Resource Development & Management Lead, VisionFund International

VisionFund's work seeks to end intergenerational poverty through financial products and services. We're about the long-term change that ensures children can break free of the poverty cycle, for good.

By supporting people and communities living in poverty to develop and grow their livelihoods, VisionFund is catalysing sustainable economic growth to break the cycle of poverty, so that children can reach their potential as communities thrive.

Learn more about us: visionfund.org

VisionFund is World Vision’s microfinance provider serving vulnerable clients through loans, savings, and insurance. We enable families to grow their livelihoods in hard to reach, rural locations in 25 countries in order that caregivers can create secure futures for their children. We believe in brighter futures for children; empowering families to create incomes and jobs; unlocking economic potential for communities to thrive.

Purpose of the position

The Resource Development & Management Lead role in Africa is part of the Resource Development & Management team in VisionFund International and will support the Regional Resource Development and Management Director (RDMD) to Manage Funding Acquisition and Project Management activities for designated Countries in Africa; in order to support VisionFund’s Financial Inclusion strategy in the region.

The role will work with the RDMD to develop and manage funding opportunities through grants from a variety of institutions including Bilateral, Multilateral, Corporate and other donors in keeping with VFI global strategy and funding priorities. This position will manage third party regional grant and major donor acquisition and compliance and ensure we meet all obligations to donors on technical and financial reporting.

The role will work with the RDMD and ensure capacity building on the development of funding acquisition and project management processes as will be assigned in the region, including supporting MFI staff on how to manage grants, report on impact and pre-position with donors.

The role will actively create and manage a funding opportunity pipeline, providing technical support, project monitoring, and donor impact reporting. This role will develop and support successful relationship building with funders, World Vision Field, Regional & Support Offices and other relevant implementing partners. The role will lead in the write-up of proposals, review contracts, monitor donor funded projects implementation, follow-up project evaluations and documentation of results while maintaining close relationships with MFI project staff to ensure we report on operational progress, finances and impact. The role will work with other relevant departments of VisionFund International in ensuring brand and technical visibility, external engagements with donors and partners with potential for joint grant acquisition and Management.

The role is open to applicants from countries in East, Southern and West Africa where World Vision International is registered.

Major Responsibilities

Resource Development

• Manage all components of RFP/RFI response process - review RFPs/RFI, profile opportunities, and ensure alignment with MFI funding priorities; vet with MFI and Regional leadership and obtain approval.
• Research and assess funding agencies, ensuring collaboration with WV Field, Regional and Support offices
• Develop opportunity pipeline aligned with MFI and VFI strategic funding priorities.
• Set up and support proposal development teams; create project workplan and ensure proposals and supporting documents are prepared to technical specifications and submitted on time.
• Provide technical support and capacity building to field staff, on proposal development, monitoring, reporting, and project management to ensure donor retention as a source of an on-going funding pipeline
• Within strategy, develop and manage key regional funder relationships with new and existing funders and World Vision Offices to achieve long-lasting global fundraising support to the MFIs.
• Increased MFI income for the region through grant & contract Funding
• Secured pipeline of Funding income for current and future FYs
• Identified priority donors and established relationships with them

External Engagement, Visibility & Technical Branding

• Network with regional donors and partners to establish collaborative relationships, learn of opportunities, and enhance VFI's ability to gain donor funding and enhance VFI's reputation in the marketplace.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key World Vision offices ensuring that the microfinance approach is understood and fundraising opportunities are maximized
• Work with MFIs & VFI teams to develop materials for promoting VF’s technical brand to support funding acquisition
• Attend sector Information & learning events, trainings, communities of practice and forums with the objective of leveraging funding and partnerships for the VF and WV’s work in the region.
• Maintain knowledge of microfinance industry and trends including focus of targeted donors
• Actively engage with donors to share VF plans and Strategies and raise funding through such engagements.
• Included and expanded in WV grants pipeline
• Established as MFI partner of choice for funding application
• Established working relationships with global, regional and national resource development teams, support offices and VFI operations
• Increased Brand Visibility amongst donors evident from awards and directly solicitated requests.
• Pre-positioning process in place
• Effective internal and external grants communication

