Pact is an international nonprofit that works in nearly 40 countries building solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven and owned by the communities we serve. Founded in 1971, Pact works with partners to build resilience, improve accountability, and strengthen knowledge and skills for sustainable social impact.
Department Private Sector Engagement (PSE) - Pactโs Private Sector Engagement (PSE) team leads and supports the development of partnerships with private sector entities, including corporations and foundations. PSE works with technical leads and country office staff across Pact to develop and shepherd project opportunities and design from positioning to successful project implementation. The PSE team also provides innovative private sector engagement technical assistance to our projects and partners. The PSE team is part of a larger Business Development team and collaborates with business development colleagues focused on work with public sector funders.
Position Overview
Over the past decade, working with the private sector to achieve global social impact goals has been gaining momentum with multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors, international non-profits, and foundations. It is through these co-created, shared value solutions with companies that the development community (and the world) may hope to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and better livelihoods throughout emerging markets. Towards this end, Pact created a Private Sector Engagement team to leverage the organizationโs 50+ year history to build thriving, resilient and engaged communities leading their own development.
The Senior Officer, Private Sector Engagement will work as part of a team to grow Pactโs private sector portfolio through identification of opportunities with new and current clients, development of positioning and proposal strategies, and pursuit of opportunities that lead to multiโcountry, multiโmillion, longโterm partnerships with corporations and foundations. Based on Pactโs ability to understand community needs, convene the right stakeholders, and implement and scale solutions in country, the Sr. Officer will leverage their private sector expertise and networks to advance Pactโs engagement with both companies/foundations and communities to pilot and develop impactful and sustainable solutions to local issues. By understanding corporate and foundation objectives, broader industry trends, and Pactโs technical strategies, the Sr. Officer works with colleagues across Pact to identify, develop, and secure financing for (1) partnerships and programming that drive Pactโs and clientsโ mission objectives, and (2) advisory services that are of interest to both current and prospective clients. The Sr. Officer contributes to the development of the Business Development Private Sector teamโs overall strategies, operational plans, and processes to advance effectiveness and efficiency. The Sr. Officer blends strategic, analytical thinking, and leadership skills with astute business development acumen for proposal management, program design, and partnership relations to develop winning concepts and proposals.
As part of the business development team, the Senior Officer will work closely with technical leads in Pactโs home office in Washington, D.C. and staff in countries where we work. The primary technical focus for this role will be on Pactโs sustainable markets impact area which includes livelihoods, environment and clean energy, and responsible mining practice areas, but may at times also support other programming such as global health, governance and capacity development. This position will enable corporate and foundation engagement, and as needed also bilateral and multilateral initiatives, across the broader organization and provide leadership in identifying and cultivating new relationships. The Sr Officer also provides support to more junior members of the team and represents Pact in external forums. Some travel (domestic and international) may be required when safe and appropriate.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development:
Actively lead and contribute to the identification and development of new corporate and foundation proposal opportunities that are aligned with country, regional, and technical prioritiesBuild a network of professional business contacts within Pact's industries; negotiate partnership arrangements and budgets; and coordinate teaming agreements, memoranda of understanding, contracts, and other institutional agreements with partnersMonitor trends and business intelligence across Pactโs technical sectors, identifying sector- specific and crossโcutting opportunities for partnershipEngage with private sector partners to identify problems/opportunities within their value chains and to coโcreate solutions to those problems โ improving efficiency and profitability for those partners while ensuring social impactContribute to the development of the Business Development Private Sector teamโs approaches, operational plans, and key performance indicatorsSupport outreach efforts to identify and secure Strategic Partnerships that will enhance Pactโs ability to deliver on its missionConduct due diligence on potential clients assessing potential risks
Proposal Management and Development:
Manage proposals from endโtoโend development of corporate, foundation, and as needed multilateral/ bilateral, concepts and pitches across Pact's technical areas and countriesManage integrated teams of technical, finance, and contract experts to ensure proposals meet Pactโs quality and compliance standards and follow Pactโs business development processesCollaborate with clients, technical experts, country representatives, and other staff to conceptualize and design proposals for new and followโon project activitiesWrite and edit sections of concept notes and proposals as requiredEnsure high quality, responsive, compliant submissions to clients under tight deadlines
Technical Knowledge:
Leverage deep private sector connections and technical expertise in one or more of Pactโs Sustainable Markets technical areas including livelihoods, environment, renewable energy, or responsible mining to co-create shared value projects with new clientsAs part of Pactโs pre-positioning efforts, contribute to writing impactful thought leadership pieces on relevant subject matter linking private sector needs to the Sustainable Market service offerings, expertise and experienceProvide technical knowledge/experience to Pact Impact Area teams and projects to strengthen private sector engagement and impact
Organizational PSE Support:
Provide guidance to country and home office staff on new business and engagement with corporate and foundation clientsWork with the communications team on communications and campaigns in support of corporate and foundation outreachSupervise and coach PSE interns (when present)Maintain relationship and organizational databases (Salesforce) and conduct analysis of Pact's proposal development activitiesAssist with the creation and revising of PSE guidance tools, templates, processes and trainingsAll other duties as assigned
Basic Requirements
Masterโs degree and 6+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Bachelor's and 8 years of experience. Demonstrated technical experience and extensive networks working with the private sector in one or more of the following areas: climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience; clean energy; nature-based solutions; ESG; sustainable supply chains; green jobs; access to finance, micro and small enterprise development, occupational health & safety; workersโ development and rightsExperience conceptualizing, pitching, and co-creating corporate social responsibility and shared value partnerships with the private sector and foundationsDemonstrated experience in securing financing from corporations and foundationsExperience in proposal managementHighly collaborative and experienced in driving results in an informal, matrixed environmentExcellent written and oral communication skills, including quickly researching and synthesizing unfamiliar topicsExcellent attention to detail and follow-upAbility to cultivate and maintain professional relationships with internal colleagues and contacts in companies/foundations and peer organizationsSelf-directed leader able to motivate internal and country teams to assist with PSE initiativesExcellent planning and time management skills. Ability to multitask with ease, adapting to frequently changing prioritiesUnderstanding and experience in the international development spaceFluency in English; fluency in French or Spanish would be an assetThe salary for this position is determined based on a wide variety of factors including but not limited to an individuals skill sets, experience, training, certifications, education, as well as business needs and internal equity. At Pact, employees are typically not hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are made based on the aforementioned circumstances. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $80,000-104,600