East and Southern Africa BD and Partnership Director

Description

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

The Organization

Since 1944, Heifer International has supported more than 46 million Small Holder Farmer (SHF) families globally lift themselves out of hunger and poverty while caring for the earth in partnership with the communities we serve including Youth & Women. Heifer International is now accelerating its strategic approaches to closing the Sustainable Living Income (SLI) gap for 10 million additional SHF households globally by 2030.

Function

The East and Southern Africa Business Development and Partnership Director is responsible for developing and driving the business development strategy for Heifer in East and Southern Africa, towards growing funding and partnerships across the subregions.

The role holder has a strategic endeavor to develop subregional collaborations, engagements, linkages, relationships, and partnerships with institutional funders, government, and critical private sector strategic partners to support the effective and efficient delivery of signature programming and contribute to Heifer’s overall vision in Africa, which is to end poverty and hunger while caring for the earth.

S/he is expected to have extensive knowledge and practical experience working in a highly competitive donor environment. The role holder is also expected to have strong technical knowledge of the Signature Programming framework (data analysis, market systems analysis, access to finance, value chain analysis, and co-designing/co-creation), as well as other agricultural development and financing of value chain interventions that will improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers.

The East and Southern Africa BD & P Director will report to the Senior Business Development and Partnership Director – Africa Programs.

This role will be based in either Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, or Malawi.

Responsibilities & Deliverables

A. Donor and Partnership Development (25%)

• Cultivate, build, and develop donor relationships driving business development (BD) and partnerships in the subregions, to promote strategic partnership, relationship, coordination, and collaboration with institutional donors, foundations, corporations, philanthropies, strategic partners, governments, private sector, public sector, etc., for increased funds for Heifer in the subregion in Africa with the aspiration of the 2030 targets, in support of signature programming and aligning Heifer’s global and Africa strategic framework and objectives.
• Develop and manage relationships with key Tier 1 Foundations, institutional funders in the subregions, as well as government and private sector strategic partners in the agricultural sector.
• Identify and close on strategic funding opportunities that will help fund the Heifer subregions' signature programs (SPs).

B. Strategic Planning and Execution (10%)

• Work and coordinate with the Senior BD and Partnership Director to develop the subregions’ strategic priorities, workplans, and budgets, and submit them for the review and consideration by the Senior BD and Partnership Director for final approval by the Vice President (SVP) – Africa Programs.
• Plan with the Senior BD and Partnership Director, BD team members, including BD Operations Manager, Senior Livestock Development Expert, Policy and Partnerships Leads, and the respective Country Directors (CDs) in the subregions, for annual revenue generation/resources mobilization for the given FY and beyond.
• Develop/update Heifer subregional business development and fundraising strategy in coordination with the Senior BD and P Director, CDs, and in collaboration with global BD and Partnership leaders.
• Lead the execution and delivery of Heifer Africa’s BD and Fundraising strategy in the subregions with the respective country leadership and teams, in collaboration with and under the direction of the Senior BD & P Director for Africa.

C. Coordination and Collaboration (15%)

• Contribute to the organization of and/or participate in regular pipeline meetings, conferences, workshops, and field visits as needed; contribute to building collaborations and partnerships.
• Proactively engage and take part in Heifer Africa’s regional weekly BD meetings and update/engage with the Senior BD&P Director regularly.
• Participate in various coordination and collaboration sessions with Heifer Africa Communications, Knowledge Management, MELs, etc., to enhance support and contribute to developing pitching materials, briefing materials, country briefs, lessons learned, etc., for BD in the subregion.
• Coordinate and collaborate with the Senior BD & P Director and CDs in the subregions on opportunities identification, intelligence, and information for better capture strategy, to help in quality pre-positioning, positioning, and pursuit efforts on strategic opportunities to present competitive, compelling, responsive, and winning proposals and concept notes submissions.

D. Capacity Building and Process Improvement (15%)

• Coordinate and collaborate on strategic capacity building plans and prevailing opportunities with the Senior BD & P and BD Operations Manager for online, offline, and virtual training towards the capacity building of CDs and their teams in BD and partnerships.
• Work with the Senior BD & P Director, BD Operations Manager, and country leadership teams in the subregions to annually update the Heifer BD processes in coordination with the HQ Proposal Design Hub team.

