Sales Officer at Babban Gona

What We Believe

• Babban Gona is Africa's largest maize-producing entity, farming an area equivalent to 12 Manhattans.
• We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to prosper, free from poverty and the violence that follows in its wake.
• In West Africa, a downward spiral of rising insecurity is destabilizing local economies, accelerating migration, and threatening the stability of the broader region.
• At the heart of it all are unemployed youth — vulnerable to recruitment into violence.
• Just as oxygen is to fire, so are unemployed youth to insurgencies.
• At Babban Gona, we believe the most powerful disruption to this cycle is dignified, profitable work.
• We make farming much more profitable for smallholder farmers — doubling yields, tripling net incomes, and creating a network of successful rural entrepreneurs.
• Our goal: 10 million families lifted out of poverty by 2030, and 50 million jobs created by 2043.

Transform your career. Join the movement
The Opportunity:

• Babban Gona produces more maize than any other entity on the African continent.
• But production alone does not deliver impact — it is the sale of that produce at the right price, to the right buyer, at the right time, that turns agricultural output into farmer income and organizational fuel for our mission.
• The Sales Officer is on the frontline of that conversion. Based in Lagos — where Nigeria's largest food processors, off-take buyers, and institutional purchasers make their decisions — this role exists to build and manage a mixed portfolio of buyers for Babban Gona's agricultural produce. Every metric ton moved is a direct contribution to the financial engine that funds our expansion toward 10 million farming families.
• This is not a support role. It is a revenue-generating position with direct mission impact, reporting to the Lead, Sales.

What Success in the Role Looks Like
At 6 Months:

• Has onboarded at least 5 verified active buyers — a mix of off-take buyers (processors, traders, aggregators) and institutional buyers (FMCG, food manufacturers) — with documented purchase agreements or LOIs in place.
• Has achieved ≥80% of assigned volume target for the period, with a pipeline logged and updated weekly.
• Can independently manage the full sales cycle — from lead identification through negotiation to contract close — with minimal supervision from the Lead, Sales.

At 12 Months:

• Consistently meets or exceeds monthly volume and revenue targets, with variance explained and documented.
• Has built a buyer database of 20+ qualified prospects with relationship history, preferences, and purchasing cycles documented.
• Has contributed at least one insight or process improvement to the sales function — a pricing observation, a buyer segment opportunity, or a logistics coordination improvement — that the Lead, Sales has acted on.

Key Responsibilities
Buyer Development & Relationship Management:

• Identify, prospect, and qualify new buyers across off-take and institutional buyer segments in Lagos and surrounding markets.
• Build and maintain active relationships with a portfolio of buyers, ensuring Babban Gona is their preferred supplier of choice.
• Conduct regular buyer visits, calls, and follow-ups to understand purchasing cycles, volume requirements, and quality standards.

 Sales Execution:

• Manage the end-to-end sales cycle — from initial contact through proposal, negotiation, contract execution, and delivery coordination.
• Achieve assigned monthly and quarterly volume and revenue targets, escalating risks to the Lead, Sales in advance of shortfalls.
• Coordinate with logistics and operations teams to ensure buyer orders are fulfilled accurately and on time.

 Pipeline & Reporting:

• Maintain an up-to-date buyer pipeline with accurate volume projections, relationship status, and next steps documented.
• Provide weekly pipeline reports and monthly performance reviews to the Lead, Sales.
• Track competitor pricing, buyer feedback, and market intelligence — and surface insights that improve Babban Gona's commercial positioning.

 Collaboration:

• Work closely with logistics, supply chain, and operations teams to align supply availability with buyer commitments.
• Represent Babban Gona's mission and values in every buyer interaction — connecting commercial conversations to the broader impact we create for smallholder farming families.

Requirements
Required:

• 1–3 years of experience in sales, business development, or commercial roles — in agricultural commodities, food & beverage, FMCG, or related sectors strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a sales pipeline and close deals, even at small scale.
• Strong oral and written communication skills — comfortable negotiating with buyers and presenting to internal stakeholders.
• Highly organized with attention to detail; able to manage multiple buyer relationships simultaneously without dropping commitments.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, startup-like environment with dynamic priorities and limited process infrastructure.

 Preferred:

• Prior exposure to Nigerian agricultural markets, commodity trading, or food supply chains.
• Experience working with off-take buyers, processors, or institutional purchasing teams.
• Familiarity with CRM tools or pipeline management systems.
• A genuine connection to Babban Gona's mission — evidenced by past career choices, not just interview language.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Health Insurance
• Pension
• Performance Bonus
• Annual paid vacation
• Group Life Insurance.