The Health Systems Trust wishes to appoint a Director to develop and drive a business development and income generation strategy that supports HST to maintain a competitive market position and financial sustainability.

The Director will lead and grow a business development, marketing and communications function to maintain HST’s competitive market position and financial sustainability. The role supports the achievement of HST’s strategic goals with a focus on identifying and securing new business opportunities, guiding proposal development, stakeholder engagement, market intelligence and developing and driving effective marketing and communications strategies. The Director will have an extensive knowledge of the current donor environment and funding trends in the health sector and forge relationships with partners and funders through leveraging existing networks. As a member of HST’s executive management team, the role provides strategic advice to the CEO, ExCo and relevant HST staff on business development, marketing and communications initiatives to support organisational strategic objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop the Business Development and marketing strategies for HST
• Identify sources of funding for viable business opportunities
• Work with CEO and executive management to set business development targets for the organisation
• Raise the profile of the organisation as a leader in health systems strengthening
• Strengthen partnerships with stakeholders and funders including the National and Provincial Departments of Health, local and international development organisations, higher education and research institutions, and other NPOs both local and international
• Identify and secures new business opportunities
• Coordinate and provide strategic and technical guidance to proposal development activities of HST, ensuring the production of high quality proposals in collaboration with relevant units/sections
• Identify and recruit skills required to implement a highly performing business development and marketing function
• Strategically develop unit’s budget
• Monitor income and expenditure to ensure financial viability of the unit
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of the HST’s strategic direction, prevailing donor environment and funding trends in the health sector
• Support CEO and collaborate with other functions to ensure that HST’s knowledge outputs are effectively disseminated
• Develop and submit funding proposals and respond to relevant funding opportunities and tenders.
• Support seamless transition from proposal development to implementation through effective management of post-award processes and transition of projects to project contracts and grants management and implementation teams
• Identify and promote professional growth opportunities for staff
• Performance management of staff within the unit.

REQUIREMENTS:

Qualifications

• A degree in Business Management/Marketing or related fields and a Master’s degree in Public Health, or related field.

Experience

• Ten years’ relevant experience in management, at least five of which should include documented experience at senior management level in a business development function.
• Experience in resource mobilisation in the NGO sector with a strong track record of successful leadership of proposal development for major donor funded grants in the health sector and related sectors.
• Experience of working with donor organisations.
• Proven ability to lead a team of diverse technical and research staff that has achieved results.
• In-depth knowledge of donor funding priorities, trends and requirements, both nationally and internationally, in the public health and non-governmental health sector environments, and government health sector development priorities in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Good knowledge of and experience in working with the health sector in South Africa and knowledge of health sector development challenges and opportunities in Southern Africa.

 Competencies and Skills

• Ability to think and plan strategically, strong marketing and proposal development skills.
• Excellent communication and writing skills, strong leadership skills, ability to liaise with people at all levels of the health system and other relevant developmental sectors.
• Skilled at managing collaborations with multiple partners, with the ability to manage people in a participative and empowering way.
• Strong project management skills, good knowledge and understanding of public health care issues and linkages between health and development.
• Ability to act as a mentor, team builder, and able to work independently.
• Results focussed.
• Research skills would be an added advantage.
• Dynamic personality, with good interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships with diverse range of partners and engage at various levels in the public and private sectors.
• Thought leader with strong leadership skills, ability to work with multiple teams, and consultative but decisive.
• Commitment to equity and cultural diversity.
• Strong negotiating skills.
• Excellent command of English, both verbal and written.
• Willingness to travel extensively and work outside normal office hours.
• A valid driver’s licence, and willingness and ability to travel extensively.