Sponsorship Business Development Lead

Closed: 24 February 2019
Fundraising Advocacy General/Other

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  • Salary Competitive for the sector
  • Location EC2N, London,Amsterdam,Brussels, Bélgica (On-site)
  • Job Type Full-time
  • Sectors Environment
  • Job Reference :

Location: Amsterdam, London, Brussels

EIT Climate-KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) is the EU’s largest public-private partnership addressing climate change through innovation. Our community consists of over 250 leading partners from business, academia, the public sector and NGOs. Our purpose is to help create a prosperous, inclusive, climate resilient society founded on a circular, zero-carbon economy.

We focus on levers of systemic change, looking for where innovation is most needed to accelerate deep decarbonisation (elimination of fossil fuels and negative carbon) and effective adaptation. EIT Climate-KIC is predominantly grant-funded by the European Institute for Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union and acts as a platform to work across boundaries and across sectors, fostering innovation as a catalyst for transformation. We:

  • Provide funding,
  • Facilitate the creation of innovation consortia,
  • Work together with our partners to take a portfolio approach to innovation options,
  • Challenge and seek to enrich business model design,
  • Offer tailored support for experimentation, implementation and scaling,
  • Incubate very early stage ideation and pre-seed innovation.

To make ourselves accessible to key actors and ‘challenge owners’, we work along four priority themes: urban transitions, sustainable land use, sustainable production systems, and decision metrics and climate finance. In all four areas, we place an emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation design, on education as a driver of behavioral change through new skills and capabilities and on policy innovation. We run programmes for students, start-ups and innovators across Europe via centres in major cities and regions, convening a community of excellence in people and organisations.

We balance strategic innovation, aimed at renewing core business models, with a significant portfolio of bottom-up innovation – e.g. through our start-up accelerators – to learn, evaluate and continuously adjust our efforts to impact climate change. Ultimately, we aim to become a leader in systemic innovation that contributes to a paradigm shift from a linear, industrial production system to a circular, regenerative model, leveraging the power of our unique community of innovators and inspiring change beyond it.

About the role

The Sponsorship Business Development Lead will lead the development and execution of a pan-European sponsorship strategy and action plan, working under supervision of the Director Business Development and Fundraising, and working closely with the Business Development Leads and Managers in the BD team based across Europe and members of the Climate-KIC senior management team.

The Sponsorship Business Development Lead will be responsible for the implementation and keeping updated the sponsorship strategy and action plan for Climate-KIC and its products, services, events and programmes and will include:

  • Coordinating sponsorships outreach and organizational capacity
  • Developing sponsorship propositions to attract funding for a range of Climate-KIC products services, events and programmes
  • Developing other private sector funding opportunities
  • Focus on and ensuring closing deals for sponsorships.

Primary responsibilities

Sponsorships and private sector relationship management

  • Working with the Director of Business Development and Fundraising, develop and implement a Climate-KIC wide sponsorship strategy and action plan to engagement private sector and foundation partners who align with EIT Climate-KIC’s reputation and values
  • Research, identify, outreach and close new business with sponsors including from existing portfolio of activity
  • Support others across the organization to use their existing external contacts and local market knowledge to engage potential sponsors and communicate partnership opportunities
  • Work with the Business Development team to ensure that sponsorship approach and plans are activated across EIT Climate-KIC’s key geographies
  • Develop sponsorship packages as well as bespoke proposals for potential sponsors as required
  • Build and maintain a sales pipeline and provide regular and accurate forecasts for internal reporting purposes
  • Commission and guide intelligence gathering, pitching support, marketing initiatives and framework consultants to support opportunities as required.

Marketing and communications

  • Work with the Business Development Marketing and Communications Manager to develop marketing and pitch materials to support sponsorship outreach – by Business Development team and senior management team
  • Work with central communications team and programme teams to ensure buy-in to sponsorship packages
  • Undertaking primary and secondary research on potential sponsors to ensure EIT Climate-KIC is well positioned to shape and respond to major opportunities.

Administration, BD Team Participation and Management

  • Ensure successful proposals are transitioned to delivery following appropriate processes and procedures
  • Use the EIT Climate-KIC CRM system regularly, ensuring the data is current and all reporting needs are accurately met in a timely manner
  • Lead sponsorship working group and weekly calls with Business Development and other colleagues from across the organization
  • Participate in wider new business team meetings and engagement processes
  • To undertake other duties as required by the Director of Business Development and Fundraising and the New Business Council as required.

Key Working Relationships

  • The Director of Business Development and Fundraising
  • All Business Development team members, including Marketing Communications Manager
  • Senior Management Team
  • Product developers and other colleagues in geographies and thematic areas.

Candidate requirements

Experience

  • Demonstrable success in securing private sector sponsorship and account management
  • Experience working at the intersection of the public, private, and academic sectors is desirable

·7+ years’ experience and track record in sponsorship and partnership management

·Experience of working in culturally diverse, geographically distributed teams

  • In-depth expertise and broad networks in the fields of cleantech, climate and/or sustainability is desirable.

Qualifications

·Master’s degree

·Fluent English

·Additional European languages, specifically French and German would be an asset.

Key Skills

·Strong account management and relationship building skills

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Strong networking, interpersonal and negotiating skills.

Qualities, personal style and approach

·Self-motivated and driven, proactive and thrives in a fast-paced environment

  • Willingness to travel

·Commitment to and enthusiasm for the mission of Climate-KIC.

Additional Information

Climate-KIC values diversity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background.

Your application should consist of a full curriculum vitae and a covering letter describing concisely how your profile, skills and experience meet the criteria outlined in the person specification, and outlining your interest in and vision for the role.

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