Business Development Manager
First seen by Alion on Nov 10, 2026.
About ARCH
ARCH is a South African capability and economic development partner working across people, enterprises, institutions and industries. For more than two decades, ARCH has collaborated with public and private sector organisations to design and implement solutions that build workforce capability, strengthen enterprises and suppliers, develop institutional and industry capacity, and create measurable economic and social outcomes.
Our integrated approach combines strategy, programme design, resource mobilisation, implementation and performance measurement to translate complex development and economic mandates into sustainable outcomes. Through our expertise in skills and talent development, enterprise and supplier development, institutional strengthening, capital mobilisation and programme implementation, we connect people, organisations and opportunities to drive inclusive economic growth.
Duties & ResponsibilitiesPurpose of the Role
The Business Development (BD) Manager is responsible for identifying, developing and originating new business opportunities to drive revenue growth, market expansion and long-term commercial sustainability across ARCH's existing and emerging markets.
The role encompasses revenue generation through market research and intelligence, business development strategy, prospective client identification and acquisition, strategic partnership development and the management of a qualified new-business pipeline. The BD Manager is responsible for achieving sales targets and strengthening ARCH's presence within established markets while identifying, evaluating and pursuing opportunities in new sectors and client segments.
The position requires proactive engagement with prospective clients, funders and strategic partners, as well as collaboration with internal sales, commercial and operational teams to develop commercially viable solutions and progress opportunities towards successful conversion. The Business Development Manager is accountable for implementing business development initiatives, achieving agreed performance targets and maintaining the systems and reporting mechanisms necessary to support consistent and measurable business growth.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Conduct market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, client needs, industry developments and new business opportunities.
- Develop and implement business development strategies to strengthen ARCH's position in existing markets, expand into new sectors and achieve organisational growth objectives.
- Identify, prospect and engage potential clients across the public and private sectors to generate new business opportunities.
- Develop and execute targeted lead generation and client acquisition initiatives to establish a consistent pipeline of qualified business opportunities.
- Identify, establish and maintain strategic relationships with prospective clients, government institutions, industry stakeholders, funding organisations and potential business partners.
- Evaluate and qualify prospective opportunities based on strategic alignment, client requirements, commercial potential and organisational capabilities.
- Collaborate with internal sales, commercial and operational teams to develop client solutions, support proposal development and converting opportunities into sales.
- Support the development of strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives that enable market access, service expansion and revenue growth.
- Maintain and manage an accurate business development pipeline, ensuring effective opportunity tracking, follow-up and progression.
- Drive business development performance against agreed objectives, revenue targets and key performance indicators.
- Prepare and submit reports on market developments, client acquisition activities, pipeline performance and anticipated business opportunities.
- Identify opportunities to improve business development processes, systems and practices to strengthen operational efficiency and commercial performance.
- Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Commerce, Marketing, Economics or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years' relevant experience in business development, sales, client acquisition or strategic partnerships, with demonstrated responsibility for business growth.
- Proven track record in identifying and securing new business opportunities, developing client relationships and achieving revenue generation targets.
- Experience engaging with corporate clients, government institutions, funding organisations and strategic stakeholders., including procurement processes, tenders, proposal development and commercial negotiations.
- Understanding of South Africa's Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) framework, including the B-BBEE scorecard and its implications for business development, procurement and strategic partnerships, will be advantageous.
- Experience in education, skills development, consulting or economic development considered advantageous.
- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, networking and stakeholder relationship management skills.
- Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, collaborate across functions and deliver against measurable performance targets.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, with strong reporting and organisational skills
Market related
Interested?How to Apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their curriculum vitae and relevant supporting documentation to [email protected] by 25 November 2026 , with the position title indicated in the email subject line.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applicants who have not received a response within two weeks of the closing date may consider their applications unsuccessful.