Key Roles and Responsibilities
1. Business Development Strategy & Planning
- Develop and execute a global business development strategy aligned with ForAfrika’s mission and strategic goals.
- Support the development of annual BD targets and forecasting of opportunity pipelines.
- Work with senior leadership to identify new markets, strategic donors, and funding mechanisms.
- Refine internal BD tools, systems, and methodologies to enhance operational efficiency and donor responsiveness.
2. Opportunity Identification & Capture
- Identify, track, and assess new business opportunities with institutional donors.
- Lead capture planning processes, including partner identification, donor engagement, and intelligence gathering.
- Build and manage strategic partnerships with INGOs, government agencies, foundations, academic institutions, and private sector actors.
- Coordinate pre-positioning efforts for high-value opportunities, including attending donor briefings and engagement events.
3. Proposal Leadership & Development
- Serve as Proposal Manager and/or Lead Technical Writer on priority funding opportunities.
- Lead or support the full lifecycle of proposal development: strategy, design sessions, writing, cost proposal development, compliance, and submission.
- Draft and/or review key proposal sections including technical approaches, staffing plans, past performance, and capability statements.
- Collaborate with country offices, technical leads, and finance teams to ensure high-quality, compliant, and compelling submissions.
- Ensure all proposals meet internal quality standards and donor guidelines.
4. Team Leadership & Capacity Building
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to BD team members across the organization.
- Build internal capacity through knowledge sharing, coaching, and leading training sessions on proposal development and donor engagement.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and learning within the BD function.
5. External Representation & Thought Leadership
- Represent ForAfrika in external forums, conferences, and meetings with donors and partners.
- Contribute to thought leadership initiatives to raise the organization’s profile and demonstrate impact.
- Support communication of ForAfrika’s success stories and innovation to external audiences.
Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of experience or Master’s degree with 8+ years of experience in business development, strategic planning, or proposal development within the international development sector.
- At least 5 years of experience in project design and/or implementation within the international development sector, with a strong understanding of programs in emergency response, water and sanitation, food security, health, education, economic development, and other sectors.
- Deep understanding of donor funding mechanisms, requirements, proposal development processes, and the international development donor landscape
- Proven track record in securing funding through competitive, unsolicited and non-traditional mechanisms.
- Demonstrated experience engaging donors, building strategic partnerships, and leading complex proposals.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a passion for proposal writing.
- Excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and maintain strong partnerships with donors, stakeholders, and internal teams.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and perform under pressure in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and innovatively.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with project management tools.
Special Requirements
- Must overlap with Africa Standard Time (AST) by at least six (6) hours.
- Shortlisted candidates will be expected to provide writing samples.