E. Risk Management and Reporting (5%)

• Review the Heifer Africa risks exposure of the BD department and the mitigation actions in collaboration and coordination with the Africa BD&P Senior Director together with and in consultation with CDs in the subregions and prepare the subregional BD risk register and risk mitigation strategies.
• Provide regular updates to the Senior BD & P Director on the subregions’ BD and partnership function.

F. Proposal Design and Submission (15%)

• Coordinate and work with opportunities design team members as a team member in the assignment of design team roles and responsibilities during design kick-off meetings: Strategic Proposal Lead, Proposal Coordinator, Cost Proposal Lead, Cost Quality Assurance Lead, Proposal Quality Lead, Opportunity Response Lead, Staffing Requirement Lead, MEL Lead, Analytics Lead, Program representation inputs, etc., for proper design of proposals and concept notes submission to donors.

G. Government and Private Sector Engagement (10%)

• Coordinate and collaborate with the subregional Policy and Partnership Leads to build strategic relationships, collaboration, and partnership with government agencies, civil society, private sector actors, bilateral and multilateral organizations to catalyze change and programs that contribute to Heifer’s strategic and operational decision-making.
• Work with the Senior BD&P Director, Senior Livestock Development Expert, and country leadership/teams for co-designs/co-creation opportunities with IFAD/World Bank/AfDB – governments, SIDA, NOARD, GCF/GEF/UNDP, Mastercard Foundation, BMGF, AGRA, etc., which offer co-design opportunities for quality planning and execution of co-design processes.

H. Other Duties (5%)

• Perform any other related duties as assigned by the Senior Business Development and Partnership Director – Africa Programs.

Minimum Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree plus at least fifteen (15) years of job-related experience.
2. At least 5 years of experience in a management position supporting Business Development and Partnerships in East and Southern Africa subregions.
3. Relevant experience in value chain development, agribusiness, business, agricultural economics, agribusiness financing, economics, food systems, and/or digital technologies for value chain development.
4. Experience in data analysis, market systems analysis, access to finance, value chain analysis, and co-designing.
5. Relevant experience in grant/proposal development, fundraising, and business development.
6. Public-private partnership experience and experience working on project partnerships with government at a senior level of engagement.

Preferred Requirements

1. A relevant postgraduate degree (an MBA will be desirable).
2. Experience working in multiple countries in East and Southern Africa.
3. Experience in a donor-funded international development environment with compliance requirements of the U.S. government and institutional funders for international development, such as USAID, EC, IFAD, World Bank, AfDB, FCDO, Mega-foundations such as the Mastercard Foundation, BMGF, and others.
4. Demonstrated experience in winning large-scale project proposals and practical co-design experience in East and Southern Africa.

Most Critical Proficiencies

1. Effective communicator and influencer with ability to clearly convey complex financial issues in a clear format for non-finance professions, motivating continuous and collaborative improvement.
2. Ability to bring together diverse stakeholders in order to complete deals that are advantageous to smallholder farmers and those businesses supporting them.
3. Experience with investment analysis and appraisal of agribusiness financing opportunities.
4. Perceptive acuity in reading and interpreting the changing funding and financing landscape of Agri-business in East and Southern Africa.
5. Strong knowledge and experience working in the Agri-business space and string expertise in Agri- business value chain development.
6. Existing relationships with potential partners in Agri-business in the sub regions: East and Southern Africa.
7. Familiarity with and experience in responding to requests for applications/ proposals (RFA/RFP), call for proposals, co-designs and co-creations exposure, indefinite quantity contracts and task orders.
8. Strong negotiation skills.
9. Strong marketing and selling skills.
10. Excellent analytical and writing skills.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

1. Ability to work under pressure, perform multiple tasks and manage consistently competing priorities, comfortable in rapidly changing environment.
2. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work cooperatively, tactfully, strategically, and diplomatically with a culturally diverse group of people.
3. Ability to work in a highly matrix environment and deliver through others.
4. Ability to maintain close relationships and work with team members from a distance and with limited opportunity for personal interaction.
5. Constant face-to-face, electronic and telephone communication with colleagues and the general public.Willingness and ability to work with flexible schedule and outside of normal business hours.
6. Ability and willingness to travel extensively, both domestically and internationally.
7. Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.

Key Behavioural Competencies

• Accountability
• Professional Excellence
• Humility
• Customer Orientation
• Empathy
• Innovation

Deadline for Application: 11th September 2024

Keywords

Business DevelopmentPartnershipsAgricultureValue ChainFinancingData AnalysisMarket SystemsFundraisingStrategic PlanningCapacity Building