Business Development Specialist I, DRC

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Job Summary:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most populous, vast and resource rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Decades of conflict and other challenges over the past decades have left the Congo with an 80 percent poverty rate, an annual per capita income of just over $120, and inadequate social and health services. Given its fragility and weak institutions, the country is susceptible to health crises, including recent outbreaks of Ebola, measles, cholera and potentially COVID-19.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS has operated in the DRC since 1961, successfully implementing programs in nutrition, agriculture livelihoods, emergency, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), health, microfinance, and peacebuilding throughout the country. CRS/DRC currently has around 180 staff operating out of 6 offices in Kinshasa, Goma (North Kivu), Kananga (Kasai Central), Mbuji Mayi (Kasai Oriental), Kalemie (Tanganyika), and Bukavu (South Kivu).

As Business Development (BD) Specialist I you will contribute to the production of high-quality applications for funding in support of CRS’ engagement with institutional donors and initiatives involved in international development to serve the poor and vulnerable. Your knowledge and skills will allow you to contribute to improving aspects of the BD cycle for the country program. In addition, you will support the CP on documenting project learning and developing marketing and communication materials for internal and external audiences.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to proposal development processes to ensure timely submission of high-quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS’ technical and cost standards.
• Contribute to non-technical writing on proposals and proposal review panels. Integrate inputs from staff and partners into a responsive, coherent proposal.
• Research new opportunities and CRS’ competitive position within the marketplace.
• Help develop and maintain tools, guidelines, templates and donor intelligence information.
• Track and report on proposal submissions; assist with analysis of successes and failures and dissemination of lessons learned. Assist in developing analytical reports for internal and external use, including portfolio trends and growth.
• With the business development team and others, refine or create appropriate staff development materials (training, distance learning, self-study) to support building of capacity in resource acquisition, such as assessment and proposal development skills, basic elements of donor compliance, intelligence-gathering, etc.
• Work with appropriate staff to maintain data on past performance and corporate capacity, in order to provide timely information for proposal submissions.
• Collaborate with CP and regional MEAL and technical staff on documenting learning for internal and external audiences with the objective of communication for influence.
• Lead on the development of communications materials about the country program and individual programs.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, international relations, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum three years of international development experience, with at least two years’ experience in a developing country.

Required Languages – English, French

Travel – Position is based in Kinshasa, D.R. Congo. Must be willing and able to travel up to 25 % internally in D.R. Congo.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, with capacity to see the big picture.
• Good relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally.
• Good negotiation skills.
• Very good communications and presentation skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.

Preferred Qualifications

• Very strong writer with expert command of English grammar and AP style.
• Demonstrated experience with competitive proposals in programming contexts similar to CRS.
• Familiarity with USG funding mechanisms and proposal requirements. Specific experience with food aid programming and with non-USG public donors highly desirable.
• Knowledge of CRS programs, justice agenda and Catholic Social Teaching principles a plus.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Country Representative, Head of Programming, RFSA Proposal Coordinator, Deputy Country Representative for Operations, MEAL/ICT4D Coordinator and TAs for M&E, Learning, and ICT4D, Gender, Protection, and Beneficiary Feedback Advisor, Finance Manager and Deputy Finance Manager for Grants and Compliance, Sub-office Operations Managers, Program Managers and staff, Regional Business Development Manager and Business Development Specialists, Regional Technical Advisors, and Marketing and Communication colleagues.

External: Donors, partner INGOs and local NGOs, Caritas, and peer agencies.

Qualifications

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

· Integrity

· Continuous Improvement & Innovation

· Builds Relationships

· Develops Talent

· Strategic Mindset

· Accountability & Stewardship

*Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

Note: All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside their home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical examination.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people – especially children and vulnerable adults – to live free from abuse and harm.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate or global telecommuter, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer