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Search conducted by:

Chief Partnerships & Strategy Officer

Location: New York, NY

Founded in 2001, KickStart International is an award winning non-profit social enterprise, with an inspiring mission to lift millions of people in Africa out of poverty – quickly, cost effectively, and sustainably – by enabling them to earn a lot more money. KickStart’s dedicated employees do this by designing and mass-marketing low-cost irrigation tools that are sold through a private-sector distribution chain to poor rural farmers and enable them to grow and sell high-value and pro table crops throughout the year.

KickStart’s very low-cost “MoneyMaker” micro-irrigation pumps enable entrepreneurial farmers to access water to grow crops year-round, turn their family farms into pro table full-time businesses, and earn enough money to properly feed and educate their children, start additional new enterprises, and invest in their futures. To date, KickStart has enabled more than 850,000 hardworking African women, men, and children to climb out of poverty.

KickStart began selling its micro-irrigation pumps in Kenya before expanding into Tanzania, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Zambia. Today it partners with development organizations and private sector distributors to sell to farmers in more than 15 other countries across Africa, with multiple thousands of pumps already in use in places like Uganda, Malawi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. KickStart trains farmers, local groups, and NGO partners on how to use the pumps to make huge economic gains by irrigating and selling multiple cycles of high-value crops per year, especially during the long dry seasons when food supply is low and crop prices are high. Only 4% of the farmland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated (compared to 35% in India) and a huge percentage of the rain-fed crop (which is all harvested at the same time) gets spoiled before it is eaten or sold. So in the dry seasons there is very little food and the potential for small-holder irrigation to greatly increase income and food security across the continent is huge.

KickStart I Chief Partnerships and Strategy Officer

The OrganizaTiOn

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KickStart has already sold more than 250,000 irrigation pumps to families across Africa. These pumps are not only pro ting the individual farming families, they are being used to grow nutritious fruits and vegetables that are feeding and sustaining approximately 10 million people across the continent.

The organization has won numerous prizes and received many noteworthy accolades over the years:

• Highlighted at the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting as one of their 10 top commitment over the past ten years.

• Awarded the rst-ever U.S. State Department’s Secretary’s Innovation Award for the Empowerment of Women & Girls, 2012.

• A Four Star rating (highest rating) from Charity Navigator (7 out of last 10 years).

• Ranked #64 by the Global Journal “Top 100 Best NGOs in the World”, 2012.

• Named one of Forbes 2011 “30 Top Social Entrepreneurs.”

• The Lemelson-MIT Prize for Sustainability, 2008.

• The Peter F. Drucker Award for NonPro t Innovation, 2008.

• Skoll Social Entrepreneur – 2005.

• Schwab Social Entrepreneur – 2003.

The OrganizaTiOn (cOnTinued)

KickStart is launching a new Strategic Growth Plan this year, which lays out an ambitious agenda to lift 1 million more people in Africa out of poverty by 2021, and to develop the tools, methodologies, and policy/system changes that will enable millions more families across Africa to irrigate their land and climb out of poverty in the coming years. In order to succeed in accelerating and scaling its impacts, and at the same time catalyzing overall “systems change,” the new strategic plan calls for KickStart to greatly increase its use of collaborations and partnerships with other organizations who are involved in empowering small-holder farmers across Africa.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the senior leadership team, the Chief Partnerships & Strategy Officer will be a key leader in developing and implementing the new partnerships-focused Strategic Growth Plan and building the organizational capacity and culture to ensure success. The CPSO will help shape the overall strategic direction of the organization and contribute more broadly to fund development and communications activities to enable the organization to meet its ambitious goals.

Working closely and collaboratively with the CEO and other senior staff, the CPSO will develop and lead new and innovative strategic and business partnerships in order to scale KickStart’s impacts and substantially increase and diversify its stakeholder and funding base. This effort will involve three major responsibilities:

1. Establish and maintain, innovative, win-win-win, leveraged, strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including:

Funding Partners: Foundations, corporations, bilateral and multilateral donors, and individuals who share KickStart’s passion to dramatically improve the lives of millions of small-holder farming families across Africa.

• KickStart’s Board of Directors: Expanding the Board is a key priority.

• Technical Partners: Corporations, researchers, designers, NGOs, MFIs, social enterprises, and universities who will partner with KickStart to develop, test, and launch new products, services, business models, distribution channels and promotions, sales, and behavior change methodologies for empowering small-holder farmers in Africa.

KickStart I Chief Partnerships and Strategy Officer

The OppOrTuniTy

• Operational Partners – International NGOs, relief agencies, foundations, UN agencies, corporations, and government actors who are already working with thousands of small-holder farmers across Africa and who may be interested in accelerating their support with the introduction of irrigation technologies.

• Policy Change Partners: Researchers, foundations, corporations, governments, bilateral and multinational stakeholders, and other thought leaders who are working on agricultural development funding directions and policies across Africa.

2. Support KickStart’s comprehensive fund development program, inclusive of institutional funders, major and individual gifts and retail-giving.

3. Contribute to the development and implementation of the organization’s communications and branding strategy.

• The CPSO will also work to optimize the organization’s systems and processes, including establishing well-defined and achievable targets for its partnerships strategy by developing, tracking, and reporting on key performance indicators and metrics to monitor progress.

• The CEO and CPSO will work together to effectively integrate the strategic partnerships strategy, fund development activities, and communications functions across the full organization’s operations.

• As one of the most senior external faces for the organization, the CPSO will be responsible for publicly representing KickStart at the highest levels, including proactive promotional outreach and policy advocacy in support of small-holder irrigation in Africa, and will do so persuasively across a variety of audiences and venues. As such, the CSPO will become deeply knowledgeable about small-holder irrigation, KickStart’s programs, history, impacts, and plans, as well as the trajectory of social enterprise thinking and funding.

