Head of Growth Strategy and Portfolio Impact (UK and Europe)

The Head of Growth Strategy and Portfolio Impact (UK and Europe) is an important global leadership position. You will be accountable to the Abt Global Executive Leadership team for the region/Global Unit. You will lead Business Growth and Development, Programme Delivery, Client Relations and Strategic thought leadership to drive regional growth. The role also has a broad management span and leadership of a global multi-disciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead achievement of organisational revenue, profit and sales targets through driving business growth activities across the UK and Europe region;
• Develop and execute a growth and diversification strategy to grow the business proactively with new clients and in response to tender opportunities, competitive analysis and positioning strategies; realign and coordinate resources to support that plan;
• Partner with the CFO of International Programs on growth strategy, including M&A opportunities, competitive pricing strategies and strategic partnerships.
• Instil an entrepreneurial approach to the teams contributing to building a ‘BD culture’ across the organisation and creating capacity-building strategies and activities.
• Building on a vast existing network of client contact points and supporting capture efforts for selected contracts, and regularly liaising with appropriate Client personnel to assess opportunities and support client relationship management;
• Develop strong positive relationships and represent Abt in its relationships with major clients, the general public, suppliers, competitors, government agencies, professional societies and similar groups to facilitate optimal outcomes and drive the achievement of strategic objectives in the UK and broader European market. Maintain awareness and impact of the business, competitor, economic and political environment;

Business Development

• Lead on strategic “must win” bids for the region;
• Manage and oversee bid response and management of key stakeholder engagement and expectations. Ensure technical and cost applications are complete and of high quality.
• Use data-driven decision-making by overseeing pipeline data collection and reporting and leading Go/No-Go decision-making processes for the portfolio, ensuring bid assessments, including key risk and compliance factors, are considered.
• Elevate existing business development processes and data collection by instilling repeatable processes, scalable platforms, and industry best practices.
• Lead successful negotiations with funders, partners and other stakeholders on BD opportunities and submissions to advance resource acquisition, programmatic and operational goals.

Programme Delivery

• Provide oversight of the programme delivery team, ensuring continued excellent programme quality and impact across the portfolio for all clients
• Led the team on the mobilisation approach and resource/capacity planning for all major (>£20m) programmes and established framework agreement teams.
• A strong vision of and development of professional programme management capability across the region. Oversight of programme performance and development outcomes across the portfolio of Programs; ensure strategic and client relationships are built and maintained as well as high technical quality, governance and consistency of delivery.
• Support the integration of innovative digital/technology solutions into UK / Europe programs, including building/ integrating digital literacy across UK/Europe teams

Leadership and Culture

• Be accountable to the Abt Global Executive Leadership Team and the Abt Global Board of Directors on Group performance and direction and contribute to Abt’s global leadership agenda.
• Model and ensure personal and group commitment to Abt’s Mission and Values 
• Be a thought leader on development, particularly in the UK/Europe region, to build Abt’s reputation and market positioning 
• Attract and retain highly capable staff into the group through exceptional leadership and people management approaches 
• Align our people to our vision through ongoing investments in diversity and inclusion initiatives, maturing job architecture and career pathways, leadership development and employee engagement

Selection Criteria:

• Degree level qualification (post-graduate desirable) in a relevant discipline(s);
• Experience managing business development and the related processes within a professional services/international development-focused organisation with a demonstrated track record of success (ideally bids of at least 6 figure value);
• Track record of winning large complex bids.
• Experience managing a portfolio of work, ideally including programme delivery and mobilisation. Highly effective project management skills for complex projects.
• At least ten years of development-related experience in at least one area of in-depth knowledge - international health, governance, women’s empowerment, agriculture and food security or climate change;
• Effective and inspirational leadership skills, with a diverse team operating under high pressure and tight deadlines, applying a demonstrated inclusive management approach
• Experience in leading innovative approaches to growth within professional services/international development.
• Contemporary understanding of FCDO and European donors and their implementing partners and a thorough knowledge of FCDO contract procedures, regulations, policies and trends;
• Strong networks and linkages with diverse stakeholders in the donor space of international development; and
• Strong English communication skills (written, verbal, listening and presentation) and strong interpersonal and consensus-building skills;
• Existing ability and willingness to work in London;
• Willingness to travel globally at least 30% of the time.

Commitment to Equity

Abt Associates values individuality and celebrates differences with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity, gender, and disability inclusion. We strongly encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to apply for this position. We offer flexible work arrangements and a culturally safe environment for staff members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Commitment to Safeguarding

We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity

About Us

Abt Associates a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries.

Equity

Abt Associates values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to all forms of diversity and equality including racial equity, gender, sexual diversity and disability inclusion. We strongly encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for this position. We offer flexible work arrangements and a culturally safe environment for staff members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Safeguarding

We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity.

In order to apply: click here.