Rethink Ireland 

Business Development Director

Contract:     3 Years Fixed Term Contract, 80-100% FTE

Salary:     Negotiable, but commensurate with a key senior position at Rethink Ireland

Based:     Substantially in Dublin or Cork, with some travel within Ireland

                 This hybrid role is office based at least 3 days per week

Annual Leave:   25 days per annum

Benefits:     8% employer pension contribution, following completion of probation.

Are you an evangelist for a better Ireland? Is the art of communicating and negotiating part of your DNA? Do you have a track record of converting your evangelism into high value philanthropic gifts? Do you love to lead and inspire a team? If so, we should talk....

ROLE PURPOSE

This high-impact leadership role reports to the CEO, and a member of the Leadership Team, the Business Development Director is accountable for the development and delivery of our short-term and long-term income-generation strategy, as well as our brand and profile. Supported by Business Development and Marketing teams, you will seek out and secure income from a range of sources, including corporates, major individual donors, trusts and foundations, and Government and EU funding.

This is a key leadership role that requires someone who is able to successfully manage both leadership and operational responsibilities, as well as being a significant driver and influencer on the Leadership Team and across the wider organisation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Driving Impact through Income

• Drive forward the Rethink Ireland fundraising and income generation strategy short term and long term, taking both leadership and management responsibility for its development and execution. Propose and apply analytics for decision making and measurement of progress against targets
• Direct and oversee the brand development, marketing and communications strategies and function; and political relations activities
• Line manage the Marketing Communications Manager and the Business Development Managers, responsible for a team of 8 - 10 overall
• Provide day to day leadership to an ambitious business development team and execute all aspects of the strategy including prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donations and grants from corporate, high net worth donors, trusts /  foundations and individual giving, as well as Government sources
• Develop a deep understanding of Rethink Ireland's impact, programmes and capacities and leverage that to build and deepen our portfolio of funding streams
• Collaborate with other teams to identify and develop the stories we tell
• Accurately budget, forecast and identify risks and opportunities within the new and existing business portfolio
• Strongly influence the formulation of the Company's strategic direction and planning to ensure we meet our impact and financial goals
• Provide strong support and challenge to the CEO and Leadership Team on organisation-wide matters, including all income-related decisions and on key significant projects as required .

Leadership & Communication

• Build strong, open and positive working relationships within the Business Development and Marketing Communications teams, with a focus on talent identification, development and retention
• Build strong positive working relationships with the Leadership Team and Board through open discussion, constructive challenge and maintaining an expert, objective view
• Maintain and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including but not limited to; government officials; donors; prospects
• Be a positive role model for our Values and Desired Behaviours by engaging with people at all levels of the business
• Be committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and we attract and develop remarkable people
• Work collaboratively with individuals and teams across Rethink Ireland 
• Like all staff, act as an ambassador for Rethink Ireland at all times.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Five to ten year's experience in a senior/ executive sales, marketing, business development or fundraising role. A sitting Director of Business Development or “step up” candidate would be considered
• Proven track record in high value income generation in the not for profit sector. 
• Results focused and target driven
• Financial and Commercial acumen
• Relevant bachelor's degree or relevant qualification (preferable) 
• Skilled in taking the initiative, exercising sound judgement and excellent decision-making
• Strategic and holistic thinker who executes with excellence and speed
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team in a fast-paced environment
• In-depth knowledge of sales, marketing, business development or fundraising strategy and execution, including innovations in approaches
• Outstanding verbal, written and presentation communication skills
• Strong ability to build and manage relationships across internal and external stakeholders
• Familiarity with a CRM system: Rethink Ireland operates Salesforce

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• You have a collaborative spirit. You are an active listener. You have the ability to connect easily with people to gain trust and respect 
•  You can turn on the gravitas when you need it. You have existing relationships with donors or customers, you are able to convene meetings, you can hold the attention of donors and can effectively influence their thinking and actions
• Resilience: You remain positive and quickly recover from setbacks, keeping problems in perspective.

