Business Development Manager

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Job description

Starting Date:

Contract type: Permanent, open-ended

Salary: 50,000 - 55,000 GBP

Location: London, UK or Geneva, Switzerland

Application closing date: Midnight 12.12.2021 GMT

Background

Better Cotton is the world's largest cotton sustainability programme. Our mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. In challenging times, we are meeting the challenge head on. Through our network of field-level partners we have trained over 2.5 million farmers - from the smallest to the largest - in 23 countries in more sustainable farming practices. A quarter of the world's cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard. We have united the industry's stakeholders behind our efforts, from ginners and spinners to brand owners, civil society organisations and governments. Everyone who cares about cotton and its sustainable future can now be part of something better.

About this role

Better Cotton is now seeking a Business Development Manager who will help to drive revenue in support of the ongoing success and growth of Better Cotton globally. The role has a dual function; outward facing in cultivating donor relationships, as well as internal follow-up in leading proposal development processes. As a Business Development Manager you will identify and cultivate new revenue sources, develop proposals and shape programme design. In addition to this you will represent Better Cotton in external forums and use these opportunities to influence and leverage resources. The Business Development Manager will report to the Director of Fundraising. This challenging role offers excellent opportunities for personal and professional development, together with a competitive benefits package.

Responsibilities

Identify & cultivate new revenue sources for Better Cotton

Channel greater volumes of funding toward sustainable cotton farming communities
Support Better Cotton's fundraising strategy by driving a diversification of income sources to support the growth of Better Cotton
Manage income generation through identification, cultivation and acquisition of new funding streams from diverse markets
Coordinate and lead outreach to new donors and investors
Build and maintain an active pipeline of prospective donors
Ensure the alignment of relevant donors and financing instruments with Better Cotton's 2030 vision
Build Better Cotton's network; improve awareness of and recognition of Better Cotton amongst relevant stakeholders
Convey the distinct value proposition of Better Cotton opportunities to investors, funders and donors
A positive attitude, with a high level of presentation and persuasion, setting an example to staff
Participate in the review of Better Cotton's fundraising strategy to ensure it remains relevant and fit for purpose
Liaise and coordinate internally with global and country programmes to promote a cohesive and collaborative work ethic and team spirit.

Development of proposals, programme design and presentations

Lead proposal development phase; including communicating donor guidelines and priorities, proposal content and project design, reviewing documentation, collating information, liaising with different functions/teams, lead meetings, editing and wordsmithing and compiling annexes for the donor.
Ensure donor interests and priorities are well understood across the organisation, including country directors and functional leads.
Tailor Better Cotton material to approach donors as first contact
Develop Fundraising strategies (tailored around donor, thematic and/or country as appropriate and necessary)

BCI representation

Represent Better Cotton and the programmes, when needed to present a 'pitch' to donors. Where required represent programmes nationally and internationally through participation in relevant workshops and symposia and in collaboration with partners where fundraising or the potential for fundraising is deemed significant.
Contribute to the development of programmatic documents, multimedia and publications for use in promotion of the work of the programmes. Ensuring the documentation reflects and is relevant to donor priorities.
Building internal and external relationships
The job requires a high-level of liaison with internal stakeholders at all levels ensuring that key information is collated from key staff across Better Cotton.
To build relationships with prospects, donors and other external stakeholders, ensuring the high levels of professionalism, using diplomacy with influencing and persuasion.
Build relationships with bilateral agencies, trusts and foundations from a variety of countries, cultures, languages and charitable interests.

Profile

The selected candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

An understanding of the agricultural sector, including common challenges and opportunities associated with smallholder agriculture

Effective fundraising management and planning skills evidenced by a full knowledge of philanthropic income sources and their application, the legislative environment for the charitable sector, fundraising planning and monitoring tools.

Effective fundraising research, donor cultivation and sales skills evidenced by successful proposals with an individual value of more than €1 million

Knowledge of the current fundraising environment.

IT literacy, to include: Word; PowerPoint; Excel; Outlook

Ability to analyse complex budgets and manipulate budget data

Excellent public speaking and presentation skills

Well-developed personal strategies for time and complex process management; data management and internal communications

Positivity, determination and resilience.

Desirable

Knowledge of one or more of the following: Smallholder livelihoods, Decent Work, Climate Change, Gender equality in agriculture and markets, Agri-technology, Soil Health, Pesticide Toxicity.

Professional fundraising qualification at management and strategy level, or relevant qualifications in business management

Professional qualifications in marketing and sales. Experience with impact investing.

Recent presentations at fundraising conferences and/or attendance at relevant professional fundraising events.

Knowledge of Salesforce

Ability to read and present 'audited accounts'

Qualification or formal training in public speaking and presentation

Qualification or formal training in time-management, information management and effective internal communications

Encouraging positivity, determination and resilience in others.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based in the London office. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10am - 4pm and the option to work from home one day per week.

Travel will be required

Applications

Interested applicants with the required attributes are asked to send, in English, a detailed CV and a brief cover letter (2 pages maximum) to Better Cotton by email with subject "Application For Business Development Manager"

Application deadline:

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates short-listed for a telephone interview will be contacted. Better Cotton is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.