What’s your job here at Itad?
I work in the Business Development team and I am a Business Development Officer.
What does that involve?
I am mainly responsible for identifying new business opportunities, coordinating tenders (expressions of interest and proposals) for a variety of clients, creating and fostering connections with external consultants, associates and partners as well as contributing to the development of key business development systems, processes and quality standards. Moreover, I provide research support to large and complex consultancy projects: for example I recently worked on our Independent Evaluation of Budget Support in Mozambique.
How did you get into the field?
I’ve always been interested in international development and both my undergraduate and post-graduate degrees were in this area. I also obtained an Advanced Diploma in Project Management for EU-funded International Development Cooperation projects and immediately after that I started working in a consulting company specializing in EC-funded tender. As I was working on a fixed-term basis and I needed more stability, I decided to apply for permanent jobs around Europe and I came across an opportunity within the Business Development team at Itad. I’ve been with the company since 2012.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Definitely the variety of tasks and the fact that it is never boring nor repetitive: no tenders or research assignments are the same. It is a very challenging job considering the mutilple and sometime overlapping deadlines, but it can be very rewarding.
Recent highlight/job wins?
There are a couple of recent exciting wins I cannot mention here because we are still waiting to sign the contract with the client! I am particularly proud of two assignments we have won in the past few months in the area of result-based financing, as this is an innovative concept in the sector: one with DFID in the WASH sector and one with OECD in the governance sector.
Most interesting question you have been asked recently?
I can’t think of anything in particular right now! However, I’m constantly asked by people (even relatives and friends) to explain the job I do and what it involves: I’ve realised that most people don’t know about international development consulting companies and the type of services they provide. When they think about international cooperation they manly think about NGOs or international / multilateral organizations. I hope that after reading this and exploring our website this will be a bit clearer.
Favourite place you have visited as part of your job?
So far I’ve mainly been to European capitals to meet partners and clients. My favourites places is probably Amsterdam: I love its canals, bridges and charming gabled facades, as well as the vibrant atmosphere and cultural diversity.
