Creative Associates International
Overview
Background:
Creative Associates International is a dynamic, global development company that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Chevy Chase, MD (metro Washington, D.C. area), Creative has programs in more than 30 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Founded in 1977, Creative is a minority-owned, mission-driven organization that has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
We value diversity — in backgrounds and in experiences. We are deliberate and self-reflective about the kind of team and culture that we are building, seeking staff that are not only strong in their own aptitudes but care deeply about supporting each other’s growth. Our success depends on all our employees’ points of view, and the principle that inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.
Position Summary:
The Senior Business Development Manager is a senior member of the Communities in Transition (CIT) Division’s new business team, charged with developing or working on strategic CIT BD objectives, including strategic alliances, new partnerships, and business process improvements. The incumbent supports the identification of annual targets of opportunity, helps develop the multi-year business pipeline and win strategy, and works across the company to focus resources on priority bids.
The Senior Business Development Manager works with the CIT division to deliver winning proposals for the company. S/he is experienced in designing and writing proposals for USAID and other clients and has a good grasp of the requirements and needs for contract or cooperative agreement mechanisms. He/she establishes and ensures adherence to all proposal policies, procedures, and timelines to develop a submission that is technically and financially sound, responsive, compliant, and of the highest quality. The Senior Business Development Manager is also involved in preparatory efforts for bid pursuits, including guiding or monitoring long-term positioning and capture efforts, developing relationships with partners and new clients, and tracking procurement opportunities. The Senior Business Development Manager provides input into Creative’s knowledge management and capture of best practices and lessons learned for future business development.
Reporting & Supervision:
The Senior Business Development Manager reports to and is supervised by the CIT Director of Business Development & Strategy.
Responsibilities
Expected Outcomes:
- Writing winning bids;
- Spearheads and contributes to major business process improvement; champions BD strategy and policies across the company;
- Develops and provides training to CIT staff to enhance new business development capacity;
- Keeps abreast of major trends in the marketplace, attending workshops and conferences to ensure relevance of company’s bidding strategy.
Responsibilities
- Serves as a lead writer on capture and proposal efforts for USAID and other donors in Creative’s CIT division. This may include areas such as stabilization, transitions, governance, civil society, elections, countering violent extremism, human security, etc.
- Develops key proposal products including annotated outlines, executive summaries technical approach sections, and material to support oral presentations.
- Participates in capture trips by developing a scope of work for trips, objectives and agendas for meetings, identifies potential partners and candidates for program implementation; establishes local relationships during proposal development and capture phases; obtains cost information pertinent for budgeting; provides regular updates to senior leaders;
- Participates in proposal strategy, design, writing, and revie sessions with business development ad technical teams throughout the life of the proposal
- Participates in the proposal development process; contributes to program design and serves as technical lead writer or contributing writer, or other sections as necessary.
- Provides mentoring and support to other colleagues in writing proposal sections and in other processes related to bid preparation;
- Provides contextual analysis and information from relevant/key sources to inform technical sections of proposals or in support of project implementation with project teams for his/her technical area;
- Participates in the recruitment process for key and non-key personnel;
- Develops and maintains strong working relationships with partner and/or donor organizations;
- Provides training and mentoring to build the capacity of CIT staff in technical writing
- Participates in industry working groups and other fora;
- Develops technical materials and knowledge products, and liaises with Knowledge Management, Communications, and other support divisions in HQ as needed;
- Provides/backstops field projects on technical, financial, and administrative tasks, as assigned;
- Works closely with the Contracts department preparing documentation for submission to the Contracting Officer; supports field teams, as required.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field and six years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree and six years of relevant experience;
- Knowledge of the international development industry and donors, specifically USAID;
- Experience writing winning technical proposals in the field of international development, with preference given to technical areas that fall underneath communities in transition;
- Ability to work autonomously and in team environment under critical deadline pressures
- Experience in quickly demonstrating the ability to produce results on specific assignments in diverse country and program contexts.
- Considerable skill and experience in U.S. government donor regulations;
- Experience in an international development donor funded setting and interacting with client representatives and other project stakeholders;
- Strong writing and editing skills; excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills;
- Ability to multi-task under tight deadlines; ability to travel internationally on short notice.
Desired Skills & Qualifications:
- Second language, such as French, Spanish, or Arabic;
- Experience with other USG agencies and donors; and
- Demonstrated expertise within one or more of Creative’s technical areas, including field-based experience, is desirable.
EEOC Statement: Creative is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics. Military veterans, Ameri-Corps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.
Accessibility Notice: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to [email protected]. Please view Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP here.
Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision: Creative will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation. LI-IB#
Only finalists will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
PI202074954