Senior Business Development Specialist

Do you have a proven track record of originating and closing high-value commercial deals within the creative industries? Do you understand the full creative economy value chain - from talent development and content creation to distribution and monetisation — and where the biggest opportunities for growth are emerging today?

Are you energised by the rapid evolution of the creative sector, particularly the rise of the creator economy and the transformative impact of AI on how content is produced, scaled, and monetised? Do you see the opportunity to build sustainable revenue models that unlock both commercial value and real pathways for creative talent?

Are you equally strong at building relationships as you are at delivering them — able to secure strategic partnerships, manage complex stakeholders, and ensure world-class execution that drives long-term impact?

If you’re excited by the opportunity to help shape and scale one of the most dynamic and fast-growing sectors on the continent — and to play a role in unlocking Africa’s creative potential at scale — then this might just be the role for you.

About ALX Africa

ALX Africa, a non-profit organisation under the ALX Foundation, is dedicated to unlocking the potential of Africa's digital future. Formerly part of Sand Tech Holdings, we've embarked on an independent journey to provide world-class tech skills training and career acceleration programmes. Our mission is to bridge the digital divide, upskill and reskill talent, and create a generation of innovative leaders. By 2030, we aim to empower 2 million Africans to secure sustainable tech careers.

With hubs in 8 cities across Africa and counting, we provide safe access to quality learning and a dedicated network of expert instructors. Our innovative programmes equip learners with the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today's rapidly evolving tech industry. Through a combination of rigorous coursework, industry partnerships, and hands-on projects, we prepare our students for in-demand roles in software engineering, data science, and cybersecurity.

We achieve this by:

• Providing young professionals with access to the most in-demand tech skills that will power the future.
• Empowering the next generation of technology innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders through challenging, real-world coursework.
• Building a lifelong, impactful community of tech professionals that support them at all stages of their career journey. 

Our impact thus far:

• 347k+ graduates since 2020 
• 257k youth in work 
• 31k youth starting own ventures
• 60k youth in jobs created by entrepreneurs

 Visit our website www.alxafrica.com to learn more about our digital revolution.

Role Summary:
ALX Africa is seeking a Senior Business Development Specialist to drive revenue growth across our Creative Economy initiatives and PRISM (ALX's Creative Media Company).

This role is designed for a commercially driven leader with a proven track record of securing grant funding, sponsorships, corporate partnerships, and large-scale capacity-building programmes, while also unlocking opportunities for creative enterprise development, capital mobilisation, and IP commercialisation.

The successful candidate will understand where demand and capital exist in the market today—from development finance and donor-funded programmes, to corporate capability building, sponsorship, private capital, and creator economy ecosystems—and be able to translate these opportunities into structured, revenue-generating partnerships.
Working across ALX and PRISM, the role will support the growth of talent development programmes, original content and IP, industry partnerships, and investment-ready creative economy initiatives.

This is a hybrid role spanning business development, partnership structuring, and account leadership, requiring someone who can originate deals and ensure they are delivered with excellence.

Specific Responsibilities

•  Identify, develop, and secure revenue opportunities across:
  
  
  • Grant-funded capacity-building programmes (DFIs, foundations, public sector)
  • Corporate training and creative talent development partnerships
  • Sponsorship and brand-funded initiatives
  • Creator economy and industry-led upskilling programmes
  • IP development, production, and commercialisation opportunities

• Position ALX and PRISM  as leading partners for creative talent development, workforce readiness, and creative industry growth.
• Lead the end-to-end deal lifecycle, from opportunity origination and proposal development to commercial structuring, negotiation, and contracting.
• Build and manage a strategic pipeline aligned to Creative Economy priorities, with clear visibility on revenue opportunities and conversion.
• Identify and secure partnerships with donors, DFIs, financial institutions, investors, brands, media companies, and industry stakeholders.
• Support the development of investment-ready opportunities and innovative funding models that enable creative sector growth.
• Unlock and structure partnerships through PRISM , including branded content, production partnerships, sponsorships, distribution, and industry collaborations.
• Own and grow key partner relationships, ensuring strong client service, delivery excellence, and long-term account expansion.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams to ensure partnerships deliver against both commercial and impact objectives.
• Track and report on pipeline health, revenue performance, and partnership outcomes.
• Represent ALX across the creative industry, corporate, donor, sponsorship, and investment ecosystems.

Skill Requirements - Essential

• 5–10+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, fundraising, sponsorship, or commercial strategy within the creative industries, media, education, or related sectors.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth through grants, sponsorships, corporate partnerships, and large-scale capacity-building programmes.
• Strong understanding of the creative economy ecosystem, including creator economies, IP monetisation, creative enterprise development, and emerging AI-driven opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to originate, structure, and close complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
• Understanding of capital mobilisation, investment partnerships, and funding models relevant to the creative sector.
• Strong commercial acumen, relationship-building, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working across regional and/or global markets.

Skill Requirements - Preferable

• Experience working with DFIs, donors, foundations, or impact investment ecosystems.

• Established network across creative industries, media, brands, financial institutions, and investor communities.

• Experience designing or scaling capacity-building, workforce development, or creative enterprise programmes.

• Exposure to content production, media, sponsorship, or IP development and commercialisation

• Entrepreneurial or venture-building experience within creative, media, technology, or platform-based businesses.

• High level of AI tool fluency to support operational efficiency, proposal development, and partnership execution.

Person Specification/Attributes

• Courage: Willingness to speak up, challenge the status quo, and embrace new challenges.
• Humility: Openness to learning, seeking help when needed, and a focus on serving others.
• Adventure: A passion for setting ambitious goals, tackling difficult tasks, and finding joy in the journey.
• Initiative: Proactive problem-solving, a sense of ownership, and a willingness to go above and beyond.
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks, persevere through challenges, and emerge stronger.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong instinct for identifying opportunity, structuring deals, and driving revenue.
• Relationship Intelligence: Builds trust quickly and sustains long-term, high-value partnerships.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: A builder with a strong sense of ownership, comfortable operating in ambiguity and creating structure where it doesn’t exist.
• Hustle & Bias for Action: Willing to roll up their sleeves, move quickly, and do what it takes to get deals across the line in a lean team environment.
• Communication Excellence: Clear, compelling, and confident communicator — able to influence senior stakeholders, articulate complex ideas simply, and represent ALX with credibility across diverse audiences.

Employment Type

This role is a full-time position

Work Hours

The required work hours are 40hrs per week 

Preferred Time Zones

The preferred time zones are GMT +2/SAST

Due to the considerable amount of virtual working and interaction with colleagues and customers in different physical locations internationally, it is essential that the successful applicant has the drive and ethic to succeed working in small teams physically but in larger efforts virtually. Self-drive to communicate constantly using web collaboration and video conferencing is essential. As an employee, you will be encouraged to continually develop your capability & attain certifications to reflect your growth as an individual.