Business Pursuit Lead

Job Description

Job Specification

Role Title: Business Pursuit Lead – Southern Africa

Team: VSO Global Business Pursuit Team

Responsible to: Global Head of Business Pursuit

Work Location: Home, VSO office or registered work location.

Line Reports/Supervision: No direct line management responsibility

Contract type: 3yrs Fixed term Contract

Role purpose

As a Business Pursuit Lead, you will be responsible for growing VSO’s ability to deliver impact and influence through volunteering for development by securing funding for VSO projects and work in the Southern Africa. Based in the region, this role has oversight for business pursuit activities in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Eswatini.

Responsibilities

• Achieve ambitious annual business pursuit targets (£3m+) working with institutional donors, foundations, corporations and implementing partners to enable VSO to scale its programmes and impact in Southern Africa by securing large grants and contracts.
• Proactively lead the development, positioning and deepening of relationships with VSO strategic and key donors (to include; UK FCDO, USAID, World Bank, EU, UN, German GIZ & KfW, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dutch MoFA, GAVI, Global Fund) in the region.
• Proactively lead the development and deepening of VSO’s relationships with key partners and networks (government agencies, INGOs, Local Nongovernmental Organizations, the private sector and others to secure funding and raise the profile of VSO in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Eswatini.
• Represent VSO externally and internally, in line with our organisational mission through evidence-based pre-positioning, influencing, partnership and consortium building and policy dialogue.
• Develop a deep understanding of VSO’s Practice Areas and local programmes in the region, and across VSO’s global operations to be able to talk persuasively with external donors and partners about VSO’s track-record and impact from our volunteering for development approach in contextually relevant ways.

Qualification and experience

• Significant business pursuit experience with a proven track record of increasing secured funding success and delivering income against targets.
• Experience of establishing and cultivating strong donor relationships that have delivered substantially increased funding.
• Experience of proactively building and maintaining effective partnerships both internally and externally.
• Excellent personal relationship and communication skills with substantial experience in networking and influencing a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Tenacious marketing and pre-positioning skills and attributes.
• Strong political and cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Knowledge and understanding of the role of volunteerism, social inclusion, social accountability and resilience in development.
• Fluency in written and spoken English (additional language abilities welcome).
• Commitment to VSO’s vision and values, including safeguarding and taking a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and harm.
• Excellent practical knowledge of Microsoft 365.

DEADLINE: 15 JULY 2022

About the Organization

VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Our vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfil their potential. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. VSO welcomes volunteers from an ever increasing range of countries, backgrounds and ages. National agencies in Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines recruit volunteers from many different countries worldwide and this international approach allows us to combine and learn from a rich variety of perspectives. Tackling Disadvantage at "Grass Roots" Level Ours is a very individual "people to people" approach to development. Instead of sending food or money, we send women and men from a wide range of professions who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty. These volunteers work in partnership with colleagues and communities to share skills and learning and jointly achieve change. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. We commit to long-term development goals and long-term partnerships and focus on sustainable development rather than the short-term relief of certain problems. VSO also works to address the structural inequalities and barriers that prevent people from exercising their rights. We use our experience and our supporter networks to work for changes in policy and practice - rich and poor countries - that reduce disadvantage. VSO is by far the largest independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. Since 1958, we have sent out more than 29,000 volunteers to work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific region and, more latterly, Eastern Europe in response to requests from our overseas partners. At the moment we have around 1,500 people working in placements in these regions. Shared Partnerships, Shared Benefits You only have to talk to VSO volunteers to realise that they gain from their experience, personally or professionally, as much as they contribute. Many will enthuse how fascinating it was to explore a different culture at first hand. Others will point to the friendships they have made. But many will also tell you how their professional talents have been stretched, and how they have learnt new skills that will significantly enhance their career prospects on their return home. If ever it was true that "you get out what you put in", VSO is proof positive. This experience makes volunteers passionate in challenging misconceptions about developing countries. In the current climate, it is more urgent than ever that we work to achieve a global community where people of all cultures are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. VSO builds on this experience and passion to support a range of global education activity. To find out more about volunteering with or supporting VSO visit our website at www.vso.org.uk