Proposal Development Specialist

Objective:

The Proposal Development Specialist will be responsible for leading, together with the Program Direction, Managers and Technical Coordinations, the organization, design and writing of concept notes, proposals, reports, diagnostics, and other relevant documents to obtain humanitarian funding, overseeing the prospective and strategic search for donors to obtain funds to strengthen HIAS Venezuela’s programs and emergency response, as well as providing support to broader organizational initiatives.

Functions:

1. Support the Directions, Managements and Program Coordinations in the mapping of potential national and international donors and the consolidation of a fundraising strategy for the work of HIAS Venezuela.
2. Contribute to the strengthening of relationships with potential international and/or relevant local partners (national and international NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, etc.) for the creation of potential consortiums and the presentation of consistent and attractive proposals within the framework of humanitarian action.
3. Coordinate and lead teams and cross-cutting areas involved in proposal and budget design, including drafting concept notes, managing task lists, coordination matrices and providing clear communication for the articulation of the proposal development process.
4. Lead the development and implementation of diagnostics and other evaluations conducted by HIAS Venezuela as part of the design of new proposals.
5. Lead the search for new funding sources and the strengthening of its programmatic signatures.
6. Propose and structure a schedule of visits to prioritized donors for the presentation of programmatic information on HIAS (letters of interest, concept notes, capacity statements, past performance information and other materials of interest).
7. Support HIAS Venezuela in soliciting feedback spaces on proposal submissions, facilitating proposal development follow-up meetings with teams, as well as working to systematize challenges and apply lessons learned to continuously improve the quality of future submissions.

Tasks:

1. Support the Direction and Program Managements/Coordinations in researching funding mechanisms and identifying opportunities related to national and international donor agendas.
2. Lead the writing and editing of concept notes for new funding opportunities, including research, writing and development of technical narrative sections and multiple annexes, as well as the timely submission of the final proposal package, ensuring that the information conforms to the appropriate format and the requirements of each donor.
3. Analyze and consolidate viable funding opportunities for dissemination to the relevant technical and field team, and others as needed.
4. Manage the Donor Management Database System and reporting process.
5. Maintain close communication with HIAS International (HQ) team and HIAS for Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure strategic alignment of fundraising efforts, as well as to ensure that proposal development processes are aligned with established procedures and for solicitation of eventual support.
6. Consolidate information and input corresponding to the Program, Finance, Logistics and HR teams at the base and coordination levels in a timely manner for the development of proposals aligned to the objectives, status, principles, processes, and vision of the organization.
7. Ensure regular update of reporting schedule, concept notes and other documents, including internal agenda planning and preparation and launch of reporting packages together with the MEAL team, including guidelines and templates from major donors to be used.
8. Lead the translation of projects, concept notes and other documents required in the face of new funding opportunities according to each donor’s technical directions and guidelines.
9. Ensure, together with the MEAL team, that proposals are 100% compliant with donor guidelines, including timely submission of electronic and hard copy versions as required.
10. Assist the Country Director, Program Director, and Program Managers in organizing meetings with donors, making contacts, preparing relevant materials, etc.
11. Plan with the Program Director, the Communication and Development Analyst, Technical Coordinations and Management Departments the sending of newsletters to funders and on-site visits to demonstrate HIAS Venezuela’s expertise in project implementation.
12. Support the Managements, Technical Coordinations and MEAL team in the preparation and review of programmatic documents (i.e. reports, manuals, maps, etc.), as well as for other tasks when necessary, providing the highest level of writing and quality to all documents that are prepared.
13. In coordination with Human Resources and the technical team, verify that human, financial and logistical resources are adequate and consistent across all funding documentation, reporting discrepancies and participating in identifying solutions.
14. Oversee the organization of kick-off meetings for new projects, bringing together key coordination and field staff.

Reports to: Program Direction.

Also works with:

• Country Direction.
• Program Management.
• Technical Managements and Coordinations.
• Finance Direction.
• Human Resources Management.
• Operations Management.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in International Studies, Project Management, Social Sciences and/or relevant field, with a strong preference for international development, Master’s degree, or specialization in the area.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is mandatory.
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience, with demonstrated success in strengthening strategic relations and developing concept notes for donors such as UN, EU, ECHO, and local donors, particularly in the sectors of forced displacement, refugee rights, Gender-based Violence prevention and mitigation, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Economic Inclusion, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene.
• Demonstrated experience working with individual donors, institutional funders, corporations, private foundations, and non-traditional funders.
• Strong communication and writing skills, with demonstrated experience with successful (funded) proposals.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to effectively research, analyze and disseminate potential funding opportunities.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge of the Accountability for Affected Populations framework.
• Computer skills including word processing (Microsoft Word); spreadsheets (Excel); electronic communication systems (Outlook, instant messaging, Skype, etc.); and Salesforce or other similar database systems.