Market Access & Partnerships Lead

We’re looking for a strategic dealmaker and natural connector who believes in building real markets for impact-driven entrepreneurs. Someone who can identify the right buyers, build durable partnerships, and translate Cambodian products into commercial wins on shelves, menus, and across supply chains.

This role is for you if you get energized by opening doors and closing deals, aren’t afraid to start conversations with strangers and senior buyers alike, and believe that how value flows through a supply chain matters as much as how much of it gets created.

Summary

Application deadline: 10 May 2026
Anticipated start date: June to late July 2026
Working Hours: Flexible working hours, typically 9am – 6pm or 11am – 8pm (with a lunch break).

Location: Impact Hub Phnom Penh Office, with flexible remote working when necessary.

Contract Type: 1 year, fixed-duration contract*

Travel: Occasional traveling to the field (<15% of time).

Supervisor: Denise DALUSONG, Director of Entrepreneurship Programs

Team: You will be working closely alongside our Community Program Manager, who is responsible for strengthening the quality of the products of the entrepreneurs, and with the support of a branding/marketing expert who can support in the brand positioning of their products under your guidance.

*Note: This is a one-year contract with the potential for renewal.

Your exciting role

Over the past 10 years, Impact Hub Phnom Penh has supported more than 900+ ventures across Cambodia, helping entrepreneurs grow impactful businesses across sectors.

As we continue to strengthen our support systems, we recognize that access to markets is one of the most critical drivers of success for SMEs, especially in agriculture, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), and eco-tourism. While many entrepreneurs develop strong products, they often face barriers in reaching the right buyers, positioning themselves effectively, and building long-term commercial relationships.

To address this, we are seeking a Market Access & Partnerships Lead to play a pivotal role in bridging the gap.

This person will be highly specialized in:

Connecting entrepreneurs to relevant market opportunities, both locally in Cambodia and across regional and international markets, using storytelling and relationship-building to position products and open doors.
Supporting ventures to become market-ready (product positioning, credibility, pricing, storytelling).
Designing and executing market access strategies that lead to real commercial outcomes
Leveraging Impact Hub’s reputation and network as a trusted platform to open doors and build credibility with buyers

At its core, this role is about turning potential into real market traction, ensuring that great products don’t just exist, but actually reach the shelves, menus, and customers they are meant for. You are the in-house salesperson.

Key Responsibilities

Market Access & Deal-Making

Identify, engage, and convert high-potential buyers for products from local entrepreneurs in our capacity-building programs.
Build and manage a strong pipeline of commercial opportunities and partnerships.
Lead B2B matchmaking, negotiations, and deal closure.
Support SMEs in pitching, pricing, and securing contracts.
Maintain relationships with buyers post-deal to enable repeat business and account growth.

Relationship Building & Ecosystem Connection

Act as a key connector across SMEs, buyers, distributors, and partners.
Build long-term relationships with strategic industry players.
Represent Impact Hub in events and ecosystem spaces.
Continuously identify and unlock new collaboration opportunities.

Product Positioning & Sales Strategy

Lead the commercial positioning of products (market fit, differentiation, pricing) through some 1-1 mentoring.
Guide SMEs on sales readiness and value proposition.
Define branding and packaging direction aligned with target markets.

Showcasing & Commercial Activation

Lead the design of product showcasing opportunities (demo days, pop-ups, tastings).
Organize and facilitate B2B events and networking sessions.
Create strong buyer engagement moments that drive sales.

Visibility, Storytelling & Marketing Strategy

Define the content and marketing strategy to position SMEs and their products.

Oversee the development of marketing materials (catalogs, product sheets, digital assets).
Drive storytelling and visibility campaigns to attract and convert buyers.

Account Management & Growth

Ensure follow-up and relationship management with buyers.
Support SMEs in maintaining and growing long-term commercial partnerships.
Track and drive sales performance and deal conversion.

