Head of Innovation & Business Development

Rimfire Resources; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

DataGene in Australia seeks a Head of Innovation & Business Development to lead customer-facing innovation, business development and industry adoption activities. You will build commercial partnerships and turn ideas into data-driven products and services that deliver measurable value.

You will work with dairy farmers, advisors and industry partners to grow uptake of DataGene’s offerings and translate market insights into clear priorities for product and service development.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to identify and progress growth opportunities through indirect channels.
• Experience building commercial cases and assessing strategic fit and value.
• Ability to lead and develop teams and align stakeholders.

Skills

Business development

Commercial acumen

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Data-driven products

Product requirements

Customer value

Strategic thinking

Dairy value chain

Job description

Head of Innovation & Business Development

The Company:
DataGene is an independent, industry-owned organisation helping Australian dairy farmers make better decisions through data, technology and science.
We sit at the intersection of dairy farming, industry data, technology and research. Our work includes national genetic evaluation and genomic services, industry data infrastructure, decision-support tools and software services designed to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Australian dairy businesses.

DataGene is entering an exciting period of growth and evolution, with opportunities to increase adoption of its existing services, develop new data-driven products and build commercial and strategic partnerships across the dairy industry.

The Position:
The Head of Innovation and Business Development is a newly created senior role responsible for leading DataGene's customer-facing innovation, business development and industry adoption activities.

This is fundamentally a commercial and customer-focused leadership role. You will work closely with dairy farmers, member organisations, advisors, commercial businesses and industry partners to identify opportunities, develop compelling propositions and turn ideas into products, services and partnerships that deliver measurable value.

A key focus will be building and progressing commercial and strategic partnerships, developing business cases for new opportunities, and increasing uptake of DataGene's existing and emerging products and services.

Many of DataGene's customers are reached through intermediary organisations—including genetics businesses, herd-testing organisations, veterinarians, consultants and industry advisors—so experience building effective partnerships and driving growth through indirect channels will be particularly valuable.

You will also lead a small team spanning stakeholder engagement, communications and product management, and work closely with DataGene's science and technology teams to translate customer and market needs into clear priorities.

You do not need to be a geneticist or herd-improvement specialist. We are looking for someone who understands the Australian dairy industry, is curious about technology and data, and has the commercial judgement and leadership capability to identify opportunities and turn them into outcomes.

The Person:

To be successful in this demanding but highly rewarding role, you will possess the following key skills and background:

Essential:

• Demonstrated experience in business development including identifying and progressing growth opportunities, partnerships and/or new product offerings through indirect channels
• Strong commercial acumen and proven experience developing business cases and assessing strategic fit, value and feasibility of new opportunities
• Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to build and develop capability in others
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility and influence with senior external stakeholders and represent an organisation effectively in industry settings
• Experience in developing, delivering or selling data-driven or technology-enabled products and services
• Experience translating customer and market insight into product requirements and priorities
• Strong understanding of how to drive adoption, customer value and measurable uptake beyond stakeholder engagement alone
• Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels in a player-coach capacity
• Strong knowledge of the dairy value chain (producer through to processor and retail)

Highly Desirable:

• Established dairy industry relationships
• Experience working with veterinarians, consultants, advisors or agricultural intermediaries
• Experience building or leading product management functions

This is an outstanding newly created opportunity to play a key role in assisting in the evolution of DataGene’s genetics and breeding technologies and farm data strategy.