Strategic Partnerships and Business Development Specialist – LAC Hub – REMOTE

Overview

Work Location: Remote, within Latin America and the Caribbean region
Estimated Start date: 2 October 2023
Department: LAC Hub
Reports to: LAC Hub Regional Director
Terms: Full-time, one year initial contract. (with the possibility of renewal)
Travel: Up to 30% – Frequent travel within the region and internationally
Level: 7

About HOT

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) sits at the nexus of participatory mapping, community-led development, humanitarian response, open data and tech. With a talented and diverse team spread around the globe, HOT is an NGO which supports a dynamic global community of thousands of dedicated volunteers using maps and open data for humanitarian response and the Sustainable Development Goals. Working with humanitarian and development partners like the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, UN agencies, governments and others, the HOT community maps in solidarity with those affected by or at risk of disaster, contributing the maps and data aid workers need to do their lifesaving work.
In 2020, the work of the HOT community was recognized by TED’s Audacious Project, a collaborative philanthropic initiative that serves as a springboard for social impact on a grand scale, leading to an exciting new phase of growth. HOT is expanding its activities: opening four regional hubs and scaling up its support to local mapping communities with the audacious goal of mapping an area home to one billion people in 94 countries at high risk of disasters or experiencing poverty – mapping with communities before they are in crisis.

About You

HOT is looking for someone from the region who is passionate about, and experienced in, international development, fundraising and humanitarian action. You should be able to work within a fast-paced, international organization responding to urgent crises and persistent development issues. You should be excited about working with an international team and ready to travel to work with different teams in the field. As a Strategic Partnerships and Business Development Specialist, you will play a crucial role in fostering relationships with international and national partners, including governments, charities, development organizations, private sector organizations, NGOs, and civil society organizations. You will also collaborate closely with the HOT global network.

About the Role

In this role, you will focus on strategic partnerships, fundraising, developing institutional relationships, and strategic communicating with funders as well as maintaining a network of relationships looking into tangible and strategic collaborations. The ideal candidate will bring a mix of fundraising and grant management experience, coupled with expertise in community-based program design, experience in the region, engagement with the private sector and a passion for connecting people and places.

In addition to relationship building, you will be responsible for developing and executing the fundraising strategy and sustainability plan. Working closely with the Regional Hub Director, you will position HOT-LAC effectively to secure funding from various donors such as governments, multilateral institutions, government agencies, foundations, partners, private sector entities and individual donors. Seizing opportunities to raise funds and advance the regional work as well as build sustainability into the work of the Hub will be a key aspect of your role. You will also provide support to the Fundraising Team. Your contributions will help establish an efficient business development system encompassing tools, processes, and capacities across the hub.

As a highly organized and proactive individual, you will support the Hub’s flagship programs and their link with partners, and scaling opportunities. Your dedication to community development and sustainability will drive your innovative thinking and ability to introduce new practices and approaches, as well as narratives to communicate to high level partners about HOT’s work and its potential. Your will support both the central team and the regional hub team to design and concretize proposals for the region, giving to them the best opportunity to succeed.

The successful candidate will possess a deep passion for community-centered activities in humanitarian and development, citizen science and open mapping. Projects undertaken by HOT encompass various sectors and primarily involve participatory mapping using OpenStreetMap, open source data analysis, technological development, storytelling, and capacity building. Working within a fast-paced international organization, you will collaborate with colleagues across different time zones to implement HOT’s community-centric strategy and activities.

Join us in this exciting role as we work together to make a positive impact on global goals and the five impact areas of HOT.

Responsibilities

Fundraising, grant proposal design and management:

• Lead the LAC Hub Business Development strategy by seeking funding and partnerships for current and future grant programs;
• Build and develop a fundraising strategy with a clear implementation plan;
• Identify, research and track funding opportunities from institutions, foundations, government entities, among others, that align with the organization’s global objectives;
• Map and identify funding opportunities from interested foundations, institutions, partners, individuals, etc. in the region in collaboration with the central Fundraising team;
• Advise and assist in the design, development and oversight of grant and proposal management policies, procedures and practices;
• Integrate MERL data workflows across all programs.

