Sector Vice President, Environment, Development Innovations (VP)

Job Title/Grade:           Sector Vice President, Environment, Development Innovations

Department:                USG Development Innovations

Reports to:                  Vice President, Development Innovations

Date:                            January 5, 2021

Organization and Values

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks. 

Function of the Position:

This is a full–time, senior-level management position that guides a team of specialists and leads the delivery of technical advancements in the Environment Sector and is integral to DAI’s strategy to expand and diversify DAI’s market reach, particularly with the U.S. Government.  DAI’s Environment Sector sits within the US Government (USG) Development Innovations Group, a team that connects projects and technical expertise, and houses and cultivates DAI’s accumulated experience and best practices across all USG markets. The USG Development Innovations Group has three sectors:  Economic Growth, Governance and Education, and Environment, and also includes USG’s new business functions.

The Environment Sector Vice President (SVP) manages a team of technical specialists who are:1) responsible for growing DAI’s Environment Sector project portfolio, particularly in the U.S. market; 2) ensuring that projects within that portfolio are delivering exemplary results; 3) assembling and disseminating lessons learned and case studies that capture DAI’s integrated approaches and best practices, and; 4) conducting research to link current and past project activities to upcoming opportunities and longer-term trends in development. The SVP has overall responsibility for growing DAI’s portfolio of U.S. Government environment projects that fall within several key services lines that include water resources and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), natural resource management (NRM) and biodiversity conservation, climate change, energy, and land tenure and resource rights.  The SVP leads USG in evolving environment service lines and associated resources to reflect changes in the market, client strategies and field knowledge.

Given that USAID continues to be DAI’s largest client, the Sector VP’s major responsibility is to grow the USAID business in Environment. In addition, the VP supports DAI/Europe’s efforts to grow our business with European clients such as FCDO, EC and EBRD as well as other development organizations.

The Environment Sector VP reports to the Vice President for Development Innovations and works collaboratively with other Sector VPs, the VPs for the four regional Delivery units (Global, which includes Europe and Latin American/Caribbean; MENA-Afghanistan; Asia; and Africa), the Center for Secure and Stable States (CS3), business development teams; as well as technical leads and specialists in other Business Units (DAI/Europe, DAI Global Health, and the Sustainable Business Group (SBG)).

Roles and Responsibilities:

Grow DAI’s business in the Environment Sector

• Develop and implement long-term strategies and annual sector-based business development plans for building DAI’s portfolio of environment projects. This includes:
  1. Crafting and executing a coherent and aggressive long-term strategy for providing climate change services to USAID and other USG clients at significant scale and technical breadth.
  2. Maintain and grow Environment Sector’s core service offerings in water resource management, WASH, biodiversity conservation and natural resource management
• Coordinate Environment Sector plans and approaches with those of other technical sectors to capture opportunities for integration across technical areas.
• Meet annual new business targets (total Gross Profit Won) for environment-related projects.
• Within the USG, coordinate closely with the regional VPs, other Sector VPs, and the BDU to prioritize new business targets and allocate resources for priority bids and new business initiatives. 
• Optimally manage Environment sector staff and consultants to help DAI win new business.
• Working closely with the other technical sectors and the geographic regions, develop a thought leadership agenda that integrates DAI’s field experience and best ideas and capabilities to position DAI for upcoming bids and longer-term market positioning.

Ensure Technical Excellence in Project Implementation

• Work with RVPs to ensure projects in the environment sector portfolio (or that sit elsewhere but which have sector-related components) are delivering high quality, on-time deliverables, meeting or exceeding their contractual targets and development objectives.
• Oversee and mentor direct reports with project technical director functions and/or help practice managers do likewise
• Ensure that client ratings for technical and managerial performance of projects within Environment Sector’s purview are exceptional.
• Provide strategic and tactical guidance to project HO and field teams on how to avoid and when necessary rectify implementation challenges.

Line Management of Development Innovations Environment Staff

• Manage a staff of full- and part-time specialists who support the development of technically excellent proposals, high quality support to projects, and marketing and knowledge management materials that reflect and capture DAI’s field experience.
• Achieve sector-specific targets for gross profit won, direct labor, indirect labor, costs, and overall utilization.
• Collaborate with direct reports to develop talent management plans for each staff person in the sector.
• Recruit new staff as appropriate to meet the needs of DAI’s growing business and emerging market opportunities.

Facilitate Thought Leadership and Outreach

• Set the thought leadership agenda for USG Environment Sector, guided by the needs and challenges of our principal USG clients, while also capturing the best of One DAI.
• Share and present other DAI knowledge/learning products at development and client conferences, workshops, and via publications and/or on-line forums.
• Lead and promote Environment Sector staff outreach to clients and partners.
• In collaboration with the other USG units and DAI/Europe, select priority technical topics for journal articles, white papers, and analyses that support USG’s broader marketing and new business efforts and enhance DAI’s reputation and brand.
• Oversee the development of specific products as outlined above and their dissemination via multiple avenues, including conferences and workshops, publication in DAI journals or on DAI’s website, external blogs, journals, and other outside placements.

Build a One DAI Environment Team

• Build a network of staff from across the company’s business units as well as outside consultants interested in contributing to environment bids, issues papers, and projects. This global network will help DAI to leverage project experience and build a broader base of expertise that can be used for marketing, technical assignments and proposals. 

The SVP also serves a member of the USG Leadership team and is a key actor in ensuring that the business unit as a whole is fulfilling its corporate obligations and meeting annual performance metrics. As a member of the USG Leadership team, the SVP may undertake additional responsibilities as deemed necessary.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of development experience and a master’s degree or 13 years of experience and a PhD, with the higher degrees in environment, water/WASH, NRM, climate change or other relevant development studies.
• Expertise/recognized leader in technical areas related to the sector’s current and future service lines –  climate change mitigation and adaptation, water resources and WASH, NRM and biodiversity conservation, clean/renewable energy, and land tenure/administration. 
• Ability to adapt and or expand aforementioned services to meet evolving client programming needs in response to significant development priorities such as climate change adaptation, resilience and food/water security, and responding to resource-generated conflict
• Experience working with USAID and other international donors and lending institutions at a senior leadership level, with a mix of headquarters and field experience preferred.
• Must have highly developed interpersonal, team facilitation, and presentation skills, and a demonstrated track record of motivating and managing teams to excel
• Proven leadership in new business development and marketing products and services.
• Excellent writing and communication skills and demonstrated experience writing strong technical content (proposals, evaluations, strategy documents, technical presentations) for USAID or other clients.

Supervisory Requirements: Supervises USG Global Practice Managers in the Environment Sector

DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.