Business Development Intern at Synnefa

Role Overview:
The Business Development Interns will support Synnefa’s growth and partnership efforts by focusing on B2B outreach, partner development, and sales support. This role is ideal for recent graduates with studies in business, agriculture, or related fields who are looking to kickstart a career in agritech sales/partnerships. Under the guidance of the CEO and growth team, the interns will help expand Synnefa’s network of partners and enterprise clients, with a special emphasis on scaling our FarmCloud platform’s reach. The interns will gain hands-on experience in market research, lead generation, relationship management, and the inner workings of a fast-paced startup driving agricultural innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partner Scouting & Outreach: Research and identify potential strategic partners,such as agribusiness companies, microfinance institutions, input suppliers, agro-dealers, and export-focused farms, that could collaborate with Synnefa or integrate into the FarmCloud ecosystem. Proactively reach out to these prospects via email, calls, and networking events to introduce Synnefa’s offerings.
• Lead Generation & Qualification: Generate a pipeline of B2B leads by cold-calling, emailing, and leveraging LinkedIn to connect with decision-makers in target organizations. Qualify leads by assessing their needs and fit (e.g., interest in greenhouse projects, use of farm management software, financing needs) and prioritize high-potential opportunities for follow-up. Maintain a leads database with key contact information and status updates.
• Relationship Management Support: Assist in managing relationships with prospective partners and clients throughout the engagement process. Schedule and coordinate meetings or product demo calls between potential partners and Synnefa’s leadership. Prepare meeting briefs and take notes during partnership discussions. Keep the CRM system up-to-date with all interactions and ensure timely follow-ups, nurturing each relationship professionally.
• Partnership Onboarding Assistance: Once a partner shows interest, support the onboarding process – help draft or tailor proposal documents, partnership briefs, or Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for review. Coordinate internal resources (e.g., scheduling technical demos or pilot installations) to meet partner requirements. Work closely with the partner through initial setup, ensuring they understand how to utilize FarmCloud or other Synnefa services as needed. For example, if an agrodealer is joining as a distribution partner, assist in organizing any required training or introductory sessions.
• Market Research & Strategy Input: Research market trends and identify new opportunities for Synnefa’s expansion. This could include mapping out potential partners in new regions (e.g., East African countries we plan to enter) or new sectors (such as floriculture exporters, co-operatives, or NGOs running farmer programs). Analyze competitor partnerships or initiatives in the agritech space and provide insights. Use this research to contribute ideas to the team on partnership strategy (e.g., suggesting an approach to engage a newly identified agri-processor network).
• Sales & Demo Support: Work closely with the sales team and technical agronomists to support product demonstrations and trials for prospective B2B clients. For instance, help organize on-site or virtual demos of FarmShield IoT devices and the FarmCloud software dashboard. Coordinate logistics for demo units or presentations (e.g., ensuring equipment is ready, setting up meetings). While the technical team leads the demo, the intern ensures the process runs smoothly and collects any initial feedback from the client. Demonstrating Synnefa’s value proposition effectively will be key to converting prospects.
• Reporting & Administrative Tasks: Prepare weekly reports summarizing outreach activities, status of leads, and any deals in progress. Track key metrics (as outlined in the KPIs below) and flag any bottlenecks or notable successes to the team. Additionally, handle various supportive tasks such as drafting emails, updating sales collateral (presentations or one-pagers), and liaising with the Marketing team to get customized materials for specific partner pitches. Essentially, ensure the business development process is well-organized and data-driven by providing administrative and analytical support.

Key Performance Indicators:

• New Leads Contacted: Number of new B2B or partner leads contacted per month (e.g. outreach to at least X new organizations each month). This measures the volume of prospecting activity to expand our pipeline.
• Qualified Partnerships/MoUs: Count of partnership agreements or MoUs initiated or signed with new partners in a month. Targeting at least 1 new partner onboarding per intern per month will indicate progress toward our FarmCloud partner expansion goals.
• Meetings & Demos Arranged: Number of substantial engagements scheduled, such as partner meetings, pitch presentations or product demo sessions with potential clients. (For example, Y meetings or demos organized per month as a result of the intern’s outreach efforts.) This reflects how effectively leads are being moved forward in the funnel.
• Pipeline Progress & Conversion: Progression rate of leads in the sales pipeline e.g. percentage of contacted leads that advance to proposal or negotiation stage. This can be tracked as a conversion metric month-over-month. Additionally, maintaining a healthy active pipeline (with a certain minimum number of active interested partners at any given time) is expected.
• CRM & Reporting Compliance: 100% completeness and timeliness of updates to the CRM and weekly reports. All new contacts, follow-up notes, and status changes must be logged, and a concise report submitted each week. This KPI ensures discipline in documentation and allows the team to monitor activity aligned to our 2025 growth targets.

Required Qualifications & Attributes:

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree (or higher diploma) in Business, Marketing, Agriculture, Agribusiness, or a related field. Must have graduated within the last 1 year (recent graduate) to qualify for the internship program.
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Comfortable interacting with corporate clients and partners via email, phone, and in-person. Able to craft professional correspondence and presentations.
• Analytical & Research Skills: Strong ability to conduct market research (online and via networking), analyze data to identify promising leads, and gather insights about potential partners or market segments. Proficient in using tools like Google Sheets/Docs for tracking and analysis.
• Self-Motivation & Organization: Proactive, self-driven individual who can take initiative in contacting leads and follow up diligently. Should be highly organized in managing tasks, able to juggle multiple prospects and deadlines without dropping details. Experience with or willingness to learn CRM systems is a plus (ensuring all interactions are logged methodically).
• Interest in Agritech: A demonstrable interest in agriculture and technology. Candidates who understand farmers’ pain points or have familiarity with agricultural value chains will have an easier time relating Synnefa’s value to partners. Passion for Synnefa’s mission to improve smallholder farming through innovation is essential.
• Adaptability & Teamwork: Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities can shift. Able to collaborate closely with cross-functional teams – including Marketing (for coordinated outreach campaigns) and Technical teams (for arranging demos). Should be eager to learn from feedback and adaptable in approach.
• Integrity & Professionalism: Must uphold Synnefa’s values of integrity and fairness in all dealings. As an intern reaching out externally, the individual will be a representative of Synnefa; professionalism, reliability, and ethical behavior are paramount.