Team Collaboration & Leadership

Own commercial vision, content direction, and market strategy.
Collaborate with Program Managers and Community Activators who work directly with entrepreneurs on the ground to improve product quality and readiness.
Work closely with a Program Officer who supports logistics and coordination of event execution.
Set the brand and marketing direction for the Graphic Designer to execute.
Partner across IHPP departments so that what entrepreneurs experience is cohesive and high-quality.

What Success Looks Like

SMEs secure real contracts and grow their sales.
IHPP develops a strong, engaged network of buyers and commercial partners.
High-quality Cambodian products are well-positioned in local, regional, and international markets.
IHPP is recognized as a key market connector within the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Value flows back through the supply chain to smallholder farmers and local communities.

What Will Excite You in This Role

You love being out there – meeting people, building relationships, and opening doors
You get a real kick from closing deals and making things happen
You enjoy turning connections into concrete opportunities for others
You are curious about products, markets, and what genuinely sees how the dots connect bringing value for all.
You thrive in dynamic environments where no two days are the same
You want to play a key role in supporting local entrepreneurs
You are genuinely very driven to see value being distributed across the supply chain especially going to the smallholders farmers and local community.
You enjoy combining strategy + action – thinking big, then making it happen on the ground

What This Role Asks of You

This role lives outside the office more than inside it. We want to be honest about what that looks like day-to-day, so you can decide whether it’s the kind of work you do well:

You’ll spend most of your time with people (buyers, partners, entrepreneurs) rather than at a desk.
You’ll spend more energy on selling and negotiating than on planning and reporting
You’ll initiate conversations with strangers and senior stakeholders, often without warm introductions.
You’ll create opportunities rather than wait for them.
You’ll navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities with energy.
You’ll sit at the center of multiple stakeholders and moving pieces, and find that energizing.
You’ll travel regularly to the provinces where our entrepreneurs are based.

If that sounds like the way you work, keep reading!

Requirements

Experience:

5+ years in business development, partnerships, or market access
Experience working with agriculture, food products, NTFPs, eco-tourism or related value chains
Proven track record in closing deals and building partnerships

Qualifications, Skills, and Passion:

Must have:

Commercial instinct and dealmaking skill: You can move a relationship from cold introduction to signed contract, and you know what it takes at each stage.
Strong relationship builder and connector: You build trust quickly, and you naturally see how people, ideas, and opportunities fit together.
Confident, memorable communicator: You pitch, facilitate, and negotiate with ease. You don’t need to be the loudest or most extroverted person in the room — what matters is that people leave the conversation curious and wanting to follow up. You’re remembered for substance and warmth, not volume. You sell without selling.
Genuine curiosity about products, markets, and value chains: You ask good questions, listen deeply, and understand what makes a product land with a buyer.
Results orientation: You measure your work by outcomes — deals closed, contracts signed, relationships sustained — not activity.
Genuine care for the entrepreneurs you support: You see them as partners and people, not just deal flow. You stay invested in their success and treat their products, stories, and trust with the seriousness they deserve.
Passion for entrepreneurship and local value chains: You believe in what small businesses can do for communities, and you’re genuinely excited about the products, the people who make them, and the markets they need to reach.
Commitment to equitable value distribution: You care that value flows back to smallholder farmers and local communities, not just to the top of the chain.
Hands-on and resourceful: You move from strategy to action quickly, and you don’t need a perfect process to get started.
Strong written and spoken English, including for external pitches and marketing materials.

Nice to have:

Direct experience with agriculture, food products, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), or related value chains.
Familiarity with Cambodia’s entrepreneurship and SME ecosystem.
Khmer fluency, or strong regional (Mekong / Southeast Asia) experience.
Experience setting brand and marketing direction for product-based businesses.
An existing buyer or distributor network in target markets.

Languages:

Fluency in English is essential, with strong writing and editing skills. Khmer fluency is preferred. We’re also open to candidates with strong regional understanding and a demonstrated ability to build local relationships.

