Deputy Director, Strategic Partnerships

About Viamo

Mobile technology is revolutionizing how organizations engage with their end users. More than 96% of the world’s population has access to a mobile phone, meaning it is now possible to reach nearly every single person on the planet. Yet 3 billion people living in emerging markets still lack access to relevant, timely, and engaging information in their local languages, and their voices remain underheard. The organizations that serve them lack the technology and capacity to reach them, and many are unaware of the power of mobile technology to meet their organizational goals.

Viamo connects individuals and organizations using digital technology to make better decisions.

With more than 35 million people reached in 2021 alone, we are well on our way to meeting our goal of reaching 50 million people annually by 2023.

About the role

You will be a global leader of Viamo’s partnership efforts and a passionate ambassador within the Digital for Development movement. Your role is to drive impact, leading the development, sale, and launch of innovative and effective digital engagement campaigns that address some of the most intractable development challenges. You will ensure that every large development sector organization knows about Viamo’s latest solutions and understands the value of incorporating these solutions into their programs.. Read more about Viamo’s suite of solutions here.

Key Responsibilities

Spend 100% of your time on sales and partnership development to:

• Drive growth and impact through sales and partnerships. You will lead the sale of Viamo’s solutions by proactively prospecting opportunities with development sector clients and donors
• Conduct effective outreach to meet with these clients and donors, and convert qualified leads
• Undertake in-depth research to understand the specific needs, priorities, and challenges of these clients and donors
• Work with these development sector partners to design and launch effective mobile engagement projects; this includes building relationships, co-designing projects, preparing budgets and establishing Viamo as a digital thought leader
• Respond to Requests for Proposals that are a fit for Viamo’s solutions
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to craft compelling solutions and proposals that maximize our social impact and value proposition
• Maintain a dynamic and organized pipeline of potential opportunities and track engagement activities
• Work towards the achievement of monthly, quarterly and annual sales targets
• Implement our sales management strategy through weekly tracking of progress on the sales pipeline in Viamo’s CRM system
• Travel and lead at conferences and working/dissemination events with strategic partners
• Strategic Partnerships will specifically pursue opportunities related to:
  • Innovation
    • Become a thought leader in innovative Viamo solutions such as the Generative AI-powered Voice Companion
    • Develop unsolicited concept notes with trusted partners that strategically advance innovative Viamo solutions
    • Pursue innovation-focused RFPs with trusted partners first (make them feel privileged)
    • Collaborate with the Product, Tech and Delivery teams at Viamo to support the innovation of Viamo’s solutions based on market intel and partner feedback
  • Repeat partnerships & MSAs
    • Systematically pursue repeat business with happy partners that Viamo has sizable projects with
    • Propose upsell and scale-up opportunities, approach for RFPs
    • Maintain regular HQ standing calls with MSA partners
      • Seek post-award partnerships on big programs
      • Develop unsolicited concept notes
      • Influence design of new projects including through webinars etc and innovative processes like design thinking and HCD approaches
      • Respond to RFPs from MSA partners
  • Country inbounds & backstopping
    • Pursue sizeable RFPs (e.g. Dutch RFA in Uganda, USAID DIV)
    • Take over Deals from CDs/RDs when capacity is low
    • Pursue in-bound Leads in countries where we are not present

Key Performance Indicator

• Bookings: Margin value of secured contracts, including new and repeat business

Team and Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

Profile

Required

• Experience of 5+ years in any combination of: social enterprise, INGO, Mobile Network Operator, ICT4D, donor or international implementer
• Proven sales/ business development success, evidenced by having closed at minimum $1M in contract over the past 3 years
• Proven proposal writing and partnership-building skills, with a history of submitting winning applications
• Experience securing contracts from non-governmental organizations and UN agencies
• Entrepreneurial mindset and proven experience in co-developing ideas with partners
• Leadership skills, including intercultural sensitivity and a passion for unleashing the potential of your colleagues
• Demonstrated self-management, skills, adaptability and resourcefulness
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; strong influencing and negotiation skills

Desirable

• Experience in a direct sales role at Viamo
• Experience working with major bilateral donors such as USAID, FCDO and/or EU-funded projects
• Workshop facilitation skills and experience in design thinking approaches
• Working knowledge of French, Portuguese, or other languages relevant to bilateral donors or Viamo’s geographies
• Measurable team management experience, including strong intercultural sensitivity, and a passion for unleashing the potential of your colleagues.