Job Postings

Mifos at Grameen Foundation is Hiring an Account Executive

Grameen Foundation’s Technology for Microfinance (T4MF) team is focused on transforming technology from a barrier into an accelerator for microfinance institutions. The team focuses on educating MFI leaders on the long-term strategic value of information systems, training their staff to successfully align information technology with their business operations, and building a network of locally-based technology providers and a worldwide online community to support these institutions. At the heart of the program is Mifos™, our open source software platform that gives MFIs a cost-effective, flexible management information system (MIS) that can support their needs today and into the future.

Job Summary:
We’re seeking an entrepreneurial superstar who is deeply passionate about ending global poverty to drive sales for the Mifos Initiative. The Account Executive, Mifos, is responsible for selling the Mifos solution to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in our target market, helping to build the Mifos business and demonstrate market traction and customer success. This person will build the sales pipeline, engage with prospects, manage the end-to-end sales process, and close sales to exceed revenue and profitability targets. The Account Executive will work with other leaders and staff on the Technology for Microfinance team to ensure that the team as a whole is operating effectively, to resolve operational challenges, and to align strategy and teamwide execution.

The ideal candidate for this role has extensive experience in driving enterprise software sales, including packaging consulting and other non-technology components into a deal, and has a strong startup mentality and agility to adapt to changing business needs and do whatever is needed to get the job done. This agility must include highly entrepreneurial sales skills and the ability to change presentations, pitches, and approaches to meet our fast-evolving business. The successful candidate will blend great business acumen and the ability to close deals and beat targets with the desire to roll up their sleeves and drive the entire process. The ability to sell around feature gaps and hone in on true customer needs is critical in this role. Experience with financial/banking software and working in the developing world a huge advantage.

This position requires significant international travel.

Essential Job Functions:
The Mifos Account Executive will have the following specific responsibilities:
• Sell Mifos and other Technology for Microfinance and Grameen Foundation software and services to MFIs in our target market; ensure that sales meet profitability targets and other criteria set by Technology for Microfinance leadership
• Build and maintain strong executive level relationships with customers and prospects
• Create and maintain sales pipeline and sales roadmap to ensure exceeding revenue and profitability targets and to validate and evolve our business model
• Drive pipeline development, including setting geographic targets, MFI prospect lists, and overall go-to-market strategy, in alignment with our overall business priorities
• Identify and execute lead generation strategies to ensure that the pipeline is filled with prospects and can be closed
• Engage with prospect MFIs from pre-sales through close, positioning Mifos and other Grameen Foundation products through value-based selling, ROI analysis, and other selling tools and strategies
• Effectively determine MFIs needs and requirements, communicate this information to product and executive teams, and lead development of proposals that solve MFI problems
• Write proposals, develop sales materials, and undertake any other activities needed to effectively close sales and exceed targets
• Manage end-to-end sales process through engagement of appropriate Mifos team resources and stakeholders
• Develop and maintain effective forecasting and scorekeeping tools and processes, and use to drive the overall Mifos business in accordance with priorities and targets
• Effectively use and maintain the Mifos CRM system to track prospects, leads, and deals and share that information with other stakeholders
• Define and implement processes and tools to manage the sales process effectively
• Re-engage existing customers to generate and close new sales opportunities
• Work closely with Mifos professional services and product leadership and staff, as well as relevant regional staff and executives, to ensure alignment between all parts of the organization to drive exceptional customer satisfaction and long-term business results

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Highly entrepreneurial sales skills and approach, with the ability to change direction and approaches with agility and a goal of building sales while validating the overall business model
• Demonstrated ability to drive value-based selling process of enterprise software and consulting services and close sales, exceeding targets
• Exceptional customer relationship skills at the executive and decision-maker levels
• Successful history of exceeding revenue and profitability targets and generating net new business sales
• Strong understanding of and experience selling early-stage product, selling around feature/functionality gaps, and ability to sell customers on a holistic solution (rather than a feature list)
• Ability to identify needs for sales tools and processes and execute as needed to ensure that the tools and processes are in place to close sales
• Strong startup mentality: agile and able to do whatever is needed to get the job done
• Exceptional team player, maintaining strong teamwide relationships and alignment and leveraging all the skills across our team to get results
• Demonstrated business acumen and leadership skills
• Enthusiasm and passion for our work
• Focus on execution & results
• Experience with geographically distributed teams and driving accountability and tracking results
• Ability to work with others in GF to resolve cross-department challenges
• Strong & problem solving skills.
• Knowledge of the microfinance sector a plus
• Experience selling financial/banking platforms a plus
• Excellent interpersonal & intercultural communication skills.
• Strong time and workload management skills and ability to manage various projects.

Education and Experience:
• 5 or more years work account executive experience in enterprise software sales, including consulting sales
• Experience in the microfinance technology space preferred
• Practical experience in developing world countries preferred
• Bachelors or Masters’ degree in Business, Economics, Finance, International Development or related field

This is a one-year position with the potential for renewal.

To apply, send resume and cover letter by email to mifos-jobs@grameenfoundation.org. No phone calls, please.

For more information on Mifos:  http://www.mifos.org/.

© 2010 SeaMo: Connecting the Microfinance Community.