Business Development Manager

ROLE PURPOSE:
The Business Development Manager oversees our fundraising strategy’s operationalization and implementation in the 2022-2024 strategic plan period, facilitates structured donor engagement, and is accountable for ensuring effective proposal development processes yield excellent funding outcomes in order to sustain and maximise impact for children in Iraq.

The position requires a dynamic leader with the creativity and communication skills to package our program strategies and technical expertise in ways that attract the right donor support to grow our portfolio strategically and sustainably. The Business Development Manager will pro-actively mobilise effort to sustain and grow the Iraq Country Office’s portfolio income, serving as the central point of accountability for fundraising strategy, quality, outcomes and impact.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: PDQ Director
Staff reporting to this post: 1
Direct: Proposal Writing Coordinator
Indirect: None
Budget Responsibilities: As per the scheme of delegation
Role Dimensions: Country Director, Director of Programme Development and Quality, technical specialists, regional and member office new business development and technical staff, finance, donors.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
New Business Development (40%)
* Review, operationalise and track progress against Save the Children Iraq’s fundraising strategy for the 2022-2024 strategic plan period, to achieve and increase country impact.
* Identify, research, and prioritise new funding opportunities from bilateral, multi-lateral, and other institutional donors; provide clear recommendations to pursue and initiate action.
* Pro-actively seek local donor intelligence on prospective new opportunities or partnerships.
* Work with technical specialists to develop pro-active concept notes for country strategic goals and cross-sectoral integration. Pitches should reflect ambitions, common approaches and new creative thinking to achieve more for children in line with our Country Strategy Plan.
* Use creative approaches to link programme aspirations to donor priorities, while also working with key SMT members to effectively influence donor priorities and decisions
* Work with Save the Children members and regional office to explore the potential for non-institutional (private sector) partnerships and innovative ways to fundraise.
* Strengthen staff capacity in business development to increase field impact and coordination

Proposal Development (20%)
* Lead coordination of proposal development processes, ensuring smooth collaboration between technical and operation teams and members, to deliver high quality submissions.
* Manage and build relations with key member offices to increase support for Iraq Country Office, leveraging global strategic, technical and financial resources across the SC movement
* In collaboration with regional office and PDQ, broker specialist technical assistance and other resources to support proposal development and evidence-based project design approaches
* Drive interdepartmental coordination for project design with PDQ and Advocacy, Operations (for field team inputs, partner and location selection), security, logistics, finance, and HR
* Facilitate go/no go meetings, including preparation of opportunity decision guides in advance, ensuring informed and responsible decisions are made concerning new funding opportunities.
* Ensure full internal and member review and sign off as per the proposal development process, adhering to KPI metrics and awards management requirements
* Serve as lead writer for key bids on significant funding opportunities (or when backfilling the Proposal Writing Coordinator during leave, travel or busy proposal periods). Draft key sections of proposals that are standard inputs – e.g. capability statements; country context; programme experience – while drawing on the expertise of advisors, operations, finance etc
* Act as focal point for queries and information requests from donors, SCI, or SC members.
* Together with PDQ, ensure that Country Strategic Plan priorities are addressed in all new proposals and that key elements of programme quality are included – e.g. child participation, child safeguarding, gender and disability inclusion, lessons learned from past proposals and After Action Reviews, meeting localization and partnership commitments.
* Together with the finance team, coordinate responsible Value-For-Money calculations in all proposal development, as required by donors and internal Finance Director.
* Develop and refine a strong and effective proposal management process, drawing upon SC’s New Business Development Framework, Toolkit and global standards and practice.

Strategic Donor Engagement (30%)
* Initiate, coordinate and facilitate strategic donor engagement for the Country Office, working closely with the regional and member offices and Iraq team, to plan and undertake regular donor check-in/updates that advance and achieve the Country Office’s fundraising strategy.
* Cultivate business relationships with external stakeholders and potential partners for large scale or strategic funding opportunities, either as a prime or sub-recipient in consortium and partnership arrangements.
* Effectively represent SC’s programme objectives, capacity and challenges to donors, fostering trusted long-term relationships. Represent Save the Children as a generalist, alongside technical experts, in donor or partner meetings and design processes as necessary.
* Track donor engagement including engagement of program and technical staff with donors in the field, ensure accurate notes and actions are captured in the donor engagement tracker.
* Working with SMT colleagues, set ambitious targets for donor engagement, influence of donor strategies and donor outcomes.

Portfolio Management (10%)
* Manage Country Office’s funding portfolio, maintain an accurate awards management system
* Develop and regularly update pipeline, provide key updates, analysis and recommendations to SMT and regional office concerning portfolio trends, risks, opportunities and challenges.
* Identify upcoming funding gaps and initiate pro-active efforts to mitigate / minimise impact
* Document and communicate progress on new business development through quarterly email updates to SMT, regional office and other relevant colleagues.
* Deliver fundraising analysis or chair sessions on specific funding sessions to extended senior management team quarterly meetings; lead and coordinate monthly fundraising meetings.
* Contribute to regional and global new business development workshops, raising challenges and sharing best-practice business development knowledge across the team and movement.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
* holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
* holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
* sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
* widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
* future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
* builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
* values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
* approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
* develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
* willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
* honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS
* Masters degree in International relations or other relevant discipline.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential
* Eight years Humanitarian/development professional experience.
* Demonstrated experience of leading successful fundraising and new business development for non-governmental organisations, in humanitarian, development or nexus contexts
* Experience in coordinating development of large-scale or strategic proposals, including the development of multi-million dollar project designs for multilateral and bilateral donors
* Excellent coordination and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate, represent and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels
* Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
* Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets.
* Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
* Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
* Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
* Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.
* Commitment to Save the Children values, including willingness to abide by and enforce the Safeguarding policy

Desirable:
* Experience in Iraq or the Middle East region
* Arabic language skills highly desirable
* Knowledge of Save the Children’s Common Approaches

The Organisation
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
* No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
* All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
* Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Save the Children does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.