Description

Organizational Profile 

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of disability.

CONTEXT

Heifer International is an International Non-Governmental, Non-profit Organization which has been working in Haiti in the field of agriculture and breeding for more than twenty (20) years. Through its various projects, it aims to ensure a better living condition for Haitian families. Heifer International’s mission is to fight poverty and hunger through sustainable community development. As part of the implementation of the Vetiver Forward project, in the southern department, whose goal is to improve the vetiver value chain by strengthening the capacity of six vetiver cooperatives, Heifer international Haiti wishes to recruit a business and innovation specialist.

FUNCTION

The business and Innovation Specialist of Heifer international Haiti main functions are:

• Provide intellectual and strategic leadership on innovation issues in the region;
• Provide technical guidance in service line development and delivery;
• Support program portfolio management and communications; and
• Contribute substantively to the wider business and innovation community of practice, including with Heifer international, bilateral partners, and external experts.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS:

1. Action oriented, results driven, innovative leader
2. Ability to apply a strategic mindset and nimble learning Business acumen and organizational savvy to drive results in complex environments.
3. Ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, instill trust, and demonstrate self-awareness.
4. Ability to build effective teams and develop a culture of innovation
5. Ability to provide effective leadership and drive team spirit.
6. Plans and aligns, optimizes work processes and ensures accountability.
7. Ability to have effective decision making and balance stakeholders 

• Delivery of business advice and support on business development, analyzing and expanding business operations toward
• sustained growth.
• Support the cooperatives to have a strong business structure and strengths the already existent business structure and identifying opportunities to increase profitability
• Identifying and developing new lines of business based on consumer behavior using all the potential of innovative technology.
• Contribute technical input, such as portfolio diagnostics, innovation needs assessments, program and project formulation, technical support to implementation of activities, partnering and resource mobilization according to business and innovation.
• Contribute to the design of innovation activities and initiatives by developing prototypes, analyzing, and reporting their impact. 
• Contribute to scaling up of successful prototypes at country and sub regional levels. 
• Provide support to the project manager, by design and reporting about Innovation  

• Evaluating and improving sales, marketing, and branding strategies.
• Performing competitor analysis toward obtaining an increased market share.
• Developing client relationships and strengthening industry partnerships.
• Identifying new clients by researching and creating networking opportunities.
• Negotiating and closing business deals that promote sustained revenue.
• Liaising with Sales, Marketing, and using with the cooperatives to align strategies aimed at increasing revenue.

• Assessing and advising on potential joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions
• Provide support data and information for project design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and results reporting in line with guidelines, and support quality assurance, risk management
• Support the monitoring and management of risks in the innovation knowledge domain while cooperatives develop their businesses;

• Work with Heifer International Innovation units and in conjunction with relevant regional advisors and specialists to contribute to the delivery of relevant, timely and multi-disciplinary response to Country needs for policy services - Based on demand from project donors.
• Collaborate substantively with program direction on their innovation plan, including developing and testing new concepts, products, tools and resources.

• May perform other job-related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

1. Bachelor's Degree in Business Development, Marketing, international trade, innovation or similar.
2. A minimum of 5 years of experience working on business and innovation in either the public or private sector, non-governmental sector, corporate), with increasing level of responsibility
3. Previous experience as a Business Development and innovation Specialist in a related industry.
4. Solid knowledge of software (Microsoft Office).
5. Fluent in French, Creole and English, Spanish is considered an asset spoken and written
6. Knowledge of design thinking models and facilitation approaches and ability to apply in business

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS

1. Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) preferred.
2. Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge about market trends and competitor behavior.
3. Proficiency in integrated business management and innovation
4. Experience with business technologies preferred (R, SPSS, STATA, Power BI);
5. Advanced knowledge of business development, marketing strategies, and innovation
6. Experience in identifying profitable business opportunities for the cooperatives, preferably in the vetiver value chain
7. Ability to maintain strong client relationships and establish industry partnerships.
8. Competency in negotiating and closing business deals.
9. Ability to advise on possible joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions.
10. Experience in applying innovation methodologies, including design thinking
11. Familiarity with a broad range of innovation approaches and methodologies, including but not limited to alternative finance, behavioral insights, and data innovation
12. Success in this role will require the candidate to empathize with prospect’s/Cooperative needs, actively engage and listen in an exploratory dialogue to understand their worldview and determine whether the change they are seeking to make is a good fit for our innovation services and value proposition.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

1. Ability to work under pressure, perform multiple tasks and manage consistently competing priorities, comfortable in rapidly changing environment.
2. Ability to effectively mentor and train individuals and teams using participatory methodologies. Strong facilitation skills preferred.
3. Ability to work with delicate personnel situations and to maintain confidentiality.
4. Ability to maintain close relationships and work with team members from a distance and with limited opportunity for personal interaction.
5. Constant sitting and working at a computer for extended periods of time.
6. Constant face-to-face, electronic and telephone communication with colleagues at different levels of the organization and the general public.
7. Ability to prepare documents and other materials in a well-designed and attractive format, with attention to detail
8. Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours.
9. Ability and willingness to travel both domestically and internationally.
10. Adequate physical condition necessary to travel to project sites in rural areas.