JOB VACANCY: HEAD, STRATEGY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH

Duty Station: Harare, Zimbabwe

Position: HEAD, STRATEGY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH

Reports To: DIRECTOR, BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION & DEVELOPMENT

Job Type: Contract

Available Slots: 1

Application Deadline: 17 May 2024

Duration of Appointment: Fixed-term contract of five (5) years (renewable, subject to satisfactory performance)

Nationality: To be eligible for appointment, candidates must be nationals of a Member State of the Organization. Nationals of unrepresented Member States namely; Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, and Somalia are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job Purpose

To engage in ARIPO’s strategic formulation and execution  and coordinate associated strategic initiatives. Optimise business-focused and outcomes-based business development and research strategies to exploit current and potential business opportunities in the Intellectual Property (IP) space, to foster business growth and sustainability. 


Key Result Areas

- Corporate strategy -planning and delivery

- Business Development

- Research & Development

- Performance Management 

- Project Management 


Principal Duties

1.Strategy formulation, execution, monitoring, and evaluation 

2.Gather crucial data on global Intellectual Property (IP) insights, operational performance, innovation, markets, etc. from various internal and external sources to inform strategic priorities.  

3.Assist directorates and departments to identify, evaluate, and analyse evolving strategic priorities, and track strategic objectives and goals. 

4.Provide professional input into the Organization-wide annual planning and budgeting process by distilling the Organization’s strategic goals and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) into annual activity plans.

5.Maintain a credible and robust operating performance database for ARIPO KPIs to enable comprehensive assessment of operational efficiency and management decision-making. 

6.Utilize the Balanced Scorecard framework to track and report on strategy execution against KPIs and to inform relevant interventions.

7.Undertake strategy risk assessment, identify mitigation measures, and maintain the strategy risk matrix.

8.Assist in developing proposals to harness business development opportunities for the existing ARIPO Industrial Property Protocols to drive financial growth and sustainability. 

9.Collaborate with relevant directorates and departments in engagements with IP stakeholders including Member States, research institutions, inventors, creators, SMEs, etc., in positioning ARIPO as the preferred regional system for the protection and commercialization of IP. 

10.Develop content on publications in respect of industrial property protocols, laws, and technology commercialization and marketing of IP for the benefit of innovators, researchers, and other relevant parties.

11.Prepare IP data and analytics in the areas of innovation and socio-economic development to support decision-making.

12.Track and communicate the status of ARIPO Industrial Property Protocols quarterly. 

13.Provide critical inputs for the development of model policies and guidelines for the protection of patents and innovations and commercialization of IP in the Member States.  

14.Design the framework to facilitate access to and retrieval of IP or technology information from ARIPO IP information databases by Member States, Staff, Users, Patent Agents, researchers, and related parties.

15.Manage the development and production of the ARIPO Industrial Property Journal. 

16.Build and manage a high-performing departmental team by providing leadership, and effective utilization of the Balanced Scorecard Performance Management System ensuring that aligned KPIs are in place for the achievement of departmental goals. 

Qualification and Experience

- Bachelor’s Degree in Strategic Management/Business Studies/Sciences/Social Sciences. 

- A Master’s Degree in Strategic Management/Business Administration Degree (MBA) is an added advantage. 

- Seven (7) years of traceable work experience in strategic management3 years of which must have been in a similar role and at management level.

Competencies and Skills required

- Demonstrate expertise is strategic management. 

- Solid and demonstrated understanding of the Balanced Scorecard Framework, or any other related strategy frameworks.  

- Demonstrated expertise in project and programme planning, management, and reporting. 

- Adept at aligning strategic planning to the overall organizational business planning process. 

- In-depth understanding of innovation based on Intellectual Property, and science and technology. 

- Strategic mindset and capacity to translate strategic thinking into a compelling plan of action.

- Strong business acumen and capability to analyze and interpret relevant data. 

- Demonstrated ability to make prudent, timely, and well-determined decisions, taking due account stakeholder interests and perceptions.

- Strong research skills and analytical capabilities.

- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  

- Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite, management information systems (MIS), and statistical analysis software. 

Conditions Of Employment

Salary and allowances on first appointment shall be those applicable to Grade L3 Step 1 of the ARIPO salary scales of the professional category.

Base Salary:  US$49,877 per annum. 

Benefits include

- Post Adjustment Allowance: 41% of base salary (this varies depending on the rise and fall in value of the United States dollar); 

- Payment of travel and removal expenses; 

- Once-off installation grant;

- Education grant of US$9,000 per year for each eligible dependent child up to a maximum of three children; 

- Housing allowance; 

- Dependency allowance of US$1,800 per year for a dependent child;  

- Contributory medical aid scheme;

- 30 days annual leave; and

- Paid home leave every two years.  

Medical examination:  The appointment is subject to a satisfactory United Nations-type medical examination to be conducted by an ARIPO-nominated medical practitioner.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.


N/B: Candidates who previously applied for this position need not to reapply as their applications are being considered.