Portfolio & Strategic Insight Lead – Business Development

Job Title: Portfolio & Strategic Insight Lead – Business Development
Team: Industry Value Chains Cluster

Level: Advanced

Please refer to our Capability Framework
Location:Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia,Spain

Contract Type: Maternity cover for 7 months. Ideally, from 15 July, 2024 to 15 February, 2025

FTE:

Apply By:Interviews will happen on a rolling basistill we find the right candidate. It is advisable to apply as early as possible.

ABOUT US

At EIT Climate-KIC, we are wholeheartedly committed to building a diverse and representative team and an inclusive workplace that values different life experiences and perspectives, and we encourage personal development, learning and growth.

When recruiting, we look to achieve diversity in the candidate pool. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and are happy to consider reasonable adjustments that will foster success in potential employees from diverse backgrounds and life situations. And because our team has differing needs and personal circumstances, we offer a high degree of flexibility to accommodate all working patterns. We're happy to discuss your situation during the interview and see how best we can support you.

Don't let Imposter Syndrome stop you from applying

EIT Climate-KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) is Europe's foremost climate innovation initiative, entrusted by the European Commission to catalyse transformation through innovation. Headquartered in Amsterdam, with circa 160 people distributed all over the EU, EIT Climate-KIC leads and orchestrates innovation with a community of more than 400. Together we conduct activities in 39 countries. We partner with cities, regions, governments and communities with the highest climate action ambition; providing the framework and expert support to holistically manage the complexity of climate change and deliver accelerated climate action.

EIT Climate-KIC operates as a not-for-profit platform working through public-private partnership, wielding both public and private funding. We consist of 3 Legal entities: a Dutch BV Holding company (for profit) with 14 branches in European jurisdictions, providing grant management, innovation orchestration services, and impact investment advisory owned by a Dutch-based foundation with charity status – Climate-KIC International Foundation. Historically, we have been funded by our founder and core funder, the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), but we are currently transitioning to a multi-funder model.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Portfolio & Strategic Insight Lead – Business Development is responsible for connecting the dots across a portfolio of programmes delivered by the Industry Value Chains cluster. This role involves extracting strategic insights from various programs, both leading and contributing to business development efforts. The lead collaborates closely with the Industry Value Chains Cluster Lead to evolve cluster objectives and facilitate cross-program collaboration, addressing resourcing needs and nurturing positive team dynamics.

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic-minded individual to join our team as the Portfolio and Strategic Insights Lead – Business Development. Your expertise will excel our business development efforts, shape the future of our programs.

You will be part of a vibrant, multicultural team dedicated to accelerating climate action through systems innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Alignment and Vision: Collaborate closely with the Industry Value Chains Orchestrator to evolve cluster/team objectives. Champion the integration of these objectives into overarching strategies and goals of different programmes. Maintain a pulse on the progress of various programmes within the Industry Value Chains cluster. Extract strategic insights and lessons learned from these initiatives,
• Business Development: Be an important player in shaping the organisation's financial sustainability by contributing insights and perspectives to the development of new programme proposals and business development strategies. Coordinate cluster's BD efforts, collaborate in enhancing the cluster's service offerings and value proposition, ensuring alignment with emerging stakeholder requirements and EIT Climate-KIC's mission.
• Process Improvements: Collaborate with project officers to refine and optimize the operational support and oversight mechanisms for programme delivery. Provide support to team members in developing approaches and strategies for programme implementation.

Key Working Relationships

• Industry Value Chains Cluster Lead
• Country and Programme Orchestrators
• Strategic Partnership (Business Development) Team
• Deal Desk
• Cluster Project Officers
• Other cluster colleagues and programme team members
• Other EIT Climate-KIC Teams, including PMO Office, Finance, Legal and MEL.

ABOUT YOU

You are passionate about leveraging your skills to make a critical contribution to EIT Climate-KIC's mission of creating a positive impact on climate change through systemic innovation. You possess qualities of deep curiosity, perceptiveness, respectfulness, and resilience. You are oriented towards learning while doing and embracing agile ways of working. Business development activities are your bread and butter, you are experienced in building sales decks, pitching and drafting offerings and proposals.

Qualification & Experience

• A Master's degree in a relevant field, such as Marketing, Economics, Finance, Project/Programme Management, Business Administration, Law, Environmental Sciences, or related disciplines, is required as a minimum educational qualification.
• A minimum of 5+ years of hands-on experience in business development/ sales activities,
• Proven track record of building value propositions, offerings and proposals both to public and private funders,
• Proven track record and work experience in international and multi-disciplinary environments and contexts, guiding cross-functional teams, fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, and ensuring successful programme delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic insights and contribute to the development and execution of programmatic strategies.
• Experience in identifying and mitigating risks, as well as adapting strategies in response to evolving circumstances.
• A project management certification, such as PMP or an equivalent credential, is highly desired and will be considered a valuable asset.

Skills

• Business development – natural in formulating value propositions as well as clear offerings to potential clients (both public and private), drafting proposals, bringing together inputs from various teams.
• Systems thinking – especially as applied to and derived from experience with real world change.
• Seeing patterns of connection and difference; using diverse perspectives to catalyse breakthrough thinking, reflection and learning; culturally aware and skilled in working with diversity and inclusiveness.
• Good at taking decisions with a consideration of risk and following through on commitments to completion.
• Familiarity with different approaches and emerging trends related to programme management, strategic planning, and innovation, including design thinking, human-centred design, systems thinking, and innovation concepts.
• Proficiency in English with exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Additional fluency in other European languages would be advantageous.

Qualities, Personal Style, and Approach

• Articulate and dynamic, with highly developed interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively, inspire and motivate people.
• Growth mindset; highly adaptable, flexible and resilient: able to work effectively in ambiguity and complexity and to respond dynamically to change.
• Commitment to continuous improvement.
• Solutions focused, with a "can do" attitude; willing to undertake a range of tasks to meet needs.
• Gravitas with an ability to build trust.
• Proactive, commercial approach, entrepreneurial.

Location

Candidates must have the right to work in the location they're applying for (I.e. not require visa sponsorship) prior to applying for the position. Ideally, the successful candidate will be based close to one ofthe EIT Climate KIC offices, but we support fully remote or hybrid forms of working and offer a high degree of flexibility.

To ensure that we can respond to every single applicant, we will close the role once we receive a reasonable pool of candidates to assess, which can be before the apply-by date.