Long-term Opportunities for Job Seekers
Vice President of Business Development Strategy and Growth
Research Triangle Institute (RTI)
Washington, DC or Research Triangle, NC
ABOUT HEAD GLOBAL:
Head Global provides high-quality, carefully customized recruitment and business development services to our international development clients around the world. We find talent specifically tailored to your organization’s unique needs so that you can deliver the best development services for your stakeholders around the world. Since 2016, Head Global has provided recruitment and business development services to more than 30 international development partners, and worked in more than 60 countries across all continents and in all international development technical sectors.
ABOUT RTI:
Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 5,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. Our work on behalf of our clients and in collaboration with our partners around the world impacts the wellbeing of people in numerous ways; through services provided to people, partnerships built with communities, and research and policy that have the potential to improve people’s lives.
Our North Star Goal contributes directly to RTI’s mission: To improve the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. It illustrates how every staff member’s work contributes to our impact. Our work has direct impact on the number of people who receive firsthand any services, resources or other benefits of science-based solutions. In addition, our work also has indirect impact achieved through research recommendations, policy changes or strengthening of a government’s ability to provide benefits to people. Globally, through these collaborative efforts, we are contributing to a healthier, more resilient, and more equitable world.
job profile:
The Vice President of Business Development Strategy and Growth (VP BDSG) is a strategic and visionary leader responsible for establishing and driving IDG’s business development growth strategy. The VP BDSG will lead the development and execution of IDG’s growth strategies, including overseeing client engagement, pipeline development and management, competitor analysis, and capture and proposal processes to ensure standards of excellence and success in achieving growth targets.
This new role reports to the Executive Vice President (EVP) for IDG and closely collaborates with IDG division VPs (DVPs), Finance, and other senior leaders across IDG and RTI to ensure alignment and coordination between divisional strategies and the overall growth strategy. The VP is a member of the IDG Executive Team, the senior-most leadership team in IDG.
This position will be based in Washington, DC, or the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (RTI headquarters). Telecommuting from other locations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The position will be expected to travel internationally up to 30% of the time. Candidates must be authorized to work in the US.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategy and Growth
Lead business planning to position IDG for strategic growth in the short- and long-term, including:
In close collaboration with IDG/Finance, establish and refine processes that capture market trend data and competitive intelligence and promote their active use, to ensure that IDG effectively identifies and responds to market trends, competitive dynamics, and client needs.
Oversee the development and implementation of an overall IDG BD strategy and country-level strategies in key markets.
Identify and secure resources needed to drive growth strategy including targeted hires and strategic partnerships.
Oversee IDG client engagement strategy, connected to division client engagement.
Set growth targets, including:
Collaborate with IDG Finance and DVPs to recommend award targets to EVP.
Set and communicate a clear path for achieving IDG’s awards targets on a fiscal year as well as a multi-year basis.
In collaboration with IDG Finance, align financial allocations and resourcing to growth targets.
Pipeline Development
Manage and chair IDG’s standing BD and opportunity review meeting.
Drive IDG pipeline development and provide oversight and support to team members responsible for opportunity management.
Optimize the IDG opportunity pipeline to be focused on the most strategic and attainable opportunities.
Lead a team that identifies, prioritizes, and resources opportunities by:
Identifying and assessing high-potential business opportunities, in collaboration with division leaders.
Determining which bids to pursue and prioritizing them within the overall portfolio of opportunities.
Making go/no-go decisions during capture and proposal reviews, balancing risk and potential reward.
Overseeing and allocating Bid & Proposal (B&P) funds, in collaboration with IDG Finance, to ensure appropriate resourcing for critical bids.
Identifying bids that require special attention and assigning additional resources as needed.
Assigning proposal leaders, proposal writers, management writers, and reviewers based on strategic importance and resource availability; this will require close collaboration with DVPs and recognition of relative bid priority.
Capture and proposal process refinement and quality assurance
Through oversight of business development and proposal management staff, guarantee that effective IDG business development process adheres to industry and RTI standards and best practices, through setting quality standards, performing quality control, and maintaining process fidelity.
Provide oversight of business development capacity strengthening initiatives to build IDG capability and maintain high standards of excellence.
Establish and manage the process for the conduct of regular after-action reviews and client debrief analyses, incorporating lessons learned into process improvements.
Team Leadership
Lead and manage IDG’s business development team of approximately 35 staff, including business development and proposal management and operations staff.
Lead BD talent planning, including recruitment, development, and retention strategies, to build and maintain a high-performing business development team.
As part of continuous improvement, identify opportunities to improve organizational structure and design to maximize impact.
Establish and maintain strategic relationship with other teams in the BD ecosystem that do not report directly into this role, including market analysis, proposal pricing, sourcing, communications, pre-awards contracts, and talent acquisition teams.
Serve on the IDG Executive Team, IDG’s senior-most leadership body responsible for the success of the business.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, international development, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
20+ years of professional experience, with 15+ years in business development, extensive USAID experience preferred, with a proven track record of leading capture and proposal efforts and winning in a competitive market.
Firsthand experience in all aspects of the business development lifecycle, including market strategy, capture and proposal management, technical design, and proposal writing.
Deep understanding of international development, particularly the USAID market, from both a technical and procurement (acquisition and assistance) perspective.
Excellent client and competitor networks.
Experience effectively working and managing a team in a matrixed environment, with strong leadership and talent management skills.
Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, and decision-making skills.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret market data and financial information.
Ability to travel as needed, approximately 30%.
Required Competencies:
Strategic Thinking: Ability to anticipate market trends, identify business opportunities, and develop actionable strategies.
Leadership: Proven ability to lead and motivate teams.
Collaboration: Proven ability to effectively collaborate with other senior leaders including influencing without authority.
Decision-Making: Demonstrated experience making high-stakes decisions in complex business environments.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong capabilities to influence and persuade at all organizational and client levels.
Results-Driven: A focus on achieving measurable business results, with a commitment to accountability.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
To apply, please email your resume to yaniv@headgloballlc.com with “RTI, VP BDSG” in the subject line.