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Business Development Manager

SPARK is a growing, young, dynamic development NGO with 75 staff members in offices and Business Start-up Centres in Amsterdam, Belgrade, Bujumbura, Juba, Kigali, Monrovia, Mitrovica, Pristina and Ramallah. SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship, so that young ambitious people are empowered to lead their post-conflict society into prosperity.

SPARK is achieving its mission by organizing business plan competitions, business skills training, SME coaching & mentoring, business incubation, SME financing, intensive higher vocational summer courses, curriculum development and quality assurance at universities and higher vocational education institutions. Find more information at www.spark-online.org.

SPARK is currently expanding its activities in existing locations as well as to Northern Africa.

The Business Development Manager is part of an international team working closely together towards the development and implementation of (new) business/ programme/ project activities. S/he reports to SPARK Directors in Amsterdam. The Business Development Manager is stationed at one of the SPARK Offices and available for frequent travelling.

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Main tasks and responsibilities

· Develop new business/ programme/project activities in SME development and higher (vocational) education, primarily in the above mentioned localities, both in response to open tenders as well as unsolicited;

· Coordinate and support efforts by SPARK field offices to develop new business/ programme/ projects;

· Raise funding for enhancement of ongoing programmes;

· Mobilise (in-kind) contributions from the business sector and broken NGO-business partnerships;


Requirements and competencies

· Relevant university degree;

· Proven minimum of five to ten experience in business / project/programme development and/or management in higher education and private sector developments, preferably in the above mentioned regions/countries;

· Proven track record in successful programme / project development and acquisition (World Bank, UNDP, Europe Aid, etc.)

· Proven track record in successful acquisition of (in-kind) support of businesses to aid programmes;

· Strong relevant existing donor and/or business network;

· Awareness of relevant funding schemes, e.g. European Commission, World Bank as well as national funding opportunities;

· Familiar with project development, particularly project proposal writing (LFA method);

· Good (inter-cultural) communication and social skills;

· Good oral and written language skills in English and other relevant languages;

· Excellent presentation and networking skills and the ability to work independently. The position particularly requires an entrepreneurial and results-oriented approach.


SPARK offers:

· International and dynamic working experience;

· Training opportunities;

· Remuneration is partly performance-based. The fixed part of the remuneration depends on experience. The additional performance based part depends on funds raised.

If you are interested, please email your letter of motivation and your CV in English to vacancy@spark-online.org before 1 November 2011 (Reference: Business Development Manager). For more information about the vacancy, contact Karen Blanken at tel. +31 (0)20 7530277.