Business Development Specialist at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Req Number: I3950

Primary Function

• The Business Development Specialist will support the agency's positioning for and pursuit of institutional donor resources, with an emphasis on competitive funding mechanisms.
• S/he will provide business development expertise and leadership to cross-discipline and cross-functional teams in the development of proposals to ensure the highest quality standards and competitiveness.
• S/he will contribute to and support internal learning processes that improve CRS' business development practice, enhance the agency's value propositions, and leverage innovative, evidence-based results into new revenue and programming.

Specific Responsibilities

• Research, track and analyze new business opportunities, competitive intelligence, and CRS' competitive positioning within the marketplace.
• Work with senior managers and advisors to develop effective fundraising strategies involving donor research and intelligence, product development, marketing, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. Support senior management's cultivation and strengthening of institutional relationships with donors, partner organizations, and other collaborators in the international relief/development arena.
• Maintain accurate business pipeline and performance data for CRS' Nigeria program through CRS' online system to inform executive and senior management decisions.
• Provide BD expertise in positioning, capture planning and proposal preparation for specific opportunities. As appropriate, serve as proposal coordinator or other lead role in proposal team, and participate in bid analysis and proposal review panels.
• Write or edit technical narratives (at times serving as lead writer as appropriate), produce budgets, and produce attachments, as required depending on complementary capacities of proposal development team.
• Provide specific support to proposed management and staffing plans, resource management plans, cost applications, and proposal appendices/annexes.
• Coordinate processes and mentor staff to ensure timely submission of high quality proposals that are responsive to donor requirements, applicable regulations, and CRS' technical and cost standards.
• Support and guide the identification of partners and negotiation of CRS' role on proposal consortia, ensuring a competitive position for CRS that adheres to the agency's partnership principles and strategic directions.
• Provide capacity building support in business development for country program staff and select local partners
• Work with appropriate staff to maintain data on past performance and corporate capacity, in order to provide timely information for proposal submissions worldwide.
• Contribute to, disseminate, and model the use of standardized business development processes and resources (training/capacity-building materials, guidelines, tools and templates, and online information).
• Oversee marketing and communications for the country program, including document and media product review and quality control as well as supervision of the Marketing and Communications Manager
• Develop/cultivate relationships within the framework of cross-sector engagement (CSE) such as private sector, government, and research centers, to expand partnering and consortia-building to increase impact and identify funding opportunities.
• Work closely with Regional Business Development Manager and the CRS Business Development Community through communication and coordination of all national and international funding opportunities and trends, detailed monthly tracking reports, capture planning and other strategies to track and influence donor strategies
• Lead and contribute to agency learning, through analysis of proposal successes and failures, analysis of CRS competitiveness and the funding environment, and active participation in CRS' global BD community of practice.
• Assist the Program Quality department with guidance on high-quality project start-up and close-out, including development of relevant GANTT charts and tracking of timelines.

Agency-Wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Marketing and Communications Manager

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Country Program staff; regional office staff; relevant HQ departments, and global BD community.
• External: Business development officials of collaborating partner organizations; select donor representatives as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master's Degree in International Development, International Relations, or relevant field preferred; equivalent experience acceptable.
• Minimum 5 years of international development experience required
• Ideally at least 3 years in a developing country preferred, including leading teams (in field or headquarters)
• Demonstrated experience leading and producing competitive proposals in programming contexts similar to CRS required. Comprehensive familiarity with technical and cost application requirements of USAID RFAs required. Experience with USAID RFPs and with non-USAID and non-USG donors and funding mechanisms highly desirable.
• Familiarity with relevant federal regulations and with the agency-specific policies, procedures and priorities of USAID as well as other donors.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing people and processes, leading teams to produce deliverables under tight deadlines and at exceptional quality.
• Exceptional writing ability.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Knowledge of CRS programs, justice agenda and Catholic Social Teaching principles, a plus.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet) required, experience with Access or other data base programs is a plus.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 30% of job time.
• Fluency in English required.

Personal/Professional Skills:

• Experience and proven track record of successful proposal development with USG and other donor agencies
• Listening, mediation, and facilitation skills
• Sound judgment, assertiveness, and commitment to the agency's mission
• Self-motivated, with the ability to motivate others and coordinate a large amount of activity
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Knowledge of CRS program quality standards, partnership principles and Catholic Social Teaching principles is preferred.