Senior Business Development Manager

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the largest humanitarian agencies in the world, providing relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of oppression and violent conflict. IRC has worked for over seven decades and today is involved in over 25 conflict zones in the world. We address both the immediate, lifesaving needs of conflict affected people in an emergency and the reconstruction needs in post conflict societies. IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and thorough accountability to those we serve. The IRC is an international agency with offices in London, New York, and Geneva.

Background

The IRC first began working in DRC in 1996, providing emergency assistance and humanitarian aid to those affected by violence and uprooted from their homes. We also worked with local communities to help them rebuild and to create education and health care programs. As the country struggles to recover from decades of conflict and widespread disease, the IRC is focusing our efforts in Tanganyika, North and South Kivu and Ituri by:

• providing emergency health care, shelter, water, sanitation, and emergency supplies to hundreds of thousands of people in eastern Congo;

• empowering communities to work together on peace-building projects aimed at conflict reduction and economic recovery;

• training health and government workers, rehabilitating health centers, and providing essential medicine;

• providing counseling, medical care and legal assistance to survivors of sexual assault;

• offering a range of reproductive health services to women and adolescent girls to enable safer childbirth and improved spacing between children;

• ensuring girls are enrolled and succeeding in school, as well supporting them with formal and informal education, so they can take control of their futures.

To reach these results, IRC implements projects funded by SIDA, USAID, BHA, GAC, FHDRC, GFFO and other institutional and private donors.

As part of its Resource Mobilization Strategy, finalized in April 2022, the DRC country program has decided to create a new position dedicated to coordinating Business Development (BD) efforts within the country program.

Purpose of the role

The Business Development (BD) Manager will coordinate and support business development efforts to donors for the DRC program. Key functions will include :

• Regularly review and update donor mapping to facilitate identification of potential new donors

• Coordinate and track donor engagement efforts

• Coordinate and support development of donor pitches, concept notes, and proposals

The BD Manager will report to the Grants Coordinator. The BD Manager will be based in Kinshasa, with regular travel (30% time) to Goma and provincial offices and field sites in DRC.

Responsibilities

Business development strategy and positioning

• Coordinate regular updates to IRC DRC’s Resource Mobilization Strategy in line with Strategy Action Plan (SAP)

• Track and coordinate in-country donor engagement efforts, including liaising with donor contacts, scheduling meetings between IRC DRC senior leadership and donor representatives, attending donor meetings, preparing pre-meeting briefings, and sharing meeting notes with internal stakeholders

• Support production of donor engagement communications materials, including factsheets and draft project concepts for pitching to donors

• Coordinate identification, tracking, and updating of new business development opportunities

• Coordinate the go/no-go decision-making process

• Coordinate the pre-positioning (capture) process on major opportunities, including facilitating technical brainstorming, competitor landscape mapping, partner mapping, teaming discussions, and design sessions

• Regularly research and disseminate information on new funding opportunities from bilateral, multi-lateral, and other institutional donors. Use creative approaches to link programme aspirations to donor priorities, while also effectively influencing the strategies of donors.

• Maintain an on-going and regularly updated information bank on community mapping and research findings for future proposal development (assessments, studies, census data, field research on community needs, etc.).

• In liaison with the CD, DDP, and Grants Coordinator, participate in key donor meetings, initiate donor contacts, when necessary, to foster long-term collaboration and engagement. Proactively seek donor intelligence on prospective new opportunities or partnership.

• In agreement with the CD, DDP, and Grants Coordinator, cultivate business relationships with external stakeholders and potential partners for large scale or strategic funding opportunities, either as a prime or sub-recipient in joint ventures.

• Ensure key contacts, required formats and donor strategies are kept up-to-date at the country program level.

Proposal development

• Coordinate proposal development work on priority opportunities, including: preparing timelines, ensuring the proposal team adheres to deadlines, advising and supporting on teaming, supporting recruitment (if needed), assisting in budget development, ensuring document completion, organizing meetings and compiling notes, compiling inputs from internal and external proposal team members, drafting non-technical proposal sections and annexes, translating proposal sections as needed (English/French), and proofreading proposal documents

• Coordinate producing, writing and harmonizing all proposal development including the development of proposals or bids, building on global, regional and national expertise, and ensuring the highest quality product.

• Verify the quality and goal of each proposal, paying attention to the coordination and complementary between budget and operations, budget and programme activities, methodology and donor requirement, accurate analysis of budget distribution, Gender approach, Safeguarding components in all activities, and adequate accountability system in coordination with MEAL.

• Coordinate Value for Money calculations in proposal development, as required by donors

Job requirements

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field, including international relations, political or social science, public administration, and communications; Master’s degree a plus.

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English and French.

• At least five years’ experience working in humanitarian or development programs; experience in DRC or similar contexts strongly preferred.

• Significant experience and strong track record in writing grants and developing funding proposals.

• Familiarity with major institutional donors, such as AFD, BHA (formerly OFDA/FFP), ECHO, EU/INTPA, FCDO/DFID, GFFO, Sida, USAID, and the World Bank.

• Strong proposal writing skills; strong proposal budgeting skills a plus.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively manage a variety of relationships in a multicultural environment.

• Demonstrated ability to work productively and manage multiple priorities

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. 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.

Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is also committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other encouraging benefits

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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