Hybrid Business Development Specialist II

at Catholic Relief Services

• Job title: Business Development Specialist II
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior, Lead
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Sierra Leone

About the role

• Lead production of funding applications in international development for CRS. Manage proposal processes, provide BD expertise, and liaise with donors for funding opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the production of high-quality funding applications in support of CRS’ engagement with institutional donors and initiatives involved in international development to serve the poor and vulnerable.
• Provide BD expertise to country leadership and proposal teams in positioning, capture planning and proposal preparation for specific opportunities with institutional donors.
• Manage pre-positioning, capture and proposal development processes to ensure timely execution and submission of high-quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards.
• Deploy as proposal coordinator, and advise on opportunity analysis, lead go/no-go decisions, capture planning, coordinate partner inputs, proposal review panels and ensure BD data is updated and accurate.
• Deploy as a lead or support writer on proposals, contributing both technical and non-technical content and integrating inputs from staff and partners into a responsive, coherent proposal with a compelling vision and clear win themes.
• Deploy as budget lead or to support the lead in developing proposal budgets.
• Guide and advise on partner identification and negotiating CRS’ role in proposal consortia.
• Liaise with senior management and donor engagement focal points to develop a resource mobilization strategy.
• Research, track and analyze new opportunities and CRS’ competitive position within the marketplace.
• Lead and/or support development of CRS BD tools, resources and guidance on BD best practices and CRS approaches across the BD cycle.
• Train and mentor staff to improve their skills across the CRS BD Cycle.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in international development, international relations, or related field.
• Minimum eight years of international development experience.
• Master's degree in international development, international relations, or related field preferred.
• At least three years' experience in a developing country preferred.
• Demonstrated experience utilizing diverse, proactive strategies to competitively position an organization for new funding and productive institutional relationships preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading and producing competitive proposals in programming contexts similar to CRS preferred.
• Experience with both grants and contract funding mechanisms preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading project teams and processes to produce deliverables under tight deadlines and at exceptional quality preferred.
• Experience providing remote support to diverse teams preferred.
• Experience in developing content for and facilitating trainings related to key business development practices. Knowledge of adult learning approaches preferred.
• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with relevant institutional donor regulations, policies, procedures and priorities preferred.
• Comprehensive familiarity with a broad range of institutional donor technical and cost requirements.
• Experience with pursuing funding with donors including World Bank, FDCO, EU, USG, foundations and corporations preferred.
• Strong relationship management skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Exceptional writing skills with expert command of English grammar and AP style.
• Ability to write proposals in French, or another common institutional donor language a plus preferred.
• Strong communications and presentation skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented mindset preferred.
• Knowledge of CRS programs, justice agenda and Catholic Social Teaching principles a plus preferred.

Benefits

• CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.
• Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.
• CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.