Senior Manager, Strategic Growth and Partnerships (New Business Development)

Job Description

The Senior Manager will play a key role in advancing Land O’Lakes Venture37’s growth and impact strategy, primarily by cultivating and securing impactful USAID and USDA new business opportunities.

The Senior Manager is an experienced business development professional who has proven successful at leading/managing competitive USAID/USDA bids, ideally in the agriculture development and/or economic growth space.

This position can be based in Washington, DC, Arden Hills, MN or remotely.

Responsibilities will include:

Strategy and Pipeline Development

• Drive business development strategy for countries/opportunities in your portfolio, ensuring early intel capture and targeted pursuit of new business opportunities.
• Identify funding trends and contribute to bid analyses and capture plans to position V37 competitively.
• Manage and update opportunities and contacts in Salesforce.

Capture Management

• Leverage and cultivate relationships with key USAID staff (e.g. Economic Growth staff); develop and demonstrate strong understanding of key influencers and donor insights.
• Cultivate relationships with implementation partners including international NGOs, priority local partners, private sector companies and academic institutions.
• Organize and conduct in-country information gathering trips to collect/analyze data informing proposal design and to cultivate/strengthen partnerships.

Proposal Management

• Serve as proposal lead – with responsibilities including development of teaming strategy and scopes of work, sub-partner relationship management, and management of overall proposal development.
• Lead and orchestrate project design sessions incorporating theory of change to create compelling, innovative and customer-responsive approaches and solutions.
• Ensure technical requirements and details are aligned with cost proposal development in close collaboration with finance and costing teams.
• Manage on-time, compliant and cost-effective delivery of proposals.

Thought Leadership and Marketing

• Lead the development of donor/partner-appropriate pitch decks and other marketing collateral that showcase V37’s work and thought leadership.
• Conduct marketing trips to meet with key donors and partners and organize donor to influence program design.
• Position Venture37 for new business opportunities at industry events.

Required Experience/Knowledge:

• University degree in International Studies, International Development, Business Administration, Agriculture, Economics or related field plus a minimum of five years relevant work experience, or combination of additional education and experience to total seven years.
• Demonstrated experience and success leading winning USAID bid strategies and proposals.
• Demonstrated ability to work with technical leads to conceptualize and develop competitive, innovative, impactful program designs.
• Ability to work and lead effectively in a team environment and work with people of diverse backgrounds in various cultural settings.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, flexible and able to focus and guide others in accomplishing time-sensitive work.
• Strong relationship-building skills and customer-centered approach to partnership development.
• Familiarity with emerging trends in international agriculture/economic development.
• Ability to write and/or review – including proposals sections, concept notes, RFI responses and marketing materials.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to travel and work effectively in emerging economies.

Preferred Experience/Knowledge:

• Masters Degree in International Development, Agriculture, Business, Economics or related field.
• Proposal writing experience (i.e. technical writing).
• Demonstrated experience and success leading winning USDA bid strategies and proposals.
• Program management experience; experience working on projects with an agriculture focus.
• Experience living and/or working in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
• French language skills.

Salary Range: $100,000 to $130,000