THE OPPORTUNITY
You will spearhead the mobilization of resources, acquisition of grants, and cultivation of funding partnerships to advance our country strategy and drive sustainable impact. This is a particularly dynamic moment to join the team, as we are initiating the development of our next five-year country strategy in collaboration with Kenyan youth, ensuring alignment with the aspirations, priorities, and needs of children and youth nationwide. In this Business Development and Mobilization (BDM) role, your responsibilities will include securing and expanding diversified, high-quality funding streams and impactful partnerships. This entails leading opportunity identification, engaging donors and partners, building consortiums, designing programs, developing proposals, strengthening country-wide business development capabilities and processes, and collaborating seamlessly with the broader Plan International network to fulfill our global mandate. Additionally, you must adeptly navigate current fundraising challenges, including increasingly selective and competitive funding landscapes, heightened demand for innovative partnerships and value-for-money strategies, a focus on sustainability, and emerging opportunities in market-driven development, commercial contracting, blended finance, impact investment, and local fundraising initiatives.
Oversee and execute a broad range of critical duties, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and operational excellence. Lead key initiatives to drive efficiency, innovation, and sustainable growth while maintaining rigorous adherence to industry standards and compliance requirements. Collaborate cross-functionally to streamline processes, optimize resource allocation, and enhance team productivity through strategic planning and targeted interventions. Act as a pivotal liaison between departments, fostering clear communication and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Participate in high-level decision-making to evaluate risks, identify opportunities, and implement solutions that elevate performance and strategic impact across the enterprise.
Provide strategic leadership to PICK amid the shifting funding environment, spearheading the 2027–2032 Resource Mobilization Strategy while fostering values-driven partnerships. Represent PICK in key coordination forums, collaborate with country leadership, and maintain accountability by submitting regular reports to the Plan International Kenya (PICK) Board and engaging with the Youth Advisory Panel.
This position spearheads the cultivation of lead donors and strategic partners while developing a robust, diversified funding pipeline. It empowers data-driven “go/no-go” decision-making and fosters responsible engagement with the private sector. The role champions innovative financial approaches, including blended finance, climate-focused investments, and outcomes-based models, while reinforcing humanitarian frameworks. Additionally, it constructs competitive consortia by uniting diverse stakeholders and expands local fundraising efforts through partnerships with Kenyan corporates, foundations, and affluent individuals.
PICK’s funding and partnership strategy will be advanced by cultivating a diverse network of donors, balancing revenue streams across grants, contracts, humanitarian initiatives, and local funding opportunities, and ensuring investment decisions are grounded in solid evidence. The role will also involve leading ethical and strategic private sector engagement, exploring innovative financing models such as blended finance, climate-linked instruments, and outcomes-based approaches, and enhancing humanitarian program effectiveness. Additionally, the position will focus on forging competitive and collaborative consortia with civil society organizations and private sector partners, while expanding local fundraising efforts through partnerships with Kenyan businesses, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals.
Secure PIK’s funding portfolio by spearheading capture planning, directing the development of high-caliber proposals, and establishing robust theories of change that incorporate gender, inclusion, safeguarding, MEL, and risk management. Collaborate with donors and partners to co-create solutions, craft persuasive value-for-money narratives and budgets, and enforce stringent quality assurance across bids, budgets, and compliance to enhance competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
Develop and maintain a high-performing business development function by leading and coaching the BD team, enhancing systems and tools, and broadening nationwide capabilities in emerging funding approaches. Foster a culture of ongoing improvement by leveraging insights from bid processes to boost competitiveness, facilitate seamless transitions from pre-award to post-award phases, and implement robust mechanisms for pipeline tracking, partner frameworks, and compliance adherence—all aimed at securing funding and strengthening organizational resilience.
Responsible for achieving fundraising objectives, ensuring clear and accurate reporting, cultivating strong donor relationships, submitting proposals punctually and in full compliance, conducting thorough after-action evaluations, and overseeing the performance of the Business Development team.
Plan International maintains a comprehensive global framework for safeguarding, including policies on preventing sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse, as well as gender equality, inclusion principles, and implementation standards and guidelines relevant to your role. Consequently, you will be responsible for ensuring compliance with these policies and enforcing adherence among your team members and associated personnel within your assigned scope.
As your supervisor deems necessary, you may be entrusted with additional responsibilities and assignments that fall within your defined scope of work.
What we are looking for:
A candidate holding a Master’s degree in international development, business, economics, public policy, or a closely related discipline—or possessing equivalent professional experience—is required.
You are expected to have a minimum of ten years of demonstrated expertise in business development and resource mobilization, with a proven track record of effectively leading intricate bids and negotiating partnerships in development and humanitarian sectors.
You must have a proven track record of successfully obtaining funding from a variety of sources, including grants, private sector investments, commercial contracts, impact-driven financing, innovative financial models, and local fundraising initiatives.
We seek a candidate who demonstrates strong digital fluency, particularly with BD systems such as pipeline, advanced Excel capabilities (including the development and review of complex, cost-competitive budgets), collaboration platforms, responsible use of approved AI tools, and PowerPoint and other visual tools to craft engaging donor-facing materials.
Seeking a seasoned professional with a track record of assembling and guiding high-performing teams, establishing measurable goals, mentoring and nurturing talent, and enforcing accountability to drive results in dynamic and fast-paced settings.
Proficiency in working within Kenya or comparable environments is required, along with a solid grasp of major donor landscapes and regulatory compliance standards.
Individuals possessing superior written and verbal communication abilities are required.
Qualifications
MBA/MSc/MA
Experience Required
10 years
