Director/Senior Director, Private Sector Practice

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department

Opportunity Development (OPD) - Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The Opportunity Development team contributes to realizing this purpose by overseeing Pact’s new business development activities. Every member of the Opportunity Development team at Pact is committed to sharing in the success of the organization, its peers, and individual accomplishments. The Opportunity Development team is managed through a matrixed structure that promotes winning proposals through collaboration. The team offers team members, both experienced and new professionals, opportunities for learning and professional development. Ideal candidates bring positive energy to this dynamic work environment.

Position Overview

Pact’s Private Sector Team includes four professionals who oversee Pact’s acquisition of new work from private sector entities, which includes corporations and foundations. The Director/Senior Director, Private Sector Practice, works with technical leads and country office staff to develop and shepherd project opportunities through from initial meeting or idea to successful receipt of funding.  This includes growing our innovative private sector consulting practice.  Staff in the Private Sector Practice also employ their technical expertise to support individual projects with private sector approaches.  This is an exciting time to join Pact, as the organization is in the process of finalizing a new strategic plan and is looking to scale-up proven signature initiatives.  

The Director/Senior Director leads Pact’s non-USG business development functions. S/he works with Technical Leads, Regional Directors, Country Directors, and others to identify and secure funding for new private sector projects and achieve Pact’s long-term organizational, technical, and country strategies.   S/he leads on developing and expanding relationships with relevant corporations and foundations.   Pact has a growing consulting business, which works closely with corporate entities to maximize sustainability goals in materials sourcing, to improve social, environmental, and economic impacts where their supply chains begin, to further their company’s or industry’s work towards the Sustainable Development Goals, or to positively change entire industries. Pact’s ongoing work continues to shape the reform and sustainability agendas for multiple industries, from IT, automotive, and solar to jewelry and agricultural products. Examples of our current work includes trailblazing initiatives in metals and gemstone due diligence and traceability, successfully eliminating child labor in mining activities, improving the social and environmental performance of ‘green’ commodity supply chains, tackling modern slavery, promoting environmentally sustainable practices, facilitating green energy, and working with communities towards profitable, sustainable livelihoods.   Our projects and services contribute to corporations responsibly meeting Director and Shareholder demands for improved environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.    

The ideal candidate will possess a robust network of relationships with corporate and institutional donors and a track record of developing successful corporate shared value propositions and securing six- to seven figure gifts and/or consulting contracts. S/he will bring positive energy, resilience and a self-driven attitude to this dynamic work environment.   The Director/Senior Director will supervise three staff members and report to the Vice President of Business Development.

Key Responsibilities

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward support from corporations and foundations to meet annual sign-on targets. This includes articulating Pact’s value proposition and programs, researching and listening to corporation and foundations’ needs and aligning our offerings as required, and submit high quality, compliant, on-time concept notes and proposals.   This work will be primarily focused on Sustainable Markets but may also include Health and Governance sectors.   The incumbent will work closely with others within Pact to transition small-scale or one-off relationships into larger, more impactful global alliances.
• Oversee the new business process for private sector bids. This includes resourcing individual opportunities, developing and monitoring schedules and progress, conducting proposal reviews and ensuring quality, compliant, and on-time submissions.   If/when required, personally manage large, strategic new business opportunities.
• Lead the Private Sector Team. This includes managing a team of three business development professionals and ensuring their ongoing professional development, stewarding the unit’s budget, and keeping guidelines, procedures, and templates up-to-date.  
• Strengthen Country Office capacity to identify and build critical relationships with private sector entities to capture new country-specific business information and opportunities.
• Ensure the collection, quality assurance, and analysis of key metrics that inform our private sector business development strategy.  
• Engage collaboratively across departments to support on-going organizational improvement initiatives, organizing training and supporting the ethos that new business is everyone’s business.
• Serve as a resource to Pact in private sector programming approaches, providing guidance to technical leads, country office staff and others in best practices.
• Collaborate with Pact staff via working groups on targeted technical aspects e.g. support to attain our environmental footprint KPI by identifying willing global/regional private sector partner(s) to support Pact Country Offices to move to renewable sources of energy thereby reducing their environmental footprint.
• Model Pact’s values of Respect, Integrity, and Inclusion in their everyday interactions with Pact staff, partners, beneficiaries, and donors.

Basic Requirements

• Master’s Degree and ten (10) years of experience or Bachelor’s Degree and thirteen (13) years of experience
• Track record of developing opportunities and winning new work from private sector sources. Experience specifically with Sustainable Markets-related interventions i.e. livelihoods, energy, extractives, and/or environment would present an advantage
• Understanding of current donor and industry trends for private sector work and the overall competitive landscape in the international arena
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including an ability to effectively present complex ideas to diverse audiences
• Established network of professional relationships in donor and peer organizations
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrated ability to have influence without direct authority
• Ability and desire to travel internationally when required

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working in the private sector
• Prior experience living or working outside of the United States
• Experience in or strong understanding of Sustainable Markets (Livelihoods, Energy, Extractives, and/or Environment)
• Business proficiency in Spanish and/or French

This position may be filled at the Director or Senior Director level, depending on the experience of the chosen candidate.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.