Sales Manager, Asian Markets

About Kora 

Kora is the marketplace for everything payments. We offer a robust payment API for payment collections, disbursements and conversions for businesses anywhere in Africa. 

Our vision, which is at the core of what we do every day, is to create a world void of digital financial barriers. We are committed to delivering reliable, secure, and easy-to-use digital financial solutions to every single customer with a guarantee that it is improving their lives. To achieve this mission, we need people like you. 

We strongly believe in our ability to find Water in the Desert and pick the Sands in the Ocean.

We value positive energy, and clear communication and are committed to building an inclusive environment for people from every background.

About the role

As a Sales Manager, Asian Markets at Kora, you will play a pivotal role in expanding our presence across the Asian region. You will be responsible for identifying and building relationships with key clients, driving revenue growth, and supporting Kora’s mission to deliver exceptional payment infrastructure solutions.

This role requires a tenacious and driven individual who can prospect, negotiate, and close deals with high-value clients while managing a strong sales pipeline. You will leverage your deep understanding of Asian markets, strong network, and language skills to accelerate our growth in Asian markets.

Here are a couple of things you'll be doing:

• Manage and maintain strong relationships with new and existing clients across Asian markets.
• Building a pipeline of prospective partners, and then aggressively pursuing the highest value relationships to close.
• Managing your own sales pipeline: prospecting, leading meetings/negotiations, and deal closing with business stakeholders in all industries.
• Deep understanding of how to create a new business offering from scratch via different forms of partnerships, and strategic investments while keeping a laser focus on revenue, profitability, and market share growth.
• Recommending and implementing appropriate strategies and design tactics to improve B2B sales.
• Maintaining an expert level of understanding of the company so as to provide knowledgeable support to top clients and potential partners both externally and internally.
• Researching and identifying new business opportunities - including new markets, growth areas, trends, customers, partnerships, and services - or new ways of reaching existing markets.
• Think strategically – Analyse the bigger picture to set clear objectives, develop business strategies, and implement sales plans that drive sustainable revenue growth.
• Provide sales and revenue forecasts to the Chief Executive Officer, sharing regular updates on your pipeline progress, achievements, and opportunities.
• Offer market feedback to the Product team by sharing insights on customer needs, trends, and opportunities to enhance our solutions and remain competitive.t team regarding solutions and how we should develop since you’ll be seeing and hearing what businesses need.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with the Product, Merchant Success, and Operations teams to transform data and market insights into actionable strategies that boost sales and ensure targets are met.

Here's what we are looking for:

• HSK Level 4 (Chinese Proficiency Test) certification to facilitate communication and negotiations with stakeholders in the region.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience as a Sales Manager, Business Development Officer, or similar role in a B2B environment, ideally within the payments or fintech sector.
• Proven track record of driving business growth in Asian markets.
• Great verbal and written communication skills, including fluency in English and working proficiency in Chinese.
• Strong network and client relationships in Asian markets.
• In-depth knowledge of payment solutions, APIs, and B2B sales processes.
• Exceptional sales acumen with the ability to identify, pursue, and close high-value deals.
• Tenacity and drive to seek new business and meet or exceed targets.
• A self-starter, who understands how to build and manage their own pipeline of opportunities.
• Strong business sense and industry expertise in selling business services to large businesses.
• Interpersonal skills for building and developing relationships with clients and an ability to influence stakeholders.
• Finally, someone with the ability to sell water to a drowning man :)

Reporting Structure: This role reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

Interview Process 

Below is the interview process you can expect for this role. It may look like a lot of steps, but rest assured that we move quickly and the steps are designed to help you get the information needed to determine if we’re the right fit for you… Interviewing is a two-way street, after all! 

We expect the interview process to take a maximum of 3 weeks and an average of 2.5 hours in total. Please note that the interview is virtual.

👋Introduction Stage - we have initial conversations to get acquainted with you and overall experience.

[15m] Recruiter Screen - Abayomi Ishmael 

Feedback from the Recruiter (Abayomi Ishmael)

🧑‍💻 [60m] Technical Interview (CEO) - We proceed to explore your professional background in greater detail and facilitate introductions to team members, including those from various cross-functional areas.

🧑‍💻 [5 Days] Sales Manager Assessment -  We proceed to evaluate your ability to understand the product and our market, understand the problem, find a solution and execute on your plan based on the take-home assessment/project.

[60m] Cultural Fit Interview ()- At this stage, you'll engage in a conversation with the CEO, Kora's COO, the Head of People and Culture, and the head of the team you’re being considered for. The aim is to understand you better and assess the alignment of your beliefs and values with Kora's distinctive culture. We'd like to emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers expected. However, we encourage you to maintain a positive attitude during this session.

Please note that you are welcome to ask questions and inquire during this process. We assure you of complete transparency throughout the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kora is an equal-opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, and business needs. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented communities and diverse ethnic groups to apply.

Please feel free to inform us if you need any accommodations to facilitate your participation in the recruitment process. Any details you share will be used solely to ensure we can support and accommodate your needs appropriately

If you require more information on our HR Data Privacy, please visit .

• Health insurance
• Sponsored and tailored training
• Paid parental leave
• Paid time-off
• Flexible work style
• Annual performance bonus
• Low-interest loans
• Group Life Insurance
• Access to up to four therapy sessions monthly
• Day off on your birthday 🎂 🎁 🎉
• Employee interest groups that provide supportive communities within Kora
• Great company culture and the opportunity to work with a highly collaborative team building something great!

Note: We recognise imposter syndrome is real - any candidate who does not perfectly fit every characteristic of this role is still strongly encouraged to apply.