Partnerships Specialist (Business Development)

About Code for Canada

Code for Canada is a national nonprofit on a mission to improve life in Canada for everyone using technology, data, and design. We promote, enable, and advance the development of responsible public-interest technology so that everyone in Canada has access to inclusive, equitable, and responsive public services that meet them where they are.

We help governments and nonprofits deliver better digital products and services through co-development, capacity building, and user engagement. To do this, we assemble teams of ‘Code for Canada Collaborators’ to work shoulder-to-shoulder with public-interest partners using digital best practices, leaving them with new skills and an even better solution.

Job brief

Are you passionate about making technology work better for everyone? Are you excited about helping governments deliver modernized services and programs that are more accessible, equitable, inclusive, responsive and better meet people where they’re at? Do you want to help governments be ‘smarter shoppers’ of technology and digital platforms? Do you thrive in an entrepreneurial environment and enjoy working in a team atmosphere? At Code for Canada, you'll be part of a mission-driven organization where your business development skills will help make life better for everyone in Canada.

A member of the Partnerships team, the Partnership Specialist will build trusted relationships with public decision-makers and become intimately familiar with the barriers that governments face when developing and delivering best-in-class public services. If you have a background in sales/business development, experience responding to RFPs and a desire to use those skills to benefit more than just a balance sheet, this opportunity could be for you.

• Target start date:ASAP
• Starting salary range:$80,000- $95,000
• Job type:Full-time permanent
• Location:Prairies, Western and North Canada focused, remote
• Reports to:Executive Director

Main responsibilities

Building long-term relationships with government teams that further the Code for Canada mission.

• Be a strong advocate for public services that are accessible, equitable, inclusive, responsive and better meet people’s needs.
• Establish, maintain, and leverage strong partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders and prospective government clients.
• Build trusting, long-term relationships with decision-makers at all levels of government and adjacent agencies across Canada to gain better insights on their needs and challenges.

Contribute to Code for Canada’s partnerships and sales pipeline.

• Identify and generate new sales opportunities, leveraging social strategies to initiate sales conversations with all levels of government stakeholders.
• Identify and respond to government RFPs that align with the Code for Canada mission.
• Cultivate and nurture the Partnerships and sales cycle.
• Research, prepare and deliver presentations, proposals and reports as necessary.

Helping to scope, define and close capacity-building engagements.

Play a key role on a cross-functional team that is working together to scope, define and close capacity-building engagements.

• Collaborate with the Delivery Team to ensure RFP responses and bids are aligned and submitted on time.
• Participate when necessary in negotiations to close deals while escalating and seeking support from team members as needed.
• Approaching the closing process in a risk-centred way to ensure alignment between team members on the priority of problems, thus increasing the likelihood of deals closing as well as projects being set up for delivery success
• Supporting others with developing, reviewing and executing contracts in a timely way that aligns with the timing needs of organizational sales targets
• Collaborate with individuals at C4C that will be involved with/accountable for project delivery to effectively scope projects and engagements that build the digital capacity of government partners.
• Identify needs and requirements that help government agencies modernize the delivery of public services so that they better meet people’s needs.
• Keeping others informed of partner needs and providing opportunities for others to validate or correct key assumptions to inform the way we are approaching the sales closing sequencing of steps and overall process

Who we’re looking for

Required

• A beginner’s mindset, maintains curiosity when it comes to problems, understanding personal assumptions and understanding others’ assumptions
• A self-starter with the ability to work independently and in a supportive, dynamic team environment.
• Patience and empathy for other C4C team members who bring diverse viewpoints and approaches to this work
• Understanding of technology and product delivery project lifecycle, including modern digital tools and principles in order to effectively conduct conversations with partner leads and prepare proposals and statements of work
• Strong interpersonal skills, committed to building long-term relationships based on trust and honesty.
• Confident in building relationships with executive-level stakeholders and having honest and open conversations with government partners.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with proven experience in delivering and developing presentations and proposals
• Patience and empathy for the government context
• Experience with developing work-back plans for complex processes
• Experience setting, reaching and exceeding goals.
• Superior critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with government sales and procurement processes

Great, but not required

• Bilingual (French/English) is optional but an asset
• An existing network of public decision-makers and problem-solvers.

What to expect in the first six months

In the first week

• You’ll meet the whole team as a group and have 1:1s with various Code for Canada staff.
• You’ll be onboarded to Code for Canada’s systems and walked through organizational basics.
• You’ll get to know our existing business development plans and methods.
• You will learn about Code for Canada’s mission, vision and theory of change.

In the first month

• You’ll familiarize yourself with Code for Canada’s delivery strategy.
• You’ll start to research different sites for open tenders, monitor those channels and respond to RFPs.
• You’ll familiarize yourself with different government procurement mechanisms.
• You’ll experience all of C4C’s regular planning and learning rituals.
• You’ll start to meet some of our government partners.
• You’ll familiarize yourself with Code for Canada’s marketing strategy.
• You’ll become familiar with Canada’s civic tech and digital government landscape.

In the first three months

• You’ll have started to expand government connections through Code for Canada’s current and previous relationships.
• You’ll begin to make suggestions about how to improve our procurement approach with our government partners.
• You can speak confidently about Code for Canada’s mission, values and offerings to government partners.

In the first six months

• There will be a notable lift in our early partnerships and sales pipeline.
• You’ll have started to make further connections to the broader public sector community.
• You’ll begin to expand Code for Canada business opportunities with smaller, resource-constrained governments.
• You’ll derive valuable insights from your measurement activities and use them to suggest strategic changes to our business development strategies.

How to Apply

If you meet 80% or more of what we’re looking for, please apply!

Pleasedon'twrite a lengthy cover letter. As part of your application, we welcome:

1. A brief resume (max two pages, one is great!)
2. A one-page overview of a 3, 6, and 12-month business development plan.

Code for Canada is an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate based on citizenship, race, place of origin, ethnic origin, colour, ancestry, disability, age, creed, sex, pregnancy, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or record of offences.

We will gladly provide accommodations to candidates with disabilities during the application process, which can be arranged with People & Culture.

What to Expect

Selected candidates will be screened by our Associate Director of People & Operations. Successful candidates will then be invited to speak online via video call with our Executive Director and current Partnership Specialist. Tips: Provide a summary of the role, what success in the position looks like, and how this role fits into the organization overall.

APPLY BY USING THE FOLLOWING LINK

https://code-4-canada.breezy.hr/p/57a9fff522ad-partnerships-specialist-business-development