Key Account Manager

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 Key Account Manager at Kora, you will be the primary point of contact for our most valuable merchants. Following our company expansion, your role is critical in ensuring that the high-volume merchants we onboard continue to find value in our infrastructure.

You are not just a relationship builder; you are a strategic growth partner. You will be responsible for merchant retention, identifying opportunities for upselling, and ensuring that our merchants' technical and operational needs are met. We are looking for a data-driven, empathetic, and commercially-minded professional who thrives on turning satisfied clients into long-term partners.

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

• Portfolio Management: Act as the dedicated consultant for a portfolio of high-value merchants, ensuring high levels of satisfaction and platform stickiness.
• Revenue Growth: Identify and execute opportunities for upselling and cross-selling Kora’s evolving product suite, including Virtual Card issuing and Identity verification APIs.
• Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs): Prepare and lead strategic reviews with merchants to analyse transaction data, discuss performance, and align on future business goals.
• Churn Mitigation: Proactively identify "at-risk" accounts through data analysis and develop intervention strategies to ensure retention.
• Voice of the Merchant: Act as a bridge between your clients and Kora’s Product and Engineering teams, translating merchant feedback into actionable product improvements.
• Compliance Oversight: Work with the Compliance team to ensure ongoing KYC/KYB requirements for existing merchants are met without disrupting their operations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Merchant Success and Tech Support to resolve complex escalations promptly.

Requirements

Here's what we are looking for:

• A minimum of 2–3 years of experience in Account Management, Customer Success, or Business Development within a fast-paced B2B Fintech, Payment Infrastructure, or Banking environment.
• Relationship Management Mastery: Proven track record of managing high-stakes relationships and negotiating complex renewals.
• Data Literacy: Ability to pull insights from transaction data to build a narrative of value for the merchant.
• Sales DNA: You must have the "passion to sell" and the ability to spot revenue opportunities within your existing portfolio.
• CRM Proficiency: Experience working with Salesforce.com or similar CRM tools to track account health and pipeline.
• Communication: Exceptional presentation skills, with the ability to influence C-suite stakeholders at large enterprise merchants.
• Problem-Solving: The ability to stay calm under pressure and find creative solutions when a merchant faces technical or operational hurdles.
• Finally, we need someone who doesn't just manage accounts but builds legacies and strategic partnerships.

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] Team Interview Stage (Sales Team) - We proceed to explore your professional background in greater detail and facilitate introductions to team members, including those from various cross-functional areas

[60m] Cultural Fit Interview (Our Core Values)- 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

Working hours

Given that we are an all-remote company and hire almost anywhere in the world, we don’t have a location requirement for this role. However, your working hours must coincide with 9:00 am - 5:00 pm WAT for at least 40 hours/week.

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 here.

Benefits

• 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.