The Senior Business Development Specialist will contribute to the development and expansion of an RTI-wide strategic initiative in food security and agriculture, with a goal to expand RTI’s portfolio domestically and internationally.
The successful candidate will sit within the International Development Group (IDG) and will lead and direct new business development as part of the Food Security and Agriculture (FS&Ag) team, including representation of the organization at events as required, development of key business relationships and partnerships, monitoring and analysis of developments and trends in the sector, and strategic planning for upcoming opportunities with numerous clients. The selected candidate will also provide programmatic and logistical support to the team by developing, managing, and supporting proposal and project systems, contributing to proposal development, supporting recruitment, and meeting other portfolio needs as they arise.
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate, through work products and reference feedback, an exceptional ability to articulate RTI’s capabilities and work to internal and external audiences, proactively plan and organize business development efforts, draft or contribute to business development and marketing materials, and thoroughly follow up on specific opportunities in order to ensure the business development process for the team continuously improves and responds to market dynamics The candidate must be a team player, have a positive attitude, show initiative, and demonstrate a willingness to take on new challenges, while meeting the position’s key responsibilities as described below. The candidate will track RTI systems and processes for business development and advise and support the FS&Ag team accordingly.
This position requires travel (both international and domestic) of up to 20% of time and will be based in Washington, DC.
Essentional Duties:
- Develop a business development strategy for the team that includes consistent tracking of and planning for new opportunities with various current and future clients;
- Lead regular business development meetings for the team and coordinate/collaborate as needed with other IDG divisions and RTI business units;
- Assess new project/market opportunities in core/emerging areas in support of the business development strategy and develop relevant business cases;
- Contribute to the application of business development best practices, including methodologies, tools, and training to facilitate successful business development, forecasting, and planning activities and ensure business development is a continuous learning process;
- Participate in intra-group collaboration and coordination efforts related to business development and strategic planning;
- Assist in representing RTI/Business’s broad technical capabilities at both informal and formal customer events, including advisory boards, strategic meetings, marketing events, etc.; Leverage industry, client and competitor information to augment market intelligence gathering efforts;
- Collaborate as needed with the Director of Business Development based in Nairobi, Kenya and other RTI regional offices on business development efforts in the sector.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and 12 years’ related experience; or a Master’s degree and 9 years’ related experience. Experience specific to the food security and agriculture sector preferred.
- Thorough knowledge of the Federal market place, especially USAID (including budgeting and procurement processes and mechanisms). Experience with DFID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, or foundations;
- Prior experience and a proven track record in business development targeting USAID and other donors; significant proposal development experience preferred;
- Solid understanding of and experience in the food security and agriculture sector strongly preferred;
- Excellent analytical, oral, and written communications, presentation, and problem-solving skills.
- Proven capability to establish and maintain a wide array of professional relationships and networks, including with customers and other industry players;
- Ability to work in a team environment and at all levels of the organization, including with managers, peers, and technical staff at both headquarters and international locations.
- Ability to operate independently without supervision.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills;
- Ability to work under tight deadlines and to prioritize/manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
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