Business Development Manager (BDM) - Artisan Collective at Heshima Kenya

The Artisan Collective is a social enterprise initiative within our education program, the Girls’ Empowerment Program, serves as an economic springboard to help program graduates become skilled artisans capable of designing, producing, and marketing a line of unique hand-dyed scarves and other textiles. The Business Development Manager-Artisan Collective is responsible for developing & diversifying the business to increase income and focuse on the future growth of the enterprise. The Manager is responsible for setting the best strategies and financial outcomes for the social enterprise. The BDM is responsible for providing oversight and leadership i.e supervision and coordination of the enterprise staff and artisans. This position will report directly to the Director of Programs.

Core Responsibilities:

Development of Business Plan

• Leads and coordinates the development of the Artisan Collective Artisan Manual and periodic review of the same based on emerging needs and recommends approval of the same by the CD and by extension, the BoD
• Responsible for developing growth strategies and plans for the enterprise,
• Manages and retains relationship with the existing and potential clients,
• Develops strategies to increase client/customer base,
• Develops the Artisan Collective’s Business plan,
• Identifies and maps business trends and customer needs
• Researches on business opportunities and viable income streams
• Drafts and recommends contracts with customers in line with the Artisan Collective approved operational plan
• Monitors industry trends, both locally and internationally to strategically position the collective to compete within the arena
• Monitors the success and areas needing improvement and recommends appropriate action as well as overseeing implementation of agreed solutions/actions.
• Provides overall coordination of the project and leadership.
• Collaborates with the DoP and FM in the development of the Artisan annual budget and review of the same as may be required from time to time

Production

• Oversees production and systems of the Artisan Collective and its accountabilities.
• Ensures timely production, quality operations, and sales policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Oversees production and development of the Artisan Collectives’ existing and new products.
• Establishes and adhere to production schedule, taking into account ethical and fair trade standards, as well as health and safety guidelines;
• Provides all required support to the production coordinator to ensure quality control measures are in place and fully adhered to.
• Ensures timely revenue collection and submission of the same to the Finance officer responsible for the Artisan Collective.
• Responsible for the overall Collective inventory management system.
• Establishes a production evaluation system to minimize waste and optimize productivity;
• Liases with the Chicago Office manager and Geneva manager to develop production timelines, designs and shipment of the Artisan Collective products
• Responsible for the delivery of the set annual production targets and revenue
• Identifies and implements ways in which wastages during sampling and actual production of all approved lines/custom orders can be minimized.
• Ensures a healthy and safety environment is created, that which is free from any health hazards to the artisans

Sales & Marketing

• Liases with Chicago Marketing manager and Geneva office to determine client/customer orders and plans on shipment of the same
• Conducts online and physical research to determine the current market trends and product needs and put in place strategies to accommodate the same within the Collective
• Liases with the Chicago office marketing manager and MERL Manager in Developing customer-service standards, and pricing strategies,
• Ensures all the revenue is collected on time and submitted to the finance department with all the appropriate documentation of the same.
• Determines annual and gross-profit plans by forecasting and developing annual sales quotas for regions, projecting expected sales and production volume for existing and new products and markets;
• Identifies and participates in all sales events and opportunities and ensures participation of the same by assigning staff/artisans.
• Develops and maintains records and all appropriate documents and contracts for all consignments within existing and new outlets for the collective products locally.
• Responsible for the identifying & building relationships with new customers/market outlets.
• Ensures that all set revenue targets within the Collective are dully achieved
• Establishes, maintains and grows the customer data base

Reporting

• Coordinates daily weekly and monthly tracking of all the production within the collective and shares the same with the DoP and the finance function
• Prepares monthly, quarterly and annual project reports and submits the same to the DoP for review and onward submission to the CD
• Establishes, maintains, and manages Artisan Collective Inventory Management System;
• Sets dates for and organizes and coordinates the finance and procurement functions in monthly, quarterly and annual stock taking in a timely fashion
• Prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual stock taking reports and files the same with the office of the DoP and FM
• Collaborate with the Production officer and the Artisans to implement production, sales, and marketing activities;
• Monitors and approves the Collective movement of raw materials and finished products within and without the Artisan Collective store. Must throughout ensure proper recording and documentation is maintained to meet all required accountabilities
• Works closely with MERL, Finance and Procurement departments on establishing financial and inventory monitoring and controls
• Prevents and control Artisan Collective products from proliferation

Supervision & personnel management

• Develops Key performance objectives for the Artisan collective staff
• Liases with the HRM in ensuring the timely appraisal of the Artisan collective team and submission of the appraisal documents to the HRM for record keeping
• Identifies any performance gaps within the function and liases with the HRM in identifying suitable trainings to seal the same.
• Provide guidance, motivates, coaches and mentors the Artisans to ensure their maximum productivity;
• Works closely with the Stores & Inventory personnel to ensure that the Artisan Collective store is well organized and products well labelled

Skills & Qualifications

• A degree in Economics/ Business Administration/Marketing. Masters will be an added advantage
• A minimum of 4-5 years of work experience in Marketing or in a similar role
• Experience in business enterprise development and management
• Experience working to and exceeding targets
• MUST possess Business development skills
• Good communication skills
• Stake holder and customer management skills
• High levels of negotiations skills
• Skills in business strategy development and related policies development and implementation
• Good skills in people management and conflict management
• Ability to self-motivate and motivate a team
• Ability to create a strategy and to execute it