MEDA is an international economic development organization that creates business solutions to poverty. We work in agri-food market systems, focusing primarily on women and youth in rural communities in the Global South for decent job creation.
MEDA recently celebrated 70 remarkable years of investing in entrepreneurs; harnessing the power of business to create sustainable and lasting solutions to poverty for entrepreneurs around the globe.
MEDA has an ambitious goal to create or sustain decent work for 500,000 people in emerging economies by 2030. To achieve this, MEDA is shifting its focus beyond project-specific efforts to establish lasting alliances that bring about systemic change. MEDA is committed to cultivating long-term partnerships at the national, regional, and systemic levels in the areas where we operate.
Please follow this link to find out more about this plan. https://www.meda.org/about/strategic-plan/
MEDA’s work is guided by 3 principles:
Agri-food Market Systems: MEDA directs its efforts toward specific agri-food market systems in the Global South. The approach involves addressing social norms, power dynamics, and systemic inequalities by collaborating with stakeholders to develop culturally appropriate strategies, aiming to expand choices and opportunities within these systems.
North-South Equilibrium: MEDA is committed to decolonization which will lead to localization, intentionally transferring power from the Global North to the Global South through the design and delivery of initiatives, and evolving into a relevant role as an iNGO that allows for growth of organizations in the global south, increased coordination and reduced fragmentation in the approach of how it works.
Partnerships for Systems-Level Impact: MEDA actively seeks and creates opportunities aligned with long-term strategic goals. This involves pursuing transformational and sustainable solutions through collaborative projects. Employing a multi-sector approach, the organization aims to generate sustainable and resilient results.
About the role
The Partnerships and Business Accelerator was launched as a standalone division in July 2023 to lead the design of initiatives that will bring in the financial resources required for MEDA to progress toward its goal of creating and sustaining decent work for half a million people in the agri-food sector in the Global South.
The SVP PBA is a member of the Executive Leadership Team who will lead the newly created division and spearhead the translation of MEDA’s business model and partnerships through (sustainable alliances for long term impact at scale) the acquisition of financial resources to deliver on MEDA’s strategic goal.
He/she will be responsible for developing a business strategy for worldwide engagement and delivery of new awards with bilateral donors, cultivating strategic partnerships while fostering a business acquisition culture at MEDA to grow and diversify funding, targeting annual acquisitions of at least $50M.
This role is crafted for those who not only meet the qualifications and experience criteria but also embody visionary leadership and outstanding storytelling brilliance to translate MEDA’s model and competitive advantage into a compelling narrative.
This is no ordinary position; It is an opportunity to break the mold, challenge the norm, embrace innovation and make meaningful impact. A disruptive mindset and a roll up your sleeves attitude are therefore essential.
Location
Hybrid/Remote - role can be located anywhere, but individual must have the ability to work and be hired in a location where MEDA is able to hire and they must have the ability to travel to Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) on a quarterly basis for Executive Leadership Team Meetings. Locations include Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Canada & US *Other locations may be considered.
Key dimensions of the role
Lead Team of 5+ to meet annual new revenue targets of over $50+ annually (30%)
- Lead teams charged with capturing new business in agriculture/ agribusiness for economic development bringing together MEDA’s expertise in impact investment, access to finance, climate resiliency, gender, environment, and partnership building.
- Devise and manage a robust quality design and review process for making smart, early investment decisions for unsolicited pitches, capture planning, capturing work and live bids, and producing winning concept notes, and proposals.
- Re-engineer and design business development strategies and systems for identifying, assessing, and capturing new business opportunities; ensuring alignment with PBA and Organizational Strategies.
- Supervise, train and mentor the business development team, recruiting and pricing staff and consultants, as well as key technical staff, at home office and abroad in all business development functions.
- Oversee all business development functions, budgets, operations, and staff.
- Facilitate appropriate allocation of business development resources to meet business goals.
- Oversee and manage strategic proposal preparations and submission process, with oversight of strategy, pricing, recruitment, and reviews.
- In coordination with SVP, Programs, and SVP S&I, oversee identification, recruitment and packaging of key personnel and partners for strategic bids.
- Oversee verification of proposal compliance with all major donor rules included but not limited to USG Rules and Regulations (assistance and acquisition), EU, FCDO, etc. and quality assurance execution for all bids.
- Identify new opportunities with existing donors (USAID, GAC, Mastercard Foundation, BMGF, etc.) and lead developing and delivering bid strategies for new donors.
Lead Strategic Growth Analysis and Planning (25%)
- Lead strategic evaluation of current and new markets, positioning and proposal submission in each selected market, and development and execution of strong international and local partnerships to successfully deliver the solutions donors seek.
- Serve as the primary partner to the CEO and Executive Team in developing and articulating a donor-solution growth and diversification strategy that acquires 50M+ annually in new revenue from existing and new donors.
- Set business development targets and plan that meets or exceeds MEDA’s growth and positioning objectives on an annual basis.
- Build a new business pipeline that draws and builds on MEDA’s current and future, competitive advantage, value proposition, competencies in alignment with the strategy.
- Identify sufficient qualified opportunities and deliver winning proposals to meet annual revenue targets.
- Monitor industry trends to ensure relevant, and value-added competitive positioning in the market, in alignment with MEDA’s role as a decolonizing iNGO, focus on localization and in close interface with MEDA’s Program leadership.
External Relationships Development and Cultivation (15%)
- Align PBA resources to complement organization-wide Client and Partnership Cultivation plan, in coordination with the ELT, and take a leadership role in developing relationships with specific clients and partners.
- Oversee the seamless integration of business intelligence from across the organization into positioning, capture and the bid process.
- Coordinate closely with the VP, Integrated Strategic Communications on issues of branding, external positioning, materials development, website and social media presence, and advocacy initiatives.
Lead Internal Relationships (30%)
- Guarantee that proposals and budgets capture and integrate MEDA’ s role as a decolonized organization and reflect a regional office structure each with worldwide technical experience and successes.
- Oversee the integration of best practices in partnership, management, evaluation, and priority technical areas into proposals to bring best-in-class solutions to clients.
- Play a leadership role in convening the right expertise into the accelerator on a time limited basis and as needed.
Skills and Experience
- Senior development professional with expertise in program management, strategic planning, organizational development, new business development and project planning.
- Proven track record of expanding organizational portfolio into new markets and major donors including USAID, USDA, EU, DFAT, DFID, and other bilateral donors.
- Experience providing vision for new business development, leading proposal development acquisition ranging from $5M to $100M including writing proposals, leading proposal teams, developing teaming agreements, negotiating contracts and grants, and reviewing and preparing cost proposal documentation.
- Experience in recruiting, managing, and mentoring a team of business development professionals.
- Experience in key sectors such as Economic Growth, and Organizational Capacity Building, etc. for various not-for-profit and for-profit entities.
- Track record as team leader securing funding major bilateral donor entities including USAID, USDA, DOS, and DFID.
- Proven track record coaching and mentoring successful teams, leading internal and external workshops, leading program design teams overseas, and representing at major international events.
- Ability to work with ambiguity, build, and bring a startup mindset to the role of this division.
TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING LINK - SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PBA, MEDA
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Millar Cameron, we are dedicated to supporting our Clients in building and supporting diverse and inclusive workplaces and culture, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
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