Rethink Ireland Leadership Competencies 

Managing Work - Identifies, prioritises and organises work for delivery

1. Sets and communicates clear strategic objectives and priorities for Rethink Ireland
2. Considers circumstances and organisational capability
3. Identifies where internal and external processes might be changed to improve performance and shapes the change required
4. Commits to timely and effective decisions on complex issues where there are multiple perspectives and points of view
5. Delegates crucial areas of activity to others in a selective way whilst being prepared to retake personal charge if necessary
6. Generates impact through income generation and rigorous cost control
7. Values the importance of speed and demonstrates urgency 

Leading Others - Identifies where to go, how to get there, leads people there 

1. Drives a high-performance ethos in their team, setting challenging targets and demanding high standards of delivery
2. By words and actions is able to create, manage and inspire change with credibility across the organisation
3. Is passionate and enthusiastic about conveying a sense of what is possible to all stakeholders in the organisation
4. Creates an environment of achievement and collaboration
5. Equity - fosters the development of an open, honest and fair no blame culture, where performance is reviewed objectively
6. Holds managers (and themselves) accountable for results
7. Delivers on commitments and stretches, where possible 
8. Demonstrates the highest levels of integrity
9. Committed to Rethink Ireland's mission and values.

Strategic Thinking - Looks beyond the immediate issue; at the big picture in relation to what Rethink Ireland wants to achieve

1. Understands the business environment including social, economic, political and technical trends and their impact on Rethink Ireland and its stakeholders
2. Understands the different internal and external stakeholders
3. Produces strategic plans for own area in line with overall Rethink Ireland Strategic Plan
4. Understands risks and makes plans to address them
5. Assesses different options in complex issues, and makes decisions based on both short term and long-term objectives

Our Values

• We work with our hearts and our heads – we value compassion, passion and fun
• We take smart risks and we allow permission to fail because we know that innovation and risk are two sides of the same coin
•  We believe that social change is a team sport. We build trusted relationships, and we choose to collaborate to achieve our goals
• We are curious and hunger to learn
• We value bold ideas and bold leadership, and we develop remarkable people.

COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY

We are an equal opportunity employer. We believe that diversity and inclusion drive success and help us to achieve our highest potential as an organisation. We commit to respect, equality, inclusion and diversity, both in our workforce and in our engagement with others. We strongly welcome applications from members of minority and marginalised communities.

ABOUT RETHINK IRELAND

Rethink Ireland (previously Social Innovation Fund Ireland) supports the most innovative non-profit organisations working in communities across the country. We believe that a team effort is more effective than working alone. So joining forces with the Government, companies, families, individuals and foundations, who understand as we do that lasting change demands new thinking, is how we do business.

Together we create funds to help innovations rise to the challenges of our most pressing social and environmental issues. Our cash grants and business supports enable social innovations to develop and maximise their impact. This is our venture philanthropy model. The groups we support and the donors who support us don't just think differently. They act decisively on their ideas to build a more equal, just and sustainable Ireland.

What is social innovation?

At Rethink Ireland, we define social innovation as the successful delivery of new approaches to meet social needs more effectively and sustainably than those currently available.

Our mission

Our mission is to support the best social innovations so that they can grow and maximise their impact across Ireland.

Our vision

Our vision is an Ireland which is more just, equal and sustainable because of social innovation.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we strongly believe that diversity and inclusion lead to success. The work we do is underpinned by respect, equality, inclusion & diversity. In line with Ireland's Equality Legislation we actively oppose discrimination on the following 9 grounds:

1. Gender.
2. Civil status: single, married, divorced, etc.
3. Family status: if you're the parent or person responsible for a child over 18, or if you're the main carer or parent of a person with a disability.
4. Sexual orientation.
5. Religion.
6. Age.
7. Disability.
8. Race.
9. Traveller community.

We also actively oppose discrimination on the grounds of socio-economic disadvantage.

HOW TO APPLY?

Please apply by 8.00am Wednesday, 16th October 2024. 

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the role, please contact us at careers@rethinkireland.ie

Please note that any information which you submit will be used for recruitment purposes only. Your record will be deleted after the process is completed.

Please note: First interviews will likely take place October 21st online. Second interviews will likely take place October 30th or November 4th in person in Dublin.