Business Development Officer

Technical Excellence and Grant Operations & Analytics Team:

At the IRC, we define and measure our success as positive changes in people’s lives in relation to five outcome areas: health, education, economic well-being, safety and power, while helping to narrow the gender gap. To achieve these outcomes – to drive our impact – our programs must be based on the best available evidence and aligned with our theories of change; adapted to context; responsive to client needs and preferences; and continuously improved by generating evidence, measuring what we do, and acting on what we learn. The Technical Excellence team supports the delivery of this. Established in April 2021, the Grant Operations & Analytics Team (GOAT) brought together grants, business development, finance, and analytics functions and staff from each Technical Excellence Unit to one centralized team to increase efficiency, effectiveness and quality control across Technical Excellence grants and business operations. The primary purpose of this new team is to harmonize capacity and capabilities and drive efficiencies by establishing consistent, high quality standards and best practices to the service of improved budgeting, grants & contracts management, business development, and data collection and analytics. The Grant Operations & Analytics Team strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, create a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible service to our clients.

Job Overview:

This Business Development Officer, filling a critical gap in Technical Excellence, will sit within the Grant Operations & Analytics Team (GOAT) and will be responsible for leading effective business development processes for highly complex global funding opportunities. The position collaborates closely with Technical Excellence program and grants teams, Country Program teams and IRC support departments like Finance and the Awards Management Unit to ensure that all proposals are developed and submitted in accordance with IRC and Donor policies.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Development (90%)

Bid Coordination: Serve as the bid lead for Technical Excellence opportunities and coordinate with the Awards Management Unit (AMU) on opportunities with an AMU assigned bid lead

• Support the technical team in donor-specific program scoping in advance of anticipated calls, including pre-development of concept notes and donor feedback solicitations for specific programmatic elements/ideas

• Drive the proposal timeline forward, including HQ approval processes and submission

• Manage OTIS (Opportunity Tracking Information System) workflow for proposals

• Be responsible for the coordination with country programs and partners on documents needed

• Provide templates and guidance to program teams

• Lead on the coordination of reviews between technical units

• Work with AMU on potential institutional funding opportunities and solicitations

• Attend key cross-unit and cross-departmental meetings regarding business development

• Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of Technical Unit funding streams and business development priorities

Proposal Budget development: Lead on the development of proposal budgets that reflect the technical design

• Develop proposal budgets to ensure consistency and accuracy across projects. Design, draft, refine, and finalize budgets and budget narratives (as needed) that are reflective of program design costs

• Ensure appropriate internal formats and donor formats for budget development are used

• Advise on the allowability of costs

• Guide supporting financial documentation for proposals in coordination with the HQ Finance Department, including annexes

• Coordinate with and support country program finance and grant staff on proposals, providing guidance and feedback on workplans, deadlines, and proposal parameters

• Secure approvals across departments for submissions

Proposal Development: Support the proposal development processes for TU-specific opportunities as required for multi-country, multi-Technical unit, and/or multi-region opportunities

• Support Unit technical staff in the development of proposals, including reviewing and contributing to concept notes, proposals and creating budgets ensuring donor and IRC compliance

• Track Technical Excellence’s pipeline for business development and assist with assigning business development (concept note, expressions of interest, proposal development) to Grants Managers

• Coordinate with GOAT staff to ensure visibility on all opportunities and the appropriate level of salary support in the post-award phase

Process Management and Creation (10%)

Handover Procedures: Working closely with the Sr BD Advisor and the Sr Grants Advisor, develop standard processes for handover procedures between pre- and post-award.

• Support on KIIs with key staff on the gaps in the current handover process

• Support the creation, piloting, and iteration of process improvement changes for handover procedures for both public and private awards

• Collect lessons learned from previous handover processes

Go/No Go (GNG) Process: Working closely with the Sr BD Advisor and BD Officer, support on process changes in the Technical Excellence GNG processes, including the following:

• Support the collection of GNG inputs on live opportunities for appropriate next steps

• Support on KIIs with key staff when changes are being proposed

• Collect lessons learned from previous iterations of the GNG process

Key Working Relationships:

You will report to: the Senior Business Development Advisor, GOAT

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Regular contact with Technical Unit teams, GOAT Grant & Contract Mangers, GOAT BD Officer, and Country Program staff, the Awards Management Unit, Finance, Human Resources and Global Supply Chain.

External: Interact with donors, vendors, contractors, and consultants.

Desired Qualifications:

• 3+ years of progressive work experience connected to business development and working in or closely with Technical teams

• Highly collaborative and pro-active colleague with a talent for delivering results with cross-functional groups

• Experience working with IRC systems is a plus

• Dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a strong passion for our mission

• Comfortable adapting to new challenges and dynamic priorities, while maintaining professional grace

• Sophisticated Microsoft Office skills (Excel, PowerPoint) and experience with organizational information and financial systems

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in a multi-cultural environment

• University degree in Business Administration, Finance, International Development or a relevant field, or equivalent work experience

• Fluent in English; French, Spanish or Arabic language a plus

Working Environment

• Standard office working environment, flexibility to work remotely

• Workspace booked via a desk reservation system in an open-plan office when in person

• Limited travel expected

• This role may require working remotely full or part time depending on pandemic and public health changes

Values and Legal Disclaimers

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Equality, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

The Grant Operations & Analytics Team (GOAT) within Technical Excellence, and the IRC overall, are committed to the values of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. At the IRC, our diverse clients, partners, and staff have the power, voice, and agency to shape programs and operations. Within the IRC, we actively work to end all forms of systemic discrimination and foster an inclusive working environment where everyone feels respected, heard, valued, and supported. Our programs seek to reduce disparities in outcomes which are driven by systemic inequality.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:

In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity:

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

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