Why should you work for Impact Hub Phnom Penh?

Our mission and vision

We believe that by building resilient, collaborative, and socially conscious enterprises over the next 5-10 years, we can create a more sustainable, just, and innovative Cambodia by 2030.

At Impact Hub Phnom Penh, we introduce ourselves as a community that nurtures impact makers and strengthens the ecosystem with the vision to see a more sustainable, just, and innovative Cambodia. We inspire, connect, and enable a generation of collaborative impact makers, including youths, entrepreneurs, and innovators, through our program, consultancy, community building, and online learning to support them in making a positive social and environmental impact. We want to build a thriving ecosystem of impact-driven businesses and young leaders across Cambodia.

What it’s like to work with us

We are a team of 25 people based in Phnom Penh. We’re a dynamic, diverse, and energized team. We have a beautiful, creative office in Tuol Tom Poung.

Impact Hub Phnom Penh has 8 big departments: finance, entrepreneurship, ecosystem strengthening, innovation and education, media4impact, communications, and space. Generally speaking, we believe in ‘self-organizing teams’ and giving trust, creative responsibility, and autonomy to our team, which creates the leaders we need to grow fast and build a happy workplace. As a result, we are highly flexible and accommodating and nurture a culture of listening to others and discussing solutions to problems we see together. Some words that might describe our internal culture would be “passionate,” “fun,” “quality-focus,” “collaborative,” “eager,” “caring,” and “supportive.”

Each year, we hold a big annual retreat where we can check in on department strategy, wellbeing, finances, and impact to ensure we’re on track. Each department also holds a mid-year retreat.

In short...

Flexible working hours – you can either work in the early morning (9 am to 6 pm) or start a bit later from 11 am to 8 pm. We acknowledge that different people have different productive times.

Young, energized team – we are not traditional and will never be! Most of us are under 30 years old, and we work like a startup.

Join and participate in Impact Hub’s award-winning entrepreneurship programs and build personal relationships with our inspiring entrepreneurs.

Become part of a global network of changemakers, entrepreneurs, and makers worldwide as part of the Impact Hub network: expand your network and feel part of something big!

Be part of a team that promotes and values inclusiveness, respect, and kindness between the team members.

Be part of a team that cares for the planet by promoting plastic-free events, programs, and offices.

That's awesome! What else?

Competitive salary
Room for growth in the organization and a flexible role that can adapt to your strengths and interests.
Private health insurance and NSSF benefits
Annual professional development budget
Annual well-being and care budget
1 extra day off per month on the 1st day of painful periods for people who menstruate.
Possibility to become a trainer or mentor for our entrepreneurs and youth community.
Access to a global reservoir of knowledge in the Impact Hub Network.
Possibility to “be adopted” by our alumni entrepreneurs to work for them for 3 days and use your skills to help them.
Diverse opportunities to travel locally and internationally to represent IHPP in our network, as part of our programs, and to learn from others in the Region.

What are you waiting for? Apply now!

Click the button below to access the application form. In the application form, you will be asked a series of questions and will be asked to send your CV.

The deadline to apply is 10 May 2026.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS:

1st step: Submit the application form

2nd step: Virtual interview for shortlisted candidates

3rd step: At-home skills assessment

4th step: In-Person (if local) Assessment debrief + Panel interview

Result Announcement

You can expect to hear from us within two to three weeks after the interview. (In case there is a change in the timeline above, we will inform you via email.

Small tip: try not to lean on AI to write your application. We want to feel your real excitement about the role and hear specific examples from your background that connect to this work.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, and ethnicities, and cultures, and experiences. Impact Hub is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression. Research has shown that some applicants from more marginalized or vulnerable groups do not apply if they do not meet 100% of the criteria, while those from better-off, educated backgrounds apply even if they only meet 60% of the criteria.

If you are in doubt but feel this job fits you and aligns with your learning goals, please apply! All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.