Job description and background

Spanning 70 hectares of protected forest, Lilongwe Wildlife Centre (LWC) is a unique nature reserve in the heart of the capital. It is one of just a few green spaces left in the city and a key eco-tourism destination for national and international visitors. LWC is also home to Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary, where injured and orphaned wild animals are cared for before being returned to the wild (the sanctuary is not open to the public).

The Business Development and Marketing Manager (BDMM) is an exciting new role, which will lead the commercial office at LWC in implementing revenue generating and marketing strategies that strengthen LWC’s financial sustainability, visibility, and strategic partnerships in the longer term, while also aligning the visitor experience and public attractions with LWT’s broader conservation and education objectives. The role bridges commercial growth and mission delivery, ensuring that income-generating activities directly support LWC’s environmental and social impact.

Essential duties and responsibilities

During the initial one-year fixed-term contract period, the BDMM will focus on establishing the foundations required to position LWC as a competitive eco-tourism destination and to diversify its income streams. Key activities will include:

Business development and revenue growth

• Work closely with the LWC Managing Director to refine, implement and monitor the new LWC Business Plan, with a particular focus on promoting and marketing LWC’s ecological features to drive visitor interest, income generation and local partnerships.
• Assess the current visitor journey and identify practical improvements to enhance the overall visitor experience (linked with the eco-tourism strategy).
• Drive visitor interest and income through the design and piloting of a range of activities, events and attractions that draw on the site’s unique ecological features, including exploring the potential for virtual public-facing displays of wildlife rescue work.
• Develop and implement a diversified funding strategy to include the identification and planning of new revenue streams. The strategy will include a practical implementation roadmap for the next 2–3 years.
• Lead on the development of pricing strategies and revenue optimisation across all services (aligned to conservation ethics and financial viability).
• Develop business cases for new investments and innovations.
• Monitor and report on income and expense performance against targets.

Marketing and brand management

• With input from the Development and Communications team, develop a marketing and communications strategy to boost visitor numbers from local and international audiences. This will include strengthening LWC’s digital presence, improving visitor information materials, and developing targeted outreach to tourism operators, schools, corporates, and international audiences.
• Support with media interviews, digital marketing (website, social media, email campaigns) and content creation (e.g. stories, photos, video, messaging), ensuring branding consistency across all platforms.
• Lead on marketing campaigns to increase visitor numbers, per capita spend and repeat visitation.

Partnerships and stakeholder engagement – with a focus on income generation

• Build and manage partnerships with local private sector partners, including corporates (as a priority), tourism operators, NGOs and development partners, grant and donor partnerships, education institutions e.g. through the development of corporate ‘away-days’, sponsored events etc.
• Lead the development of strategic alliances and funding opportunities, with a particular focus on local donors and partners, and support the Development and Communications team on international grants and donor relationships for LWC funding.
• Represent LWC in relevant forums, networks, events, and media activities.

Data, monitoring and learning

• Contribute to the implementation of LWC’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Results Framework and strategic planning processes.
• With support from the M&E team, establish a monitoring framework to track visitor numbers and feedback, partnership development, marketing performance, and new income streams, enabling LWC’s leadership to assess the financial and strategic impact of eco-tourism initiatives and the BDMM post.

Team leadership, management and coordination

• Supervise and manage the visitor services team
• Build internal capacity for other LWC staff in visitor engagement and sales, through training, mentorship and cross-department collaboration

Year 1 deliverables

• Develop a comprehensive LWC funding plan (within the first three months)
• Develop and implement an LWC marketing strategy (within first six months)
• Establish a new product development pipeline
• Develop a partnership and sponsorship roadmap e.g. identification of a minimum number of active local partnerships with number of partner opportunities
• Design and pilot new visitor experiences
• Increase the visibility of LWC as a national eco-tourism destination
• Initiate growth in unrestricted income streams, particularly in memberships and merchandise

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Growth in total gate revenue by 40% in the first year (visitor numbers, average spend per visitor, conversion rates)
• Eco-tourism marketing and funding implementation plan in place (aligned with the LWC Business Plan to boost income) by first six months
• Number and value of partnerships secured – partnership and sponsor roadmap produced for the next three years
• Successful launch of membership and merchandise sales plan and products
• Number of staff trained and supervised in visitor related products and service etiquette
• Brand visibility and engagement metrics

