Country Director, Afghanistan

Country Director, Afghanistan

About Viamo

Mobile technology is revolutionizing how organizations engage with the people they serve. More than 96% of the world’s population has access to a mobile phone, meaning it is now possible to reach nearly every single person on the planet. Yet 3 billion people living in emerging markets still lack access to relevant, timely, and engaging information in their local languages, and their voices remain underheard. The organizations that serve them lack the technology and capacity to reach them, and many are unaware of The power of mobile technology to meet their organizational goals.

Viamo believes that information is power. We connect individuals and organizations using digital technology to make better decisions.

Viamo is the #1 Digital Platform connecting these organizations to the Next Billion users who don't have access to the internet, and we are well on our way to meeting our goal of reaching 100 million people annually.

About the role

You will be our senior leader in Afghanistan and a passionate ambassador within the Digital for Development movement. Your role is to drive impact, leading the development, sale, and launch of innovative and effective digital engagement campaigns that address some of the most intractable development challenges. You will ensure that every large development sector organization knows about Viamo’s latest solutions and understands the value of incorporating these solutions into their programs. Read more about Viamo’s suite of solutions here.

Key Responsibilities

• Spend at least 90% of your time on sales and partnership development to:
  • Drive growth and impact through in-country sales. You will lead the sale of Viamo's solutions by proactively prospecting opportunities with development sector clients and donors
  • Conduct effective outreach to meet with these clients and donors, and convert qualified leads
  • Undertake in-depth research to understand the specific needs, priorities, and challenges of these clients and donors
  • Work with these development sector partners to design and launch effective mobile engagement projects; this includes building relationships, co-designing projects, preparing budgets, and establishing Viamo as a digital thought leader
  • Respond to Requests for Proposals that are a fit for Viamo’s solutions
  • Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to craft compelling solutions and proposals that maximize our social impact and value proposition
  • Maintain a dynamic and organized pipeline of potential opportunities and track engagement activities
  • Work towards the achievement of monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets
  • Implement our sales management strategy through weekly tracking of progress on the sales pipeline in Viamo’s CRM system

Additional Responsibilities

• Spend approximately 10% of your time supporting the cross-functional Country Crew to:
  • Delight our partners with quality, timely execution of program deliverables
  • Maintain relationships with Mobile Network Operators to ensure the infrastructure and agreements are in place to connect with all mobile phones in the country
  • Represent the organization to national government agencies and ensure organizational compliance with national regulatory bodies.

Key Performance Indicators

• Bookings: Margin value of secured contracts, including new and repeat business

Team and Reporting Structure

• Reports to Regional Director Partnerships Asia & MENA
• Chair the Viamo Afghanistan, Country Crew that includes Program Manager, Viamo Platform Manager

Profile

Essential

• Experience of 10+ years in any combination of social enterprise, INGO, Mobile Network Operator, ICT4D, donor, or international implementer
• Proven sales/business development success, with a history of generating new opportunities and achieving sales targets
• Proven proposal writing and partnership-building skills, with a history of submitting winning applications
• Experience securing contracts from non-governmental organizations and UN agencies
• Entrepreneurial mindset and proven experience in co-developing ideas with partners
• Leadership skills, including intercultural sensitivity and a passion for unleashing the potential of your colleagues
• Demonstrated self-management, skills, adaptability and resourcefulness
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; strong influencing and negotiation skills
• Experience working in Afghanistan, with established and active professional networks

Desirable

• Experience working with major bilateral donors such as USAID, FCDO, and/or EU-funded projects
• Understanding of local business and NGO laws and telecoms regulations
• Workshop facilitation skills and experience in design thinking approaches

Viamo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from all candidates. We believe that diverse perspectives help our teams to create innovative solutions and understand our global clients' needs. In alignment with our values, we are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce without discrimination.

Apply now with a CV and a short cover letter. Please note that interviews will be done on a rolling basis and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.