Grant & Contract Project Management

• Monitor project compliance and implementation to ensure projects are delivered to specifications.
• Support MFI and ensure project impact reports are of high quality and submitted on time
• Build capacity of MFI for appropriate Management of funded projects
• Ensure award contracts are reviewed and risks managed and funds flow effectively to the MFI
• Ensure all due diligence and grant compliance requirements are met by VisionFund
• Ensure outcomes of Grant Funded projects are high-quality and high-impact through ongoing monitoring and the execution of mid-term and final evaluations, operations research, etc.
• Review field reports and findings/recommendations to determine and replicate best practices and apply lessons learned.
• Deliver capacity building for MFI staff on grants management.
• VFI and MFI donor funded projects procedures in place
• Reporting on management of projects in place
• Projects are managed on time and reports submitted in timely fashion
• Increased donor retention evident from repeat and/or continuous awards
• Funding opportunities, submissions, management tracked and monitored

Knowledge Management

• Contribute to proposal technical capacity content libraries.
• Contribute to streamlining Grant Funding processes and documenting protocols and policies
• Continue to learn and grow in understanding of microfinance industry and where grants can support growth
• Lead in the facilitation of documentation of project Baselines and Evaluations in order to document learnings, Impact and Results
• Contribute to the development of Impact Stories arising from various project implementation results
• Develop and continuously refresh MFI Capacity statements highlighting Sellable experiences.
• Contribute to the development of Staff training materials, documenting feedback and refining the products as needed.
• Analyse and document sectoral trends, landscape and patterns to inform Strategic decision making on resource development.
• In collaboration with the Impact Team, explore initiatives and/or share themes in Grants which can be documented & disseminated.
• Resource development capacity built, documents, shared, lessons learned
• Document Established/practices around grant funding protocols and process.
• Developed multi-annual and annual grants strategies for the MFI and input in the global Strategy
• Established and refreshed data bank of institutional Capacity and experiences gained from Grants implemented.
• Improved staff capacity in resource development and Management skills.
• Aligned leadership decision making and Strategy which supports emerging trends and resource development success.
• Established institutional knowledge on capacities and key statistics critical for donor communication and proposal writing content.

Required Professional Experience

• University degree in international development, International Relations, International Business, Communications & Marketing, or related and other field.
• This role requires at least 10 years’ experience in grant acquisition, fundraising, or corporate management setting dealing with senior management.
• Experience working in a development or Financial Services context in a grant making role
• A combination with Finance would be an added advantage.
• Able to work in complex corporate culture and financial systems and ensure procedures internally and with third parties are well documented, monitored and executed.
• Creative and helpful at problem solving Ability to work well with granting agencies, Support Offices, MFI’s, and other VFI departments
• Excellent research skills and experience in developing funding opportunities. Strong grant-writing skills, persuasive writing, and complex document creation.
• Preferably experience in humanitarian, international development, or financial institutions.
• Needs to be able to travel to in the region including to Fragile regions
• Must be cross-culturally sensitive as will work with associates from every area of the world.
• Flexibility on hours to contact people within wide time zone differences is required

Preferred Experience, Knowledge and/or other Qualifications

• This role requires at least 10 years’ experience in grant acquisition, fundraising, or corporate management setting dealing with senior management.
• Experience working in a development or Financial Services context in a grant making role
• Masters degree in a relevant field or accounting qualification or Grants qualification
• Excellent writing skills and ability to translate verbal narrations into sellable text.
• Excellent people management, communication, and relationship-building skills; must lead through influence and establish effective working relationships within the organization, with external partners, agencies and leaders in the microenterprise development field.
• International experience is an important asset, particularly in emerging/developing countries and in a humanitarian/fragile context.
• Demonstrate good judgment, exposure and diplomacy, particularly to different cultures.
• Creates processes with greater efficiency in mind, eliminating bureaucracy wherever possible.
• Able to travel to remote and insecure areas where WV VF work.
• Effective Public speaking, coaching, ability to articulate and train staff in VisionFund policies and procedures formally and informally.
• Must be able to simultaneously manage multiple priorities and projects; ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationships effectively.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement
• Applicants who are fluent in both English and French would be desirable but not mandatory

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations

• 20% travel
• Will have a mix of both in-person and Remote working arrangements
• Must be willing to travel within the region including to Fragile contexts
• Must be cross-culturally sensitive to work with associates from every area of the world.
• Flexibility on working hours to allow collaboration with other staff within wide time zones differences is required

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only