ICTI Business Development and Partnership Officer, LAC-Colombia

Status: Full-Time Project Employee
Location: Medellin, Colombia
FLSA: Exempt
Date: August 29, 2012

Job Summary: The Business Development and Partnership Officer will identify and develop new partnership opportunities, manage partner accounts, develop and manage project plans and budgets, and work with partners to design new products. This is a dynamic role on a highly driven and fast-paced team for a development professional who understands the potential to use ICT to improve the lives of the poor.

Project Description: Grameen Foundation (GF) has been using mobile phones to reduce poverty for over 10 years and has a proven track record of reaching the poor and poorest with the information they need to improve their lives and livelihoods. We have mobile programs across the globe and design initiatives that allow poor communities to connect and transact with expanded networks of service providers and market players. Grameen Foundation offers organizations serving the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) powerful new tools: mobile technology and a methodology for leveraging existing networks of intermediaries to deliver mobile services. In Colombia, we are collaborating with a wide range of partners to provide mobile agricultural information and financial services to rural communities to reduce poverty. We have ambitious goals for poverty alleviation in Colombia and across Latin America and are building a team to execute on this exciting vision.

Reporting and relationships: The position will report to the ICTI Regional Program Manager, LAC.

Availability: The Business Development and Partnership Officer is expected to work a standard work week of 40 hours plus additional hours as necessary to get the job done. The position will be based in Colombia. This position will need to be flexible to work in local conditions and across different time zones. This position will require frequent travel (15-20%) within Colombia, and periodic travel to other countries as needed.

Essential Job Functions
Business Development

• Develop a database and processes to capture and track new opportunities
• Identify prospective partners and screen partners opportunities
• Engage potential partners, negotiate project terms to meet GF revenue targets, and develop project agreements
• Represent GF at prospective partners meetings and regional conferences and convening

Account Management

• Deepen relationships, leverage strengths, and understand needs of local partners
• Conduct partner trainings on mobile tools and platform
• Resolve issues or concerns partners raise, escalating as necessary to technical team and ICTI PM
• Manage at least 4 leverage partner accounts

Project Management

•  Work with partners to define project objectives and success metrics for project
•  Develop and manage project budget and plan and manage against project timeline
•  Report on project progress and solicit partner feedback on progress and challenges

Product Design

• Organize and lead solution workshops to gather product requirements from partners
• Conduct user research involving partners and other relevant parties, including field staff, farmers and other value chain actors, Use research insights to develop product design tools for the software development team
• Develop prototypes and mock-ups of potential products and coordinate field prototyping with field staff
• Analyze prototyping results and feed into product development process
• Develop system to capture on-going feedback from users and incorporate into product improvement

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep commitment to eradication of poverty and alignment with Grameen Foundation’s mission and belief in the potential to leverage ICTs for the benefit of small holder farmers
• Excellent time and program management skills with ability to manage multiple work-streams simultaneously with proven track record of achievement under pressure
• Outstanding commitment to teamwork with ability to work collaboratively across organizations and identify and achieve shared objectives under challenging conditions
• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills with commitment to listening and serving diverse range of clients
• Strong analyst who thinks innovatively and creatively to solve unstructured problems
• Spanish and English fluency required

Education and Technical Experience

• Degree in business, international development, agricultural development or related field
• At least 5 years experience working in business development and account management with an international organization, private sector company, or government agency
• Master’s degree preferred

Physical and Environmental Conditions: This position does not require unusual demands for physical effort. This position may occasionally require physical effort to lift and transport boxes weighing no more than 50 pounds.
 

Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of places such as offices, meeting or training rooms, residences, or commercial vehicles; e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, and/or avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations and traffic signals.

Additional Comment: The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made in appropriate circumstances to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Interested candidates should send their resume and brief cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position and what you will bring to the position. Resumes will be accepted through Sept 28, 2012 and should be sent via email to lroldan@grameenfoundation.org Please put “Business Development and Partnership Officer ” in the subject line. TO BE CONSIDERED, APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH.