Senior Manager, Proposal Design Hub

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

FUNCTION:

The Senior Manager of the Proposal Design Hub oversees all work carried out by the Proposal Design Hub, a centralized service unit with expertise in the design and development of high-quality programs, projects, activities, and other funding opportunities, leveraging and institutionalizing best practices, to increase win rate and maximize impact. The Proposal Design Hub will work as a centralized service unit to support design and development of project proposals, signature programs, and special initiatives, while stewarding the proposal development process and tools. The Senior Manager will directly manage a small team, including a technical writer and proposal coordinator, and integrate with business development roles at the Area Programs levels as well as with departments including compliance, people (HR), and global finance. Often supporting multiple proposals simultaneously, the Senior Manager will, with fundraising and Area Programs colleagues, deliver quality concept notes and proposals for major institutions, tier-one foundations, government agencies, private sector corporations, and non-traditional funders while following an established proposal design process. The Senior Manager will also support Area teams in design of Heifer’s signature programs and other special initiatives. The Senior Manager must ensure the inclusion of integral components of Heifer’s 2030 organizational framework while meeting the expectations of the funder. The Senior Manager will ensure proposals are entered and tracked within Heifer’s internal pipeline tracking systems.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS:

Describe in a few words the type of personality traits that would be essential for the successful execution of the job duties.

1. Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills;
2. Fast learner and integrator;
3. Trouble shooter and problem-solver;
4. Exceptional attention to detail;
5. Strong creative and analytical skills;
6. Desire and ability to learn and utilize both innovative and established practices and tools;
7. Superior organizational and management skills;
8. Ability to be proactive, manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines required;
9. Ability to motivate staff members through encouragement and influence;
10. Passion for winning.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES:

A. Manage the transition from capture/positioning to design stage for strategic and/or high-value proposals (20%)

• Coordinate and consult with programs teams, finance department, relevant technical and resource mobilization staff to ensure strategic and/or high-value proposals properly enter design stage, following established proposal development processes.

B. Serve as a proposal design team member or proposal reviewer for proposals that enter design stage (20%)​

• Frequently serve as proposal manager (proposal strategy lead) of design teams or as color team reviewer.
• Develop concept notes and funding proposals (including log frames and budgets) for a variety of funders, major institutions, tier one foundations, government agencies, and non-traditional funders.
• Ensure proposals and concept notes are developed according to the approved internal process and in a timely manner with realistic deadlines, and that these are communicated and understood by stakeholders both internal to the office as well as external.
• Ensure that, prior to submission, all proposals are reviewed and approved by the relevant parties as appropriate.
• Ensure that concept notes and funding proposals align closely with organizational strategies and methodologies, regional strategic visions, and MEL frameworks.​

C. Provide consultation and support services to advise and guide proposal design teams, without actively serving in a design team role (20%)

• Coach proposal design team members as requested, walking them through aspects of the proposal process relevant to their design team roles.
• Guide proposal design teams to existing process resources and tools to assist in their design work.
• Advise on proposal design team logistics, such as proposal schedules and deliverables capture.
• Act as a resource for proposal design tools and networking to connect design teams to support as needed.

D. Engage in special projects related to project and program design (20%)

• Assist in designing Heifer Signature Programs, as requested by Area Programs teams, guiding teams with design tools and methodologies.
• Support strategic business planning related to industry certifications of design and results of Heifer projects and methodologies.

E. Steward Heifer’s Proposal Development Process (10%)​

• Provide oversight to the documentation of the Proposal Development Process, including the Proposal Development Manual and associated tools.
• Provide mechanisms to capture feedback from stakeholder groups regarding the Proposal Development Process.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration in evaluating the process application and recommending continuous improvements that promote effective and efficient proposal development.

F. Provide oversight to the work of the Proposal Design Hub team members (10%)

• Supervise and mentor team members.
• Support in troubleshooting where necessary.

Minimum Requirements:

1. Master’s Degree in International development, business or political science, or other related field;
2. Minimum of 10 years progressively challenging international business development experience, and 5 years of management level experience;
3. Previous experience supervising staff, including demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and build capacity of teams;
4. Proven record of securing annual and multi-year funding from funders such as major institutions, tier one foundations, government agencies, and non-traditional funders;
5. Excellent oral and written communication skills;
6. Fluency in English, both spoken and written;
7. Strong organizational and analytical skills
8. Proven record of securing annual and multi-year funding from funders such as major institutions, tier one foundations, government agencies, and non-traditional funders.

Preferred Requirements:

1. Demonstrated experience and interest in working on projects related to Heifer’s goals of supporting smallholder farmers to achieve a sustainable living income;
2. An established network of contacts relevant to business development goals;
3. Experience in developing cost proposals and pricing strategies;
4. Working competency in Spanish and/or French;
5. Experience working overseas.

Most Critical Proficiencies:

1. Skilled in setting priorities, anticipating work requirements, and attention to detail;
2. Understanding of the non-profit sector and the context in which non-profit organizations operate, particularly in international development;
3. Excellent analytical and writing skills;
4. Familiarity with and experience in responding to Requests for Applications/Proposals (RFA/RFP), Call for Proposals, Indefinite Quantity Contracts and Task Orders;
5. Demonstrated ability to produce compelling and technically sound proposals and promotional documents both individually and in collaboration with teams;
6. Computer proficient in word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail and Internet (Microsoft preferred).

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:

1. Ability to establish priorities in a time sensitive environment and meet deadlines;
2. Committed to learn Heifer’s values-based holistic community development model, Theory of Change, Cornerstones, and other Heifer established systems;
3. Demonstrate a high degree of honesty and integrity;
4. Ability to cooperate effectively and harmoniously with all stakeholders including different departments/leadership within Heifer, project partners and other organizations;
5. Effectively employ face-to-face, telephone, Skype, email and other electronic communication with internal and external colleagues;
6. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively, tactfully and diplomatically with a culturally diverse group of people;
7. Willingness to work with flexible schedule and outside of normal business hours;
8. Ability and willingness to travel extensively, both domestically and internationally;
9. Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality at all times.

Salary Information:

The expected base salary range for this position is $96k to $105k USD annually. Placement within the range will be based on the competency level of the candidate:

Minimum: Entry level, meets minimum qualifications. Needs guidance and training to perform key responsibilities of the job

Midpoint: Experienced and fully competent. Can independently perform all responsibilities of the job

Maximum: Highly experienced and can perform at a higher level than expected

**Disclaimer: Salary ranges are based on country location and local country salary scales.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Heifer International offers a variety of benefits for U.S.-based employees working 30 or more hours per week.

• Health and wellness benefits including Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Saving Account
• Employee assistance program
• 403(b) retirement plan (match 1% employee to 2% employer up to a maximum of 4% match + 3% employer discretionary contribution regardless of employee contribution)
• 22 vacation days in addition to 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)
• Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities
• Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan and pet protection
• And more!