The OppOrTuniTy (cOnTinued)

KickStart I Chief Partnerships and Strategy Officer

Key priOriTies

Building Knowledge & Relationships

First and foremost, given its international scope and sophisticated social enterprise business model, the CPSO must spend the necessary time learning about KickStart’s operations, lessons learnt, theory of change, and new strategic directions. This includes an early visit to Africa to get to know the staff and observe the programming in action. Additionally, the CPSO will need to build effective working relationships with senior leadership, staff, and the Board of Directors, and to intimately understand the culture and ambitions of the organization.

Ongoing Strategic Positioning

With the new, partnerships-focused Strategic Growth Plan in early implementation, the CPSO will be joining KickStart at a unique and exciting time. The CPSO will be able to develop and lead a fresh, comprehensive partnerships approach, aligned with the new strategy, and work with the CEO to further shape the short- and long-term goals of the organization. A thought partner with the CEO on broader organizational strategy and operational matters, the CPSO will also contribute to an array of strategic business development and growth initiatives, including fund development, communications, policy advocacy, technology, services product road maps, IP management, impact measurement, last mile innovations, training, and marketing, sales, and distribution channel strategies.

KickStart seeks to develop and implement a fully integrated partnerships, communications, and fund development approach to meet its ambitious goals. As such, the CPSO will engage the Board, leadership, and staff in creative thinking about the best mix of partnerships and revenue sources, including seeking out innovative and untapped sources and expertise for KickStart to pursue.

The Fund Development & Partnerships Pipeline

The CPSO must immediately get up to speed with the 2015/2016 pipeline of partnership and funding prospects, and work collaboratively with the team to finalize an action plan to further cultivate and close these partners and donors. The CPSO will also assess the systems, infrastructure, and reporting mechanisms required to enhance KickStart’s capabilities to track, build, and deliver on its partnership efforts.

ideal candidaTe

The new Chief Partnerships & Strategy Officer for KickStart International will be passionate about the mission of the organization and committed to its programming and model for raising people out of poverty. KickStart is seeking a true entrepreneur who can operate at the forefront of the social enterprise field and be an innovative force in designing a global partnerships program.

Candidates must bring a solid understanding of strategic account and relationship management, including how to assess new business and funding opportunities, how best to structure an effective team approach to continuously build a pipeline of stakeholders and prospects, and how to establish new and meaningful relationships to engage individuals and organizations as active participants in KickStart’s social change work in Africa. The culture at KickStart embraces hands-on, flexible, and adaptable leaders who are comfortable wearing multiple hats. Building trust and respect is paramount, and the CPSO will be an enthusiastic supporter and source of expertise on business development and expansion priorities.

The ideal candidate will strike the right balance between being flexible and entrepreneurial, but also highly analytical and a systems thinker. Adept at synthesizing, interpreting, and presenting complex information to a variety of audiences, the CPSO must know how to build reliable, evidence-based arguments to support a proposed course of action. Additionally, the CPSO must possess a strong business acumen and financial fluency in order to present information, reports, and results both internally and externally. This requires having a pulse on the finances of the organization and knowing the operational side of budgeting for donors and stakeholders.

An outstanding writer and dynamic communicator, the CPSO must rapidly pull together proposals, reports, presentations, and press releases. Candidates should possess strong verbal communication skills and be comfortable both in crowds and in front of crowds.

The new CPSO for KickStart will be a natural networker with proven skills in developing productive, long-term relationships. A true coalition builder, the CPSO will have experience managing complex, donor-funded partnerships and know how to bring parties together to jointly propose, apply for, manage, and report on these types of opportunities.

A proven mentor, manager, and team builder of staff, the CPSO will know how to inspire and successfully lead a cohesive group of talented professionals. Candidates must be capable of managing competing demands and provide the necessary motivation and guidance to staff to address organizational priorities.

The CPSO will have a demonstrated background in successfully leading a sophisticated and efficient partnerships, business, and/or fund development function. As equally important, the CPSO must be a proactive and decisive member of the senior leadership team, and be able to contribute on broader strategic matters for the organization.

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KickStart I Chief Partnerships and Strategy Officer

Candidates must have a minimum of ten years of progressive experience in a social business or social enterprise setting in the development of organizational strategy, partnerships building, business development and investments, and/or fundraising, with at least five years in a leadership role.

Familiarity and an understanding of social enterprises and their specific donor constituencies is necessary. Experience in a combination of private and nonprofit environments, as well as a knowledge of international development, and more specifically agricultural development is highly desirable. Specific experience living and working in Africa will be highly valued. The CPSO must be open to extensive international travel in North America, Europe, and Africa.

Exceptional and persuasive communications skills, an attention to detail, and an ability to listen, and to learn quickly, are absolute musts. An undergraduate degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.

Key priOriTies

KickStart is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To be considered, please go to candidateportal.waldronhr.com and submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your passion for the mission and fit for the role.

The search for the Chief Partnerships and Strategy Officer role for KickStart International is being assisted by a team from Waldron:

Jeff Waldron, Managing Directorjeff@waldronhr.com

415.529.2150

Heather Gantz, Branch Directorheather@waldronhr.com

Robert Colichio, Consultantrobert@waldronhr.com

TO Be cOnsidered

www.waldronhr.com

Seattle | Portland | San Francisco

Waldron is honored to work with KickStart in the search for a Chief Partnerships and Strategy Officer. We believe in and support the work of KickStart and we are doing our best to recruit a talented team member who will accelerate this mission. As the consulting partner strategic leaders choose to help attract, engage, and inspire effective leaders, Waldron provides a unique combination of executive search, leadership development, and career transition services across sectors and industries. Our passion is helping people and organizations realize their full potential and increase their impact.