Venture Builder (8 roles across Australia)

Description

NB: Location is across Australia across 8 positions located in accessible proximity to the Drought Hubs

Applications close: 14 January 2024

About Beanstalk:

Beanstalk exists to unleash the potential for agriculture to be a leading force for good. We believe our food system needs reinvention to feed a growing global population on a healthy planet, and we are working hand-in-hand with innovators, agribusinesses, and public sector leaders to make it happen. If this excites you, we would love for you to apply!

We are a specialised team of strategy, venture building and innovation experts dedicated to the agriculture and food sector in the Indo-Pacific. Our role is to catalyse the adoption of new technologies and build capabilities that help to unlock our ability to produce nutritious food in a responsible, ethical and sustainable manner.

Beanstalk achieves this through two arms of its organisation: Beanstalk Advisory, its Indo-Pacific consulting business that partners with agribusiness, governments, and donors to tackle their most pressing challenges in the agriculture value chain; and Beanstalk Ventures, its venture building arm focused on venture creation and building, investing and scaling impact-focused solutions shaping our future food system.

About the Beanstalk Drought Venture Studio:

Australia is one of the driest continents on earth, yet we have a vibrant agricultural sector that constantly adapts to climate change challenges - necessity has made us amazing innovators. This resourcefulness makes Australia the natural home for our Drought Venture Studio.

This world first partnership between the Commonwealth - through its Future Drought Fund - and Beanstalk AgTech will identify problems from the ground up and develop and fund solutions through practical commercialisation. Beanstalk will work with the eight Drought Innovation Hubs across Australia and industry to enable the creation of new startups and technological innovation in response to drought.

The program’s mission is to support nearly 100 commercial solutions, and to back 8 high growth ventures over the next 2 years, positioning Australia as a global leader on drought and climate solutions to agricultural resilience.

About the role:

We are hiring eight Venture Builders who will join the Beanstalk Ventures team on a fixed term contract. The Venture Builders will be focused on our landmark partnership with the Commonwealth, to deliver the Drought Venture Studio over the course of 2 years.

These roles will be embedded with each Drought and Innovation Hub across Australia and will be specifically dedicated to the Drought Venture Studio. The Venture Builders will be the main liaison point between the entrepreneurs, innovators and ventures, and the broader Drought Venture Studio. They will be paired with and mentor a small group of innovators as well as contributing to the knowledge, structure, approach and events of the broader commercialisation program.

As a Venture Builder you will be an integral part of your local Drought and Innovation Hub, collaborating with a team of 8 peers across Australia. In the role, you will:

• Collaborate with the other Venture Builders, and the Head of Ventures to deliver commercialisation support, coaching and mentoring to each cohort of innovators
• Guide innovators through building a commercialisation plan and supporting the innovators towards effective business, market and customer development; this may include go-to market plans, and trial support
• Co-facilitate the prioritisation of critical drought “challenges” which will form the focus for each cohort through engaging with farmers, agrifood corporates, local Drought and Innovation Hubs and the broader industry
• Scout for leading solutions globally, and engage in the innovator recruitment process
• Cultivate a local network for the Drought Venture Studio, including leading agrifood corporates farmers, early-stage investors, major industry bodies and prospective venture founders
• Represent the Drought Venture Studio at your local Drought Innovation Hub to ensure alignment with hub objectives and priorities
• Stay informed about the global innovation landscape in AgTech, climate and drought

Still with us here? You are probably one of us. Research out there suggests that women and underrepresented people are less likely to apply for a role despite being perfectly qualified. We would love for you to introduce yourself – as a business with global ambitions and working deeply amongst remote communities, diversity in people, experiences and perspectives brings us closer to our mission of building a regional food system that serves the communities we work across. We're looking for people of all genders, races, ethnicities, orientations, abilities, and disabilities to join us.

Beanstalk highly encourages Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to apply, and are seeking applicants who have demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture and social ways of life.

Requirements

About You:

Minimum 4 to 6 years’ experience in management consulting, venture capital, startup methodology, accelerators and/or venture building

• Demonstrated experience in business or entrepreneurship
• Experience with business coaching, startup mentoring, leadership skills, and potential lean startup methodology e.g. implementing early feedback loops to enable continuous feedback, learning and iteration for ventures, products and services
• Experience with industry research or analytical modelling
• Experience in helping to communicate and create impactful presentations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and public speaking experience

We are looking to hire 8 Venture Builders to be embedded in the 8 Drought and innovation hubs around Australia. Across the 8 roles we are looking to build a multi-disciplinary team with depth in some, and breadth across all the core skillsets required to get cut through and drive commercial results at pace.

Location:

• Based in Australia
• Adhoc travel across the program workshops, showcases and events