Job description
Purpose of role: To provide business development leadership and coordination for identified VSO Country Offices (Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda); responsible for optimizing income generation and business development from a diverse range of donors in support of VSO’s programmes and regional operations
Responsibilities:
Funding strategy aligned to programme priorities:
Contribute to a global, coordinated fundraising strategy, centred around VSO’s Core programme areas and Signature Programmes and ensure consistency and coherence in funder and partnership engagement across funding portfolio in region;
Lead on researching new funding opportunities, strengthening and sustaining partnerships with commercial contractors, INGOs, private sector, government institutional donors, trusts and foundations and major donors;
Provide intensive support to regions and country offices to develop, implement and monitor ambitious funding strategies that deliver agreed restricted income targets;
Work with regional teams/country offices to ensure funding plans reflects programme strategy and appropriate national and regional donor mapping is up to date;
Provide inputs into the global funding strategy as required from time to time;
Pursue regional/or multicounty opportunities;
Ensure funding data on pipeline and match funding liabilities is accurately reflected in our systems for the respective countries;
Business development coordination – coordinate the activities and contribution of various business development teams in the region/countries including public fundraising, marketing, and donor teams.
Pre-positioning, donor and partner engagement: Externally
Support CO staff to identify priority partners and support on this engagement including with I/NGOs and other development actors, governments etc in support of joint programming and consortia opportunities;
Prepare materials needed to facilitate donor engagement and bolster VSO’s reputation and credibility with potential funders and consortia partners;
Provide leadership and support to advance VSO’s visibility and reputation with identified strategic partners globally (among donor communities, private sector and development networks) in support of joint-bid opportunities at the national and regional levels.
Prepositioning: internally
Conduct country level analysis to understand the funding environment / trends and help shape the direction of programming to ensure alignment
Share analysis on funding opportunities, Pipeline Matrix, and pipeline health (proposal tracker) with regional and country teams to inform regional planning and pre-positioning;
Ensure that an accurate and timely overview of funding priorities and pipeline health and analysis are shared;
Bid Development
Lead proposal development, coordinating with donor, proposal development and technical teams;
Provide leadership to country teams on bid development processes and ensure laid out procedures are followed for each proposal submitted at country level;
Lead negotiations with partners to ensure financial and programmatic needs are met;
Review proposals and provide assurance to ensure quality submissions;
Manage and write specific proposals when required.
Marketing
Ensure visibility of VSO in the region/selected countries by attending/or ensuring attendance of workshops, meetings and networking events that provide an opportunity to showcase its work, provide leadership in the volunteering for development space and build new partnerships;
Liaise with marketing and country teams to ensure appropriate go-to market material is developed.
Capacity building
Build country office capacity to network, engage and pre-position through own efforts or in collaboration with other BD team members.
Business development coordination
Coordinate the activities and contribution of various business development teams in the region/countries including public fundraising, marketing, and donor teams.
Skills/Experience Required:
More than 6 years managing business pursuit activities within the international development space for an INGO or development consulting firm.
Experience of developing funding strategies and delivering income against targets;
Proven ability to research new funding opportunities and to make appropriate judgements about their potential to realise significant restricted income;
Experience of establishing and cultivating strong donor relationships that have delivered substantially increased income ;
Proven track record in writing winning donor proposals for donors including USAID, EC, UKAID, SIDA and UN Agencies – including proven ability to develop log frames, monitoring frameworks, and theories of change;
Experience of preparing compelling, high quality documentation (concept notes, presentations, proposals, budgets, reports, log frames, theories of change etc) for different donor and partner audiences ;
Familiarity with M&E tools; theories of change, monitoring frameworks, and basic evaluation techniques;
Strong interpersonal skills, including written, verbal and presentation skills used in international settings – experience of leading and facilitating workshops and training ;
Ability to be self-directed and take initiative within organisational mandates – strong administrative and organisational skills ;
Experience of establishing partnerships between organisations including teaming agreement and consortia bid development;
Strong administrative and organizational skills: ability to be self-directed and take initiative
Strong analytical and financial and skills;
Qualifications required;
Educated to post-graduate degree level in international development-related discipline;
IT skills including fluency in Microsoft Office suite and database usage;
Experience of living and working internationally (4+ years required);
Fluency in English (written and spoken). Portuguese, French or other language desirable;
Ability to travel globally (estimated 30-50% travel required
Desired Skills and Experience
Skills/Experience Required:
More than 6 years managing business pursuit activities within the international development space for an INGO or development consulting firm.
Experience of developing funding strategies and delivering income against targets;
Proven ability to research new funding opportunities and to makeappropriate judgements about their potential to realise significant restricted income;
Experience of establishing and cultivating strong donor relationships that have delivered substantially increased income ;
Proven track record in writing winning donor proposals for donors including USAID, EC, UKAID, SIDA and UN Agencies – including proven ability to develop log frames, monitoring frameworks, and theories of change;
Experience of preparing compelling, high quality documentation (concept notes, presentations, proposals, budgets, reports, log frames, theories of change etc) for different donor and partner audiences ;
Familiarity with M&E tools; theories of change, monitoring frameworks, and basic evaluation techniques;
Strong interpersonal skills, including written, verbal and presentation skills used in international settings – experience of leading and facilitating workshops and training ;
Ability to be self-directed and take initiative within organisational mandates – strong administrative and organisational skills ;
Experience of establishing partnerships between organisations including teaming agreement and consortia bid development;
Strong administrative and organizational skills: ability to be selfdirected and take initiative
Strong analytical and financial and skills;
Qualifications required;
Educated to post-graduate degree level in international development-related discipline;
IT skills including fluency in Microsoft Office suite and database usage;
Experience of living and working internationally (4+ years required);
Fluency in English (written and spoken). Portuguese, French or other language desirable;
Ability to travel globally (estimated 30-50% travel required.