Education and work experience requirements

• Degree in Business Management, Business Entrepreneurship or Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism, or related field. An MSC is an added advantage in these fields.
• Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in business development, marketing and revenue generation (preferably in the tourism and/or conservation sectors in either an NGO or commercial setting)
• Proven track record of increasing revenue and building partnerships
• Demonstrable experience in marketing and brand management

Key competencies and attributes

• Entrepreneurial mindset and strong commercial awareness; an ability to identify and develop new business opportunities
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in developing products, campaigns, partnerships and or revenue streams
• Strategic thinker with strong problem solving and opportunity-identification skills
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and drive ideas from concept to implementation
• Strong networking, communication, negotiation and relationship building ability
• Results oriented with strong analytical and performance monitoring skills
• Ability to implement activities in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft packages and Google docs
• Commitment to conservation ethics and animal welfare and sustainable responsible tourism
• Commitment to inclusivity and community engagement

• Work closely with the LWC Managing Director to refine, implement and monitor the new LWC Business Plan, with a particular focus on promoting and marketing LWC’s ecological features to drive visitor interest, income generation and local partnerships.
• Assess the current visitor journey and identify practical improvements to enhance the overall visitor experience (linked with the eco-tourism strategy).
• Drive visitor interest and income through the design and piloting of a range of activities, events and attractions that draw on the site’s unique ecological features, including exploring the potential for virtual public-facing displays of wildlife rescue work.
• Develop and implement a diversified funding strategy to include the identification and planning of new revenue streams. The strategy will include a practical implementation roadmap for the next 2–3 years.
• Lead on the development of pricing strategies and revenue optimisation across all services (aligned to conservation ethics and financial viability).
• Develop business cases for new investments and innovations.
• Monitor and report on income and expense performance against targets.
• With input from the Development and Communications team, develop a marketing and communications strategy to boost visitor numbers from local and international audiences. This will include strengthening LWC’s digital presence, improving visitor information materials, and developing targeted outreach to tourism operators, schools, corporates, and international audiences.
• Support with media interviews, digital marketing (website, social media, email campaigns) and content creation (e.g. stories, photos, video, messaging), ensuring branding consistency across all platforms.
• Lead on marketing campaigns to increase visitor numbers, per capita spend and repeat visitation.
• Build and manage partnerships with local private sector partners, including corporates (as a priority), tourism operators, NGOs and development partners, grant and donor partnerships, education institutions e.g. through the development of corporate ‘away-days’, sponsored events etc.
• Lead the development of strategic alliances and funding opportunities, with a particular focus on local donors and partners, and support the Development and Communications team on international grants and donor relationships for LWC funding.
• Represent LWC in relevant forums, networks, events, and media activities.
• Contribute to the implementation of LWC’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Results Framework and strategic planning processes.
• With support from the M&E team, establish a monitoring framework to track visitor numbers and feedback, partnership development, marketing performance, and new income streams, enabling LWC’s leadership to assess the financial and strategic impact of eco-tourism initiatives and the BDMM post.
• Supervise and manage the visitor services team
• Build internal capacity for other LWC staff in visitor engagement and sales, through training, mentorship and cross-department collaboration

• Entrepreneurial mindset and strong commercial awareness; an ability to identify and develop new business opportunities
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation in developing products, campaigns, partnerships and or revenue streams
• Strategic thinker with strong problem solving and opportunity-identification skills
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and drive ideas from concept to implementation
• Strong networking, communication, negotiation and relationship building ability
• Results oriented with strong analytical and performance monitoring skills
• Ability to implement activities in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft packages and Google docs
• Commitment to conservation ethics and animal welfare and sustainable responsible tourism
• Commitment to inclusivity and community engagement

• Degree in Business Management, Business Entrepreneurship or Business Administration, Marketing, Tourism, or related field. An MSC is an added advantage in these fields.
• Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in business development, marketing and revenue generation (preferably in the tourism and/or conservation sectors in either an NGO or commercial setting)
• Proven track record of increasing revenue and building partnerships
• Demonstrable experience in marketing and brand management