Strategic Business Development Manager at African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)

To support these, ACTS has introduced a new senior role, the Strategic Business Development Manager, reporting directly to the Executive Director of ACTS. The successful candidate will bring commercial skill and acumen to package key ACTS projects with near-market potential into viable business proposals and drive their implementation as well as drive the commercial realisation of the Konza institute, including marketing strategy, stakeholder engagement, financial modelling, fundraising and execution support.

The Strategic Business Development Manager will be required to:

• Coordinate the implementation of ACTS Konza Business Plan (2023-2026) including proposition articulation, partner identification and outreach, marketing, investment fundraising, commercial oversight.
• Be the commercial face of the ACTS Konza Institute and ensure that the Institute becomes internationally recognised as a centre of excellence and the “go to” organisation in Africa for the application of advanced data science.
• In collaboration with researchers, formulate and successfully implement business plans for ACTS internal IP for exploitation as companies, joint ventures or other collaborative activities and secure the investment finance needed to grow these opportunities.
• Coordinate ACTS consultancy services in support of the above goals.
• Over time, build a commercial team to deliver the above goals.
• Proactively guide and build the internal (ACTS Staff) capacity on enterprise development, commercialization, and investment readiness.

 IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

• BSc and MSc in a relevant scientific, engineering or business management subject. An MBA is highly desirable.
• At least 5 years of demonstrable experience in senior business development, consulting and strategic planning.
• Proven track record of investment finance raising from major corporates / donors / funders both in the commercial sector and those related to research and commercialization of technology innovations.
• Sound financial skills and the ability to create clear and compelling business cases. The candidate should be fully conversant with business modelling and creation of financial plans including P&L, cashflow and balance sheet projections.
• A good technical understanding and an ability to work with researchers and innovators to develop ideas and identify the overlap between potential solutions and established problems.
• An understanding of the technology innovation and  commercialization context in Africa is an added advantage.
• Experience working with STI think tanks Regionally and Globally would be an advantage but is not essential
• Self-driven with the ability to work independently and lead teams to deliver on strategic goals.
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and facilitating the development of major investment proposals to corporate entities, institutional, trust, foundations and philanthropic donors.
• Excellent communication skills, able to interact with individuals at the highest levels in Government and the commercial sector (Ministerial / Board levels)
• Ability to create clear and compelling proposals in powerpoint and as written documents
• Highly developed international networking skills and ability to form productive working relationships with a wide range of internal colleagues and stakeholders.
• Experience in project and change management related to organisational development projects and international, cross-functional teams with a proven history of delivering results.
• A high degree of attention to detail and the ability to lead key tasks (e.g proposal development) to on-time completion under significant pressure.
• Knowledge of the application of Intellectual Property Rights and licensing is highly desirable.