Proposal Writer at VSO

Locations: Abuja (with frequent travels to other states in Nigeria based on business needs), Nigeria
Type of role: Communications and fundraising
Start date: 1 July 2019

Job Responsibilities
Proposal Development & Strategic positioning is aligned to programme priorities: 

• Work collaboratively with the program teams of VSO Nigeria and provide  a good understanding of Donor guidelines, reading and unpacking the requirements of donor calls and supporting team to generate the ideas for proposal writing

Bid Development:

• Rapidly pull together bid materials (proposal, presentation, concept outline) that bring a project or programme idea into a concrete, fundable proposition (including bringing out the Value for Money (VfM) arguments, responding to donor/partner key interests, & being technically compliant, to ensure sound concept in line with good development practice and feasible delivery – 
• Provide bid development for Nigeria ( or as may be required multi-countries or  regional calls and where VSO is a member of a consortia (as lead or sub) 
• facilitate diverse proposal bid teams (made up of country office staff, partners, volunteers, VSO technical experts from finance, M&E & fundraising, programme teams and external consultants as needed) to deliver highly competitive concept notes and full proposals for all funding sources (institutional donors, trusts, foundations, major donors, and the corporate sector) emphasis on large scale funding opportunities over £1M, complex and / or consortia applications 
• Design and lead on proposal development workshops to bring together and validate consortia/bid team inputs
• Ensure legally binding teaming agreements are in place with consortia partners, and facilitate internal proposal risk assessment sign offs by senior leadership 
• Ensure Value for Money arguments and Theories of Change and Cost Recovery are clearly articulated in all proposals
• Conduct session to share and digest feedback received from donors on report, proposals submitted so as to generate learning for CO team. Contribute to the development of signature packages for country offices as part of the prepositioning and bid development core functions Other
• 15-20% time expected for cross functional, professional growth pursuits (e.g. buddying with others to expand repertoire or increase exposure to areas of thematic or technical interest) that simultaneously provide needed increased capacity to ‘non-core JD’ initiatives.
• Provide report analysis on progress, learning, and recommendations, and to harmonize processes and support a global approach to  right formatting, designing , making proposal more reader friendly and attractive
• Support capacity building and training of country office team and local partners on proposal development

Key Performance Indicators
Funding Opportunities:

• Number of good quality proposals in line with donor standards  submitted in advance  
• Quality/Success rate of proposals increases 
• Bid teams work rapidly and effectively (monitored through feedback on process and outcome of submissions)
• Proposal are well articulated and reflecting country strategic programming 
• Proposal packages are well articulated and completed on time drawing on national, regional and global flagship frameworks materials, as appropriate.

Qualifications and Experience

• Educated to degree level (Communication,  International Development-related discipline)
• IT skills including fluency in Microsoft Office suite and database usage
• Experience of living and working internationally will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).
• Knowledge of any additional  language Portuguese, French or other language desirable
• Ability to travel within Nigeria.

Skills/Experience Required:

• Proven experience of preparing compelling, high quality documentation (concept notes, presentations, proposals, budgets, reports, logframes and results framework, Theories of Change etc.) for different donor audiences 
• Proven track record in writing winning donor proposals for donors including USAID,  UKAID (DFID), EC,  CIDA and UN Agencies - excellent knowledge of donor proposal formats, logframes, result framework and budgeting 
• Proven experience of evaluating proposals and providing high quality analytical, feedback to programmes 
• Familiarity with M&E tools; theories of change, monitoring frameworks and basic evaluation techniques 
• Strong interpersonal skills, including written, verbal and presentation skills used in international settings – experience of leading and facilitating workshops and training 
• Experience in developing and writing consortia proposals and teaming agreements as part of consortia bid development
• Strong administrative and organizational skills: ability to be self-directed and take initiative
• Strong analytical and financial and skills 

Competencies:

• Working together: Strength Successfully leads proposals activities and participates as a reliable and positive teammember in all working relationships
• Communicating & influencing: Adds Value Inspires others by advocating plans and ideas within and outside VSO; 
• Managing Knowledge: Adds Value Leads initiatives that improve knowledge management; develops others’ knowledge management skills
• Striving for excellence:  Strength Contributes ideas to improve processes and approaches; is a role model for continuous learning and improvement.
• Managing Resources: Adds Value Organizes own and others’ work to meet objectives; clarifies accountability of roles; seeks ways to generate and save money.
• Managing People: Adds Value Requests and follows up on appropriate support from others; raises concerns about uncooperative colleagues in an appropriate way.
• Developing People: Aware Offers constructive advice to others and provides ongoing coaching throughout the proposal development process 
• Leading for the Future: Adds Value Builds confidence and excitement in VSO’s work and vision, both internally and externally; suggests innovative projects.
• Thinking Strategically: Adds Value Advances strategic projects
• Delivering Results: Strength Adopts a goal-oriented, problem-solving team mentality and ensures timely, high quality results.