Program Grant and Business Development Specialist - Afghanistan

Overview

Lead grants unit management, business development, and partnerships for HI in Afghanistan.

You have:

• At least 5 years experience of working with institutional donor audiences or similar in business development, funding management, or partnerships management roles
• At least 5 years working in a humanitarian and/or development program role
• Keen familiarity with donor regulations, standards, and compliance matters
• Excellent written and spoken English and attention to detail
• Able to work quickly and efficiently to deliver key tasks with tight deadlines

Description

Location : The position will be located in Kabul, Afghanistan

Desired start date : October 20, 2025

Contract duration : 9 months

Application deadline : August 21, 2025

The position is initially open to International and National HI staff, with priority given (based on equal skills) to candidates whose positions are impacted by the transformation project and are based in the Sahel and West Africa.

Handicap International / Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an independent and impartial international solidarity organization that intervenes in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict, and disaster. Working alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, it takes action and provides evidence to meet their basic needs and improve their living conditions. It is committed to promoting respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

At Handicap International, we firmly believe in the importance of inclusion and diversity within our organization. This is why we are committed to a disability policy to promote the reception and integration of people with disabilities. Please indicate if you require any special accommodations, including to participate in the initial interviews. Find more information about the organization : www.hi.org.

CONTEXTUALISATION :

The HI Afghanistan operating framework is outlined in the operational strategy (“Stratop”) developed at the beginning of 2022 for the next two years. The pillars are Health/Basic Needs, economic Inclusion / Armed Violence Reduction, and protection of Vulnerable Populations.

HI is currently involved in different sectors of activities :

- Physical and functional rehabilitation (both on service provision and training – tech assistance), in development and chronic crisis settings

- Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS)

- Inclusive livelihood

- Mine Risk Education

HI has five offices located in the different provinces of intervention. The central office is in the capital city (Kabul) and hosts the management team (including operations, finance, logistics, human resources, technical unit, humanitarian access and advocacy, and Security).

Five bases, located in Herat (West), Kunduz (North), Nimroz, Nangarhar and Kandahar (south), are fully operational with dedicated support services and project management teams. The Programme also has projects in Bamyan, which the Kabul main office manages.

HI Afghanistan employs 450 national and 10 international staff and has a budget of 8 and 10 million euros. Most fundraising efforts and donor relationships are held at the Kabul level. HI is also part of different fora/coordination bodies (ACBAR, INSO, HAG, etc.) and a member of several clusters, including health, and Co-Chairs the Disability Inclusion Working Group.

The security and access situation in the Country has improved significantly since the conflict ended ; however, security measures remain in place as the context remains unpredictable.

International staff share the guesthouses in Kabul. They are spacious, well-equipped, secure, and comfortable, providing adequate living conditions and well-being to the global team, considering the limitations of moving around the city. The guesthouses have sports facilities and common areas for recreational activities. HI in Afghanistan provides a cleaner for the Guesthouses during working days.

GENERAL MISSION :

Reporting to the Country Director and working in close collaboration with the Operations Manager and Technical Unit Manager, the postholder leads three key components of the program:

Grants Unit Management

Business Development and Fundraising Strategy

Relationship and Partnership Management (with INGOs and national NGOs)

The program grant and business development specialist we have 4 main missions :

Mission 1 : Grants unit management

• Supervise the grant team (1 Grant Manager, 2 Grant Officers).

• Supervising and supporting the Grants Manager in the coordination of donor reporting processes :

• Monitoring and managing the reporting calendar to ensure deadlines are met without compromising quality
• Reviewing and validating donor reports before submission to ensure quality, accuracy, coherence, and compliance with contractual obligations

• Conducting final reviews of narrative and financial reports to verify alignment between activities, indicators, budgets, and results

• Serving as a point of escalation for challenges the Grants Manager may encounter with coordination, both at Program and at HQ level

• With the Grants Manager, promoting continuous improvement and learning from past reporting cycles
• Support the Grants Manager in donor audit requests in collaboration with Compliance, Ops, and Finance managers.
• Support the Grants Manager or any project reviews, realignments…

Mission 2 : Business development management

Strategic positioning and planning :

• Monitor donor strategies and funding opportunities to anticipate calls for proposals.
• Contribute to the development and follow-up of the fundraising action plan and operational strategy.
• Maintain relationships with donors to align funding efforts with their priorities.
• Map key stakeholders (donors, NGOs, UN agencies, government bodies) to track sector trends.
• Analyze and report on fundraising performance and funding trends.
• Coordinate internal fundraising efforts, mobilizing teams and organizing regular strategy meetings.

Proposal development

• Lead and coordinate the development of quality proposals and concept notes in line with donor and internal requirements.
• Manage proposal timelines, ensuring timely submission of all required documents (e.g., logical frameworks, narratives, budgets).
• Facilitate cross-departmental input, using HI tools and ensure involvement of technical and support teams (HQ and field).
• Identify and structure relevant partnerships or consortia, managing collaboration and communication.
• Ensure quality control of final proposals for compliance, coherence, and competitiveness.
• Collaborate with national associations (IPO/IPSO) for donor engagement and proposal alignment

Mission 3 : Relationship and Partnership management

• Along with Country Director and Technical unit, strengthen HI’s visibility and influence by building strategic relationships with donors, national/local authorities, INGOs, and key decision-makers.
• Cultivate strong working ties with donors and partners to identify consortium opportunities and strategic collaborations
• Represent HI in relevant coordination platforms and meetings to enhance visibility and stay informed on funding prospects.
• Promote HI’s technical expertise and approaches within networks, with support from the Technical Unit, to support consortium development.
• Conduct stakeholder mapping of national and international NGOs by sector and geographic focus.

• Contribute to inclusive, localized approaches and develop tools (e.g., donor sheets, project summaries, capacity statements) to support engagement efforts

  Mission 4 : Management and Capacity Building

• Organize training and support capacity building for all field staff members of the organization and to HI partners’ staff on program development and reporting, as well as on HI’s program specific documentation

• Regularly visit field offices in order to work directly with program staff on the project implementation and to maintain an in-depth understanding of HI’s program activities and operations context
• Raise compliance issues proactively with program staff and head of departments.
• Oversee the team’s tasks, ensure compliance with donor guidelines, and review outputs (e.g., reports, budgets) for accuracy and quality.

Benefits

CONDITIONS :

At HI, the starting conditions are commensurate with your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. Particular attention is paid to health issues and your personal situation : https://hi.org/fr/travailler-chez-hi

9 months international contract, ideally starting October 20, 2025 ;

The international contract provides social security coverage tailored to each individual's needs :

• Unemployment insurance collected only for EU nationals ;
• Retirement insurance ;

• Health, repatriation, and life insurance coverage paid for by HI and the employee ;

• Salary : from €2757 gross/month

• Per diem : 634€
• Hardship : 500 €
• Paid leave: 25 days per year
• R&R : 5 days/ 8 weeks
• Position open for single people
• Share accomodation

Requirements

YOUR PROFIL :

• At least 5 years experience of working with institutional donor audiences or similar in business development, funding management, or partnerships management roles
• At least 5 years working in a humanitarian and/or development program role
• Keen familiarity with donor regulations, standards, and compliance matters
• Excellent written and spoken English and attention to detail
• Able to work quickly and efficiently to deliver key tasks with tight deadlines

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: hi.org