applications on a rolling basis.
Wave is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
