Business Development Manager, Houston

Get to Know Us

Kafene is revolutionizing the lease-to-own space. We're the point-of-sale powerhouse making flexible lease-to-own accessible to everyone—prime and non-prime customers alike. Our secret weapon? Cutting-edge AI and machine learning that analyzes 20,000+ data inputs in real-time, empowering retailers across furniture, appliances, electronics, tires, and durable goods to say "yes" to more customers.

The numbers tell our story: over $500 million in originations and counting. But we're just getting started.

Our 175-person team spans NYC headquarters, Wilmington, and remote talent across the globe—all united by a culture that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and genuine support. We don't just talk about great workplace culture; we deliver it. That's why Built In named us a Startup to Watch and Forbes recognized us as one of the Best Startup Employers.

Ready to be part of the fintech revolution? Join us.

Every retailer that offers Kafene started with a conversation. Someone found them, earned the meeting, and got the deal signed. That’s the job.

As a Business Development Manager, you’ll own one goal: bringing new retail partners onto Kafene. You’ll find and win furniture, appliance, and durable goods retailers in your territory, show them how flexible lease-to-own helps them say yes to more customers, and set them up for success with a smooth handoff to our account management team.

This is a field sales role, not a desk job: most of your week is spent on the road, walking into stores, meeting owners face to face, and signing deals on the sales floor. You’ll build your own pipeline and own your number. Your territory is the Houston metro area, and it’s your office; there’s no physical office to report to. To be considered, you must currently live in the Houston metro area and be able to travel throughout it regularly.

What You’ll Do

• Build your pipeline on foot. Identify and walk into furniture, appliance, and durable goods retailers across your territory.

• Get in front of decision-makers. Show up in person, earn time with owners and store leaders, and follow up by phone and email to close.

• Make the case. Present Kafene’s lease-to-own program in terms of each retailer’s goals, customers, and sales.

• Own your number. Build and run a business development plan that meets and exceeds your sales targets.

• Set new partners up to win. Work with Account Management to onboard new retailers and support them through their first 90 days.

• Bring the field back to the team. Share what you’re hearing about competitors, market trends, and merchant needs so leadership, marketing, and product can sharpen our offering and sales tools.

What You’ll Bring

• 2+ years of outside or field sales experience with a track record of meeting or beating targets. This is not an inside sales, SDR, or SaaS account executive role.

• You’re used to selling face to face. You’re comfortable walking in unannounced, hearing no, and coming back until it’s a yes.

• You want to be in the field, not behind a desk, and you’re energized by a week spent driving your territory and visiting stores.

• A solid understanding of how retailers operate. Experience with consumer financing, lease-to-own, or point-of-sale financing is a plus.

• Strong in-person communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.

• The drive to manage your own schedule and territory independently while working closely with your account management partners.

• Comfort logging activity in a CRM like Salesforce.

• Likely backgrounds: door-to-door sales (pest control, solar, home services); outside sales to retail stores or dealers; field sales for a distributor or route-based business; former athletes who bring competitive drive.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base Salary: $75,000–$80,000 plus commission

• Healthcare: We prioritize your well-being by covering 80% of medical, dental, and vision insurance costs, including coverage for your spouse, children, and other dependents.

• Retirement Benefits: Begin planning for your future from day one with our 401k plan.

• Paid Time Off: We understand the importance of work-life balance. That's why we offer flexible paid time off days starting from day one of your employment.

We're building a team as diverse as the customers we serve. Kafene is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer, and we mean it. We welcome qualified applicants of every race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, veteran status, and all other legally protected characteristics.

Need accommodation during the application process? We've got you. If you're applying for a U.S. position and require reasonable accommodation at any stage, reach out to careers@kafene.com with details about your request and contact information. We're here to help make the process work for you.

Note: This email address is specifically for accommodation requests and will only respond to those inquiries.