Business Development Officer

About Onja

Onja trains underprivileged youth into world-class software developers. Our organisation is unified by a common mission: give life-changing work through sustainable social enterprise.
 

We are recognised for our innovative model that finds exceptional talent where opportunity is scarce, invests in its development, and connects it directly to the global tech economy. Through an intensive two-and-a-half-year program, we co-create pathways to long-term social and economic stability that prioritise self-reliance.
 

We operate as one integrated organisation, where education, hiring, and partner collaboration work together to deliver high-performing tech talent with lasting social impact. Onja developers invest in their own futures and in their nation’s development, while ensuring Onja remains self-funding and scalable, paying forward opportunities to the next generation.

Onja is located in Toamasina, a lively city with beautiful beaches, nice restaurants, and with plenty to do and see. Toamasina is Madagascar’s second largest city (population 300,000) yet is surrounded by plenty of natural beauty, and even has a national park nearby. 
 
About the Role
On behalf of a new software initiative supported by Onja, we are looking for a Business Development Officer to help test the demand for an HR and payroll solution in the Malagasy market.

You will be responsible for building the client base from the ground up - proactively reaching out to local businesses, identifying key decision-makers, and starting conversations about how our software could meet their HR and payroll needs.

This is a predominantly outbound role: leveraging your network, cold calling, LinkedIn outreach, and running initial discovery discussions. Your goal is to bring the first clients on board and help us learn whether there is real demand for this type of solution in Madagascar.

This is a 3-month contract to start, with the potential to extend to 12 months based on performance and market traction.

Ideal for someone who is comfortable with ambiguity, excited by early-stage experimentation, and motivated to help validate a new initiative from Onja.

We believe in hiring based on potential, attitude and cultural fit rather than specific qualifications.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Identify and research target businesses across Madagascar
• Conduct outbound cold calls to prospective clients in French
• Reach out to and engage decision-makers via LinkedIn
• Run initial discovery calls to understand prospect needs and present the service
• Consistently track and record all outreach activity and pipeline progress
• Meet and report against weekly and monthly targets
• Work closely with the team to feed back market insights and refine the sales approach

 

Requirements 

• Fluent in French (spoken and written)
• Strong communicator, confident, clear and personable
• Highly motivated and eager to build a career in sales
• Organised and self-disciplined

Candidates can anticipate that reference checks will be conducted as part of our thorough evaluation process. 

Why work with us

• Do impactful work:  Working with Onja gives you the ability to make a real tangible difference with your work, and have a deep sense of purpose in your every-day.  Our mission is to nurture talented, underprivileged youth to lead impactful careers in tech, unlock opportunities for others and accelerate Madagascar's development.
• Grow your skills fast: As a young fast-growing startup we are all in “over our head” and this is a great place to grow.  You will be challenged but you’ll also be part of a very supportive team and caring environment. Our social model is innovative with exciting potential to scale, so there is a great opportunity for you to grow your career along with us.
• Work with very talented individuals who are very socially inclined:  At Onja you’ll join a community of talented and passionate people from around Madagascar and the world. 

How Onja Works
Onja is a social enterprise with a sustainable model:

1. Search for brilliant minds who would otherwise be limited to low-paid, unfulfilling careers.
2. Students receive two years of English and software development instruction. Meet a developer here: https://onja.org/blog
3. Graduates earn (and continue learning) at our outsourcing enterprise. 
4. All profits are used to train the next wave of students and the cycle begins again.  

We want our recruitment process to be fair and inclusive, so please do let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments we can make. For example, if you identify as neurodivergent, we can accommodate and discuss modifications to our hiring process with you.