Venture Builder at Beanstalk AgTech

*** Click the following link: Application Form; or type this into your favourite browser: https://form.typeform.com/to/butejCKn

We will not be assessing applications submitted via LinkedIn. Please make sure to submit via Typeform***

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 global agriculture and food sector. Our role ensuring that technology is built, deployed, and scaled effectively for producers and agribusinesses to focus on what they do best: feed the world with care for both people and the planet.

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 intensively back the commercial validation of 8 high growth ventures over the next 2 years, positioning Australia as a global leader on drought solutions to agricultural resilience.

About the Role

We are hiring a Venture Builder who will join the Beanstalk Venture Studio team on a fixed term contract. The Venture Builder will be focused on our landmark partnership with the Commonwealth, to deliver the Drought Venture Studio over the course of the next 18 months and beyond.

This hybrid role will be located in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane and will be specifically dedicated to the Drought Venture Studio. The Venture Builder will be the main liaison point between entrepreneurs, innovators and ventures, the Drought Hubs, the agtech ecosystem, and the broader Drought Venture Studio. You will be paired with and mentor a small group of 3-4 dynamic 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 the Drought Venture Studio, collaborating with a team of 7 Venture Building peers across Australia and the broader Beanstalk team in Australia and Southeast Asia. In the role, you will:

Both work independently with your innovators, but also work collaboratively with the other Venture Builders 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 technology 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

About You:

Minimum 4 to 6 years’ experience in one (or more) of the following: venture capital, startup methodology, incubators/accelerators, technology transfer/commercialisation, and/or venture building.
Demonstrated experience in business innovation and/or entrepreneurship
Comfortable working flexibly with early-stage ventures and innovators that are evolving their technology, business model, and go to market approach.
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 in agriculture or agtech is not essential but is strongly preferred.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and public speaking experience (to support entrepreneurs on their pitching abilities).
Positive attitude and willingness to get stuff done.

Location:

Preference for one of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane (hybrid working arrangements for shared workspace)
Ad hoc travel across the program to local Drought Hub or for program workshops, offsites, or industry events (expectation 2-3 nights every 3 months)

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, and abilities to join us.

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

Our values underpin who we are & how we work

Be good people

We believe in human decency and we act with integrity, honesty and humility.

Prioritise impact

Everything we do directly drives long term community, ecological and business resiliency through our work. This is the main event not an afterthought.

Build magnetic communities

We invest in the strength and connectedness of our own team, our partnership networks, and our tribe across the AgTech ecosystem.

Ask “why”

We are deeply curious about the world around us so we are constantly learning and improving through challenging and questioning.

Have a little fun

We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We are passionate about solving big challenges, but we spend too much of our lives building Beanstalk for it not to be fun!

Build something special

We back ourselves to be bold and build something that is unique and special that wouldn’t exist without us. This is our legacy which will continue our impact.

Diversity is strength

Diversity of backgrounds, skills, geographies, and perspectives is our superpower. All are welcome.

This is a great opportunity for a driven professional that is looking for an opportunity to work for a forward-thinking business that has an amazing culture built through their people.

Apply for this role:

Click the following link: Application Form; or type this into your favourite browser: https://form.typeform.com/to/butejCKn

We will not be assessing applications submitted via LinkedIn. Please make sure to submit via Typeform.

Closing date is 1 November 2024.