Vice President for Business Development

Context

Fundamental improvements in soil health and plant nutrition will be required to meet the challenge of sustainably feeding 10 billion people by 2050. Global population growth will drive a substantial increase in food demand, while climate change and degraded soils are already accelerating the risks affecting food production, particularly in poorer regions. Major changes in agricultural systems especially improvements in nutrient use efficiency and soil health will be required to meet our shared challenge of creating a more food-secure, environmentally sustainable world.

Achieving impact at scale requires research and technology adapted to smallholder needs but must go beyond technology development. IFDC experts and their partners work across the discovery to consumer system. This includes developing and testing of advanced fertilizers, biominerals, green ammonia application, and related nutrient management technologies; designing energy-efficient fertilizer manufacturing, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and quality control processes; and applied environmental policy and regulatory analysis. With an emphasis on working with strategic partners and strengthening local capacity, IFDC bridges the traditional gaps between research, technology dissemination, and market systems that often undermine efforts to innovate, achieve results, and sustain impact at scale.

About IFDC

IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.

Responsibilities

The Vice President for Business Development is responsible for:

• Leading the strategic direction, planning, execution, and oversight of the IFDC's full business development cycle and global business development agenda;
• Envisioning and strategizing future of international development assistance programs in sustainable agriculture and food security and converting these in matching propositions with the services IFDC offers;
• Leading the ideation, development and advocacy pillar in the BD division, initiating new ideas, developing new models, collaboration on proposals, converting ideas into opportunities and presenting IFDC as a thought leader in different networks in Washington, USA and globally;
• Empowering the leaders of the two other pillars i.e., global accounts and centralized business development support, and country portfolios to provide feedback, coaching, and mentoring with the goal of building the capacity of the 50 people global business development division to take on new challenges, pursue new ideas, and embrace change within a changing world of fertilizer and soil health innovation, with the goal of diversifying the IFDC portfolio;
• Providing an operational vision and fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence within the still nascent global business development team through the entire business development cycle from positioning, through opportunity identification and assessment, donor cultivation, proposal planning and development to post-submission and stewardship activities for a more robust and agile business;
• Representing the organization to increase IFDC visibility to donors with the potential to increase funding as well as new donors, especially foundations and philanthropic corporations;
• Establishing and monitoring key performance indicators and metrics to assess the outputs and outcomes of the Global Business Development Division and progress toward institutional goals in alignment with the center's vision, mission, and mandate;
• Assuming responsibility for the organization wide business development operating budget;
• Supporting the CEO in the evaluation of business diversification opportunities through partnerships, joint ventures or M&A.

Reporting and Work Relationships

The Vice President for Business Development reports to the President and CEO of IFDC and is a member of the global management team. The incumbent will have at least two direct reports and will oversee a division of approximately 50 people.  The person in this role works closely with the external partners, donor communities, regulators, universities, industry, and the relevant committees of the IFDC board of directors to ensure that the business development deliverables – publications, products, and services meet the highest standards of quality and innovation in IFDC’s quest to sustain and improve soil health and food production. 

Location

This is a national position recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC office in Washington, DC. National and international travel is anticipated to constitute 40% of the role.

Benefits

IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health, dental, vision and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security, and pension contribution in compliance with local laws.

Salary Clause

The salary grade for this position is BG 13 (USA), with an annual salary range of USD 175,000 - USD 195,000.

The determination of new employee salaries takes into account various factors. These include the salary range linked to the assigned job grade, the candidate's qualifications in relation to the job's responsibilities and prerequisites, internal fairness, and the level of competitiveness in the job market as well as potential organizational and budgetary considerations.

Diversity Clause

IFDC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and offers equal employment opportunities based on ability, performance, and potential. Equal opportunity is integral to the recruitment and selection practices at IFDC. IFDC recognizes the value in recruiting employees with different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and beliefs. IFDC recognizes and values the contribution of people with a diverse background in capabilities, experience, and perspectives. Diversity encompasses gender, age, experience, education, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural backgrounds as well as other dimensions, such as lifestyle and family responsibilities.

Required Skills

• At least 15 years of experience and well-established network within the agriculture donor community in general and with Official Development Assistance and Foundations funding international development projects, in particular;
• A solid network of established contacts and business relationships with other important development organizations is required;
• Proven success in business development functions in the international research and international development world;
• Proven success in ideation and opportunity development in the international development world;
• An understanding of fertilizer technology, agricultural systems, soil health, soil and plant nutrition, and the fertilizer industry and the socio-economic aspects of fertilizer adoption;
• Strong leadership, management, and communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, creatively, and analytically;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic, and collaborative environment;
• A passion for innovation and excellence;
• Minimum of a master’s degree in agriculture, agri-business, or international relations. A Bachelor’s degree with three additional years’ work experience will be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree;
• Knowledge of at least one other language, especially French, preferred.