Sales Manager - West Africa

Our client is a fast-growing FMCG coffee business with products sold across more than 45 markets worldwide, including a growing footprint in Africa. The company is now investing in West Africa, with Nigeria as the anchor market, and is building out the team and route-to-market for both its B2C and B2B coffee business in the region.

Our client is looking for a senior, well-connected coffee and FMCG sales professional to lead the development of its West African market, with primary focus on B2C and additional support on B2B activity. This is a hands-on, market-building role for someone who can advise the company on how to enter and grow in Nigeria and the wider region - including identifying and securing the right distributors - and who is comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy in a market where the company does not yet have a local office.

Title will be aligned to the candidate’s seniority and experience, and may be:

• Sales Manager
• Sales Director
• Business Development Manager (BDM)

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the go-to-market strategy for the company’s B2C coffee business across Nigeria and West Africa.
• Identify, evaluate and onboard key distributors and channel partners in Nigeria and the wider region.
• Provide hands-on advisory support to the company leadership on market entry, route-to-market and commercial structure for the region.
• Support and contribute to B2B sales activity alongside the core B2C focus.
• Build and manage relationships with retailers, distributors and trade partners across the coffee and broader FMCG landscape.
• Travel periodically to Nairobi to engage with the company’s existing business and sales teams, share market learnings and help guide the development of the East Africa business.
• Act as a trusted, on-the-ground advisor as the company scales its presence in the region, with the expectation of building and managing a team as the business grows.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience in the coffee industry and/or broader FMCG sales and marketing, with strong B2C focus.
• Deep, well-established network within the coffee industry in Nigeria/West Africa - able to advise on key distributors and the right way to enter the market.
• Proven sales and relationship-building track record; able to open doors and close deals.
• Previous experience managing a team is preferred, given this role is expected to grow into a people-management position.
• Comfortable working independently/remotely without a local office infrastructure, while staying connected to a small regional team based in Nairobi.
• Fluent English speaker.
• Honest, hard-working, relationship-driven, and willing to travel as needed.
• Local Nigerian candidates strongly preferred; Lagos-based preferred but not essential.
• No specific educational background required - industry experience and network matter most.