Senior Business Development Manager – LATAM

POSTED: September 24, 2024
STARTING DATE: As soon as possible
FULL-TIME, LATIN AMERICA REGION

MISSION
The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. To do so, we design, develop, and deploy cleanup systems to stop plastic from reaching our oceans by intercepting it in rivers. As Senior Business Development Manager, you will enable a fast scaleup of innovative solutions for plastic extraction in rivers across the LATAM region. We are looking for an experienced, knowledgeable, and results-driven self-starter with experience in fundraising, governmental and corporate sectors, as well as a broad and relevant network in LATAM. 

“If striving for a better world is truly your passion, and you want to do so from a technology perspective and in collaboration with a multi-stakeholder consortia, then you’ll never find a better job than being a Business Development Manager at The Ocean Cleanup!” – Irina Novikova, Head of Business Development.

THE ASSIGNMENT 
The Senior Business Development Manager LATAM will enable the fast scaleup of river interception solutions by identifying new project opportunities, securing funding streams, and developing clear agreement structures and operating models based on strong client/partner propositions. Working with a large variety of possible partners (e.g., governments, operators, funders), they will focus on setting up consortia to drive and operate river interception projects before handing them over to the execution teams that drive the completion of the installation. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Build and leverage your personal network and that of The Ocean Cleanup to identify new opportunities for interception projects and to establish partnerships - bringing together a broad range of partners from private, public, and non-profit sectors 
• Work in strong alignment with the Business Development team in the Netherlands and the region to develop a scaleup strategy tailored for the partnership landscape in LATAM
• In coordination with the Corporate Development team, identify and secure funding opportunities to execute city-wide interception programs. Develop and evaluate localized business models with partners that may contribute to the realization of our objectives
• As a representative of The Ocean Cleanup in LATAM, you lead the execution of the agreed strategy and ensure accountability to The Ocean Cleanup organization
• Manage contract negotiations and set up consortia in coordination with The Ocean Cleanup’s Business Development and Legal teams 
• Represent The Ocean Cleanup in high-level engagements with (potential) partners in the relevant LATAM country 
• Be a valuable member of The Ocean Cleanup Business Development team and help raise the bar in achieving goals together. Support your colleagues in research, deployments, and continuous improvement 
• You realize that a certain amount of groundwork (document control, administrative tasks, etc.) is part of the job and project success

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS 

• You have 10 years of working experience; preferably in an international organization working with partnerships and consortia, including broad experience in fundraising or sales
• You have experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors and bring a broad and relevant network 
• Bachelor's or master's degree, for example, in business/public administration, international relations, environmental sciences
• You can individually manage a pipeline of opportunities that are in different stages of development, requiring different levels of engagement with partners ranging from establishing initial contact to long-term collaboration 
• You have experience setting up different business models with partners and have proven your ability to realize extensive contracts with governments, corporations and NGOs, preferably in LATAM
• You are a native Spanish speaker
• You have excellent English-language communication skills, both written and verbal. Other languages are helpful 
• You have been exposed to numerous cultures and proven to thrive in such environments
• You are able and willing to resist any corrupt or unethical practices
• You are in the top 10% amongst your peers in terms of cooperation, taking responsibility, “getting the job done,” and project management

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 

• Pragmatic and focused on delivering results 
• High cultural awareness and sensitivity 
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills 
• Entrepreneurial and commercially driven 
• Results-driven, self-motivated, and creative 
• Ability to stay positive and constructive despite setbacks 
• Strong personal integrity 
• Intrinsic motivation to work on our ambitious and meaningful goal 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• The role is based in LATAM region (Dominican Republic, Panama, and Colombia preferred)
• Starting date: as soon as possible
• Please note because we are a non-profit, our salaries reflect that of an organization fully reliant on donations rather than that of a commercial entity. Conducting a pre-employment check is part of our recruitment process.

Curious to hear how it is to work at The Ocean Cleanup? Listen to our team members explain their work in our podcasts.