Senior Business Development Specialist

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Senior Business Development Specialist will identify and pursue new business development opportunities among government, with a particular focus on the international development sector of democracy, rights and governance (DRG) (85% +), as well as other sectors such as gender and inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, health, etc. (up to 15%), and their intersection with the media and information landscape in developing countries. The position is responsible for representation with partners and donors working in these sectors, overseeing the development of concept notes and proposals, as well as carrying out field assessments and program design work. The position is also responsible for strategizing for the refunding of existing programming in these sectors. The Senior Business Development Specialist will track and review donor funding announcements and determine strategy for application and design and write proposals, both from DC and in the field. They will work under the supervision of the Director for Global Development, DRG, and work closely with the Vice President for Global Development, the Chief Programs Officer, and regional and technical programs leadership. They will contribute as a member of a team to a strategic approach to business development at Internews to ensure the organization raises over $70 million annually from public sector donors, including USAID, the US State department, the Canadian government and AusAid among others.

LOGISTICS
Internews has US offices in Arcata, CA and Washington, DC which support a hybrid workforce with staff working remotely, fully in-office or partially remote. Ultimately this position may work remotely from the US, partially remote from our Washington, DC office, or fully in-office for candidates based in the DC area.

This position has a closing date of 7 April 2022.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING
We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

• Working in collaboration with others, represent Internews with donors and partners
• As requested and needed, carry out field assessments in anticipation of upcoming business development opportunities (note, COVID-19 has limited in person field assessments significantly)
• Review and analyze Requests for Applications/Proposals and help determine potential strategy for application in consultation with Internews program staff
• Provide writing guides, outlines for proposals and concept notes within the portfolio
• Working with technical leads, lead/facilitate proposal design processes using Internews tools to support strong program design, including logical frameworks, work-sheets and other tools as appropriate.
• Lead proposal design teams in selecting win themes, identifying best practices and making key partnering decisions
• Write sections of, and edit proposals and concept notes following donor guidelines and in line with Internews’ internal processes and standards
• Build partnerships implementers in the US and elsewhere, establishing Internews as a project implementer in these sectors.
• Working with the Director of Global Development, DRG, position Internews as a possible sub-grantee in proposal applications; member of relevant consortia.
• Review and analyze Requests for Application/Proposals and help determine potential strategy for application in consultation with Internews program staff. Leading and supervising proposal drafting teams, including review of proposals and concept notes at various stages of development.
• Serve as lead writer and proposal manager for larger and more strategic proposals working with relevant Business Managers, Regional Directors, or Country Directors on strategy and budgeting.
• Develop programming in collaboration with field missions and the Director of Global Development, DRG to secure funding from LWAs and IQCs and other centrally funded mechanisms that Internews is a part of.
• Build relationships with community stakeholders to advance the mission and fundraising goals of the organization.
• As requested, serve as lead proposal writer, editor and/or proposal manager for areas outside of DRG, including in health, environment and humanitarian.
• In all duties, demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 7+ years of experience in international development, health, media, and/or nonprofit fields – with at least 2 years of experience working abroad strongly preferred.
• At least 3 – 5 years of solid business development and/or fundraising experience within the non-profit sector
• Relevant university degree required. Advanced degree in a relevant field preferred, and can substitute for up to 2 of the required years of experience described above.
• Strong proposal writing experience – including in response to USAID, DRL, Global Affairs Canada and other donor solicitations. Prior proposal work with DFID and other European donors preferred but not required.
• Strong preference for candidates with experience living or working in the field, either through on-site work or via short term technical assistance
• Proven track record of successful business development efforts, including leading / serving as lead proposal writer/manager for multi-million proposals
• Excellent critical thinking, writing, communications skills
• Ability to work effectively with different teams and in different cultures
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to maintain calm and productive working relationships during stressful proposal processes. Strong sense of humor and sense of fun a bonus.
• Ability to manage multiple, ongoing obligations and assignments
• Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time, often in difficult conditions (post-COVID)
• Native level written fluency in English required; French, Arabic or Spanish language skills a plus.
• Skilled in MS Office and Excel