Global Business Development Executive Ukraine

Job Description

The Opportunity

As a Business Development Executive, you will be a senior leader driving Abt’s growth strategy in Ukraine and adjacent countries. You will have extensive experience driving new business in the global development marketplace with clients including FCDO, USAID and other development agencies and institutions.  You should have superlative client relationship development skills and experience that includes pipeline creation and qualification, business development capture, win theme definition, teaming and partnering, and competitive positioning.  You will partner with the Global Development Group’s senior leadership to identify, qualify, assess, and win business opportunities with both existing and new clients.  You will meet with clients across the portfolio, build relationships with key partners, develop winning bid strategies as needed to support the development of winning bids.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify opportunities through direct engagement with clients, government representatives, and partner networks to build a pipeline of biddable opportunities.
• Elevating Abt’s profile in Ukraine and adjacent countries through regular in-person engagement with government and donor representatives.
• Deepen Abt’s understanding of the political environment and government priorities in Ukraine and adjacent countries.
• Develop and disseminate thought pieces to key decision-makers to help shape future priorities and programming.
• Drive opportunity qualification, including market landscaping resulting in a qualified pipeline that yields higher win probability of pursuits.
• Partner with the senior leadership to develop and execute Account Plan and Strategy.
• Implement processes early phases of capture including:
  • Identifying customers’ strategic priorities, goals, pain points, needs
  • Liaising with Abt technical capability lines to identify and shape high level solutions
  • Defining competitive landscape and Abt positioning relative to competition
  • Defining the initial “Why Abt” rationale, teaming strategy
  • Generating materials for senior leadership such as go/no-go determinations

• Support and drive later stages of capture, including:
  • Supporting more detailed technical design and pricing
  • Providing support to proposal management process, including providing key inputs into written response.
  • Participating in color team reviews
  • Leading/participating in competitive assessments
• Lead or contribute content to high priority proposals.

What We Value

• Bachelor’s Degree and 12 years of experience in international development, or Master’s Degree and minimum of 10 years of experience
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in business development roles, including opportunity capture and proposal efforts as well as client facing/relationship development responsibilities
• Strong working knowledge of FCDO, USAID and other international donor agencies operating in Ukraine or adjacent countries.
• Deep understanding of the operational and political context in Ukraine and adjacent countries.
• Demonstrated success in identifying, initiating, and nurturing new business opportunities in complex environments.
• Demonstrated business development success securing large contracts ($10 million and above) in one or more of the following areas: governance, health systems and service delivery, agriculture and food security, economic growth, energy and climate resilience.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills including verbal and presentation skills to individuals and groups, internally and externally
• Superior proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, etc.)
• Experience with CRM tools
• Ukrainian and English language skills required
• Right to work privileges in Ukraine preferred. Russian language skills preferred.
• Legally eligible to travel regularly within Ukraine and adjacent countries.

What We Offer:

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.

This position will be based in Ukraine or an adjacent county. This position will not be eligible for relocation benefits or visa sponsorship.

Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.

About the Organization

Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1965, Abt Associates was built on the concept that sound information and empirical analysis are the best foundations for effective decision making. The firm blends the subject matter expertise of our staff with technical capabilities in applied research, program implementation, and data collection to shape policy, strengthen systems, measure performance, and deliver other solutions to our public and private sector clients. Examples of Abt Associates’ work include nationally recognized research, evaluation, and technical assistance to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems, the effectiveness of government housing programs, the production of food, and the measurement of public opinion. Abt’s staff of more than 2000 includes national and international experts who are known for their understanding of communities and governments worldwide, innovative research techniques, and insightful—and often groundbreaking—analyses and recommendations. Approximately 51 percent of our staff has graduate degrees; one in six has a doctorate. Our staff’s educational and professional disciplines include economics, engineering, environmental analysis, epidemiology, food security, health, housing, international development, psychology, social science, statistics, and survey methodology. Abt’s research staff is experienced with prominent statistical software packages, including SPSS, SAS, and STATA, along with qualitative software such as NVIVO and Atlas. In 2011, Abt Associates was ranked among the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 development innovators. Abt has offices in Atlanta, Ga.; Bethesda, Md.; Cambridge, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Durham, N.C.; and New York City and program offices in nearly 40 countries in Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa. www.abtassociates.com