Business development:

• Engage relevant stakeholders in the region to secure business and strategic opportunities;
• Support the development and co-design of business development and fundraising models in the region;
• Write proposals in collaboration with the regional team and programs or projects managers;
• Establish a donor and strategic partners portfolio;
• Act as Hub representative in discussions with institutional donors, foundations, private sector entities and individual donors when requested and specifically in main programs;
• Act as liaison between fund development and Global’s proposal and the Hub;
• Keep up to date and informed on the latest trends and opportunities in the community of institutional donors, foundations, partners and individuals, keeping abreast of the standards and regulatory environments of institutions and priorities within the region;
• Build and strengthen relationships and knowledge of partner organizations, effectively representing HOT-LAC in relevant negotiations and networks when necessary;
• Proactively lead discussions with partner organizations on consortia participation;
• Participate in strategic meetings and discussions with the central Fundraising team to enhance and optimize the effectiveness of donor and community relationship development.

Proposal development and follow-up:

• Coordinate the proposal development with the team and HOT’s experts, grant writing, submission and follow-up process;
• Write, review, edit and coordinate the final version of proposals in collaboration with the Central Fundraising Team to ensure alignment with internal procedures;
• Manage the development of complex proposals involving multiple partners and coordinate input from all partners, including budget discussions and areas of collaboration;
• Draft Letters of Support in consortia and respond to the needs and requests of lead organizations for proposal support documentation;
• Follow up on requests sent and responses received, including soliciting feedback from donors on the outcome of the request and sharing learning from this feedback for future opportunities.

Donor relationship management:

• Coordinate current reporting requirements, working closely with project managers to ensure timely and high quality delivery of reports;
• Serve as a regional business development point of contact for current and potential major donors to better understand their strategic priorities, identify potential alignments with HOT-LAC and advance the open mapping agenda;
• Work with the HOT-LAC team to cultivate relationships with focal points at the local/regional/project level.

Qualifications

Essential

• A Master degree in Business, Social Sciences, Geography or related fields;
• Proficient level of English and Spanish;
• Passion for humanitarian and development work demonstrated through previous experience;
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with key stakeholders, small and large-scale of different donors, and communities;
• Proven creativity and critical thinking in conceptualizing impactful programs;
• Ability to work comfortably with a global and virtual team, willing to adapt to different time zones;
• Enthusiastic about working in a small, focused, startup-like environment;
• Independent, self-driven and organized;
• Attention to detail, analytical and problem solving skills;
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to develop effective online and in-person relationships;
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working directly with institutional and individual donors in the LAC region, and with a strong personal network related to the position;
• Experience coordinating and facilitating grants and proposals;
• Experience reviewing, editing and managing budgets;
• Experience in fundraising for regional NGOs;
• Experience in fundraising for sustainable development projects, disaster response or aid projects that depended on donors for success;
• Experience in seeking grant opportunities, developing, presenting and following up on successful proposals;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience or participation in an OpenStreetMap (OSM) community;
• Experience working remotely and leading projects/activities and coaching team members globally;
• Working knowledge of Portuguese and/or French.

Are you missing a few of the technical skills listed? We would still like to see your application. While the skills above fit our vision of this role, we are open to those candidates with a strong knowledge foundation that are fast learners and highly motivated to close any skill gaps.

Compensation and Benefits

HOT values transparency and equity. All HOT compensation globally is set according to a framework detailed on our website.

Equal Opportunity

We seek to recruit persons that reflect the diversity of the communities we work with. HOT does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, physical ability, religious or belief systems, political convictions, or sexual orientation. Further, HOT seeks to support the development and advancement of staff within the organization. Our staff includes people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives on the world. HOT is an equal opportunity employer. We seek to live our values and promote inclusivity in all locations. All of our staff work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of all is valued and respected.

HOT is committed to diversity within our team, and recognizes our role in closing the digital divide, including identifying obstacles that certain groups face in developing skills needed for roles in the humanitarian & technology sectors. Women, nationals of developing countries, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.