Head of Business Development JOB

Vacancy reference: 201809/HBD

Our package: Attractive depending on skills and experience

Contract type: Open-ended

Hours of work: Full time. 37.5 hours per week

This role reports to: Supply Chain Capacity Development Director

Staff reporting to this post: None

Annual budget for the post: None

Closing date: 21st October 2018

Interview date: TBC

About PSA

Pamela Steele Associates (PSA) is a niche management consultancy with a mission to ensure that no patient in developing countries suffers due to lack of essential medicines. We specialise in supply chain transformation for the public health and humanitarian sectors through consultancy, research and training.

PSA was founded in 2013 by Pamela Steele. It has headquarters in Oxford, UK, and regional offices in India, Kenya and Nigeria.

We provide sustainable solutions for developing the in-country capacity of individuals and organisations to reduce dependency on external support. Working with governments, International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) and the United Nations, we Research, Train and provide Technical Assistance, deploying technical specialists to transform health and humanitarian supply chains in collaboration with client teams.

At PSA, we are committed to excellence in all we do – for our colleagues and our communities, and for our clients and, ultimately, for the patients who benefit from our work. Our collaborative culture transcends organisational and geographic boundaries.

PSA is ISO 9001:2015 certified and accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education as a Short Course Provider.

Our values

• Humanitarian: we work for the alleviation of suffering;
• Ethical: we work with integrity;
• Service-driven: we use our professional expertise to meet our clients’ needs.
• Pragmatic: we apply general principles and frameworks but listen and adapt to the differing needs of our clients;
• Innovative: we seek to learn and apply new ideas, and embrace new technologies;
• Collaborative: we collaborate with partners, clients and service providers for mutual benefit and support, to create a strong team;
• Respectful: understanding local culture is important for effective change so we work with local partners who are familiar with the context.

Our team

PSA’s Business Development team forms part of the Supply Chain and Business Development Unit (SCBDU), which comprises of:

• Consultancy and projects team
• Operational research team
• Training and professional development team
• Business development team

Who we are looking for

As PSA’s Head of Business Development, you will lead efforts to respond to business expansion, with an emphasis on strategically increasing PSA’s client portfolio. You will also identify relevant new business opportunities and determine if those opportunities fit PSA’s core competencies based upon thorough research and analysis.

The Head of Business Development will support the entire Business Development Unit to manage the proposal process with all Business Department Teams and ensure that the process is efficient and effective. You will be responsible for leading the development and submission high-quality business proposals (ranging in value and complexity) that meet our clients’ expectations and are aligned with our business focus areas. Proposals can range from several pages requesting general support to lengthy documents describing the scope of the work to be performed and the organisation’s ability to carry out the project in detail. In developing proposals, you will support project design and contribute to writing key sections to ensure all critical components of the proposal are successfully completed (including but not limited to budget development and human resource allocation).

Job Purpose

To lead efforts to respond to business expansion, with an emphasis on strategically increasing PSA’s client portfolio. The job holder will identify relevant new business opportunities and determine if those opportunities fit PSA’s core competencies based upon thorough research and analysis.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in expanding PSA’s consultancy portfolio, ensuring alignment with PSA’s core business areas (i.e. the health and humanitarian logistics and supply chain sector).
• Monitor relevant websites (UNGM, ReliefWeb, Devex, Grants.gov, FBO.gov, KfW website, DFID portal, World Bank portal, local press etc.) on a weekly/daily basis for logistics and supply chain consultancy opportunities for which PSA can bid directly or in consortia, and provide detailed and strategic analysis of solicitations, instructions and other proposal-related information.
• Create the proposal calendar, track technical and cost proposal progress to ensure milestones are met, and ensure that each member of the proposal team (including sub- and primary contractors) knows what is expected of them and when tasks are due.
• Maintain the pace of proposal development by supporting the creation of proposal calendars and partner packages, and ensuring strong coordination among proposal contributors.
• Review solicitation for proposal requirements and work, background documents including relevant literature and partner organisations’ information, competitive landscape information and any other relevant sources to ensure comprehensive understanding of the major technical concepts, interventions to be proposed, client requirements, and desired overall approach.
• Lead the development of high-quality financial proposals, gathering cost information, creating budgets that reflect client/donor requirements and drafting supporting narratives.
• Assign appropriate associate consultants to assist with the development of technical areas of proposals, including preparing consultants’ scope of work and monitoring deliverables.
• Lead debrief sessions with key members of proposal teams to identify and document lessons learned and best practices for future Business Development efforts.
• Read and be familiar with donors’ strategies which describe their priority areas of focus and objectives to align to.
• Attend public events related to new business as needed
• Ensure all proposals documents are formatted according to client requirements, and copy edit proposals for submission to ensure quality
• Make recommendations and develop tools that improve future business development and proposal writing.

Development of PSA’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects:

• Support the promotion to and fundraising from private sector/well-wishers for PSA’s CSR projects (Skills Bank, International Internship Programme, Secondary Schools Supply Chain Competition and Women and Youth ’s Economic Empowerment).

Skills, experience and knowledge

Essential

• Right to Work in the UK (E)
• Master’s degree in a relevant field preferably supply chain management (E)
• Excellent command of English, both written and oral, including a demonstrable ability to write clearly and concisely for different audiences (E)
• Experience working as a consultant (E)
• Experience (spanning at least ten years) of applying social science research skills to research projects, evaluations and impact assessments in areas relevant to PSA’s work: e.g. international development, humanitarian supply chains, health supply chains, etc. (E)
• Quantitative social science research skills, e.g.: (E)
• Survey design and implementation, including sampling
• Baselines and longitudinal studies
• Statistical analysis
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and database management (E)
• In-depth knowledge and experience of MS Excel, as well as statistical analysis software and qualitative analysis tools and software (E)
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to multitask and work to deadlines (E)
• Ability to travel as part of research and capacity development assignments (E)
• Strong research skills with a willingness and ability to synthesise complex information in accessible and actionable formats (E)
• Commitment to PSA’s values, vision and mission (E)
• Demonstrable experience of proposal writing, costing and budgeting (E)
• Experience across a number of countries and a high level of cross-cultural sensitivity (E)
• Experience with international humanitarian and development organisations (E)
• Excellent partner, client and team management skills (E)
• Ability to advise clients and PSA colleagues and associates on appropriate research methods (E)
• Experience of managing research staff and other contributors to projects (E)

Desirable

• Qualitative social science research skills, including use of participatory methods, e.g.: (D)
• Participatory action research
• Participatory rural appraisal
• Comparative case studies
• Fluency in another international working language, preferably Arabic, Russian, French, Spanish or Portuguese (D)
• Proven track record of applying analytical skills in the international development space for strategic planning and partnership development (D)
• Proven experience of designing, delivering and reporting on commissioned assignments, including with/for health and humanitarian organisations (D)
• Experience designing and delivering training using participatory learning methodologies (D)
• Proven strengths in facilitating collaboration and collaborative ways of working (D)
• A publication record in relevant areas (D)

At PSA, our job descriptions provide a guide to what might be expected in the role. Along with our strategy the job description is used to help to shape specific objectives for employees. Employees are supported to deliver these objectives and they are annually assessed against them as part of the PSA performance review process. This job description is not incorporated into the employment contract. PSA is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where gender balance and diversity is valued.