Prosopal Development Advisor at Plan International

Grade: E
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Type of Role: Single Assignment
Reports to: Resource Mobilisation Manager

Role Purpose

• The purpose of the role is to lead the Proposal Development process for Plan International Nigeria’s country programme objectives.
• The role will involve putting together Grant bid materials (proposals, presentations and concept notes), design and lead on proposal development workshops, design and validate consortia / bid team inputs, provide high quality proposal designs and review, and support the capacity building and training of programme teams and local partners on proposal development.

Dimensions of the Role

• Effectively manage communication with Plan International’s National Offices (NOs) and related donor agencies.
• The post holder will manage the proposal development process of the Country Programme in close coordination with the Programmes Teams.
• The post holder will be expected to build proposal-writing capacity of Plan International Nigeria staff.
• She / he should have experience of living and working in developing countries; must have strong writing skills and will bring a well-established record of accomplishment of developing winning funding proposals to donors such as USAID, EC, ECHO, GAC, DFID, SIDA, GFFO, GIZ, UN Agencies, etc.  
• She / he must have the ability to build networks with strategic partners and coordinate with the different units within the organization during the proposal development process.

Key Roles / Responsibilities

• Lead the proposal development process by coordinating with technical specialists, finance, HR, procurement and other relevant departments to receive quality input and in a timely manner to develop and submit high quality proposals that are aligned to donor regulations
• Serve as one of the focal points for National Offices on communication during proposal development process and reporting
• Share regular updates on projects with NOs in close coordination with the Programmes Unit
• Regularly attend donor meetings and update the Country Team appropriately.
• In close collaboration with Resource Mobilization Manager engage with NOs about upcoming funding opportunities and communicate them to the Programmes team to prepare go / no-go decisions
• In collaboration with Country Office Grants Team support Project Managers and Technical Specialists in start-up workshops to ensure that donor regulations are shared with project staff for compliance
• In collaboration with Grants Team, provide advice on institutional donor requirements and private foundations including reporting timeliness and expectations.
• Maintain relationships with donor in country by sharing briefs and reports with donors. This includes maintaining networks and actively engaging in knowledge sharing, information dissemination about Plan International Nigeria.
• Work closely with Resource Mobilization Manager and Grants Team in supporting signing of new funding agreements.
• In collaboration with Country Office Grants Unit maintain up to date knowledge on donor funded projects and ensure reporting is completed to the donor in a timely manner.
• Support with the drafting of external reports and work with programme teams to finalize these in accordance with requirements and timelines.
• Facilitate the initial start-up of the new project including, start-up workshops, SAP project set-up, recruitment, work plan preparation, donor coordination.

Technical Expertise,Skills and Knowledge

• A degree in Development Studies, Business Studies, or Social Science (Master’s degree or equivalent in International Affairs, Development or related subject will be an added advantage).
• Experience in the INGO sector with at least 3-5 years of work experience on a similar role.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Must exhibit excellent knowledge of donor funded development and humanitarian programme design.
• Ability to design, conceptualize and interpret project Log frame.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems, think and plan strategically, and communicate with key actors in a dynamic and unpredictable operating environment
• Demonstrated strong management, coordination, teamwork and planning skills with proven ability to function effectively with multiple counterparts in private, public and NGO sectors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English including excellent facilitation skills and demonstrated technical writing skills for publication.
• Knowledge and skills: General knowledge and understanding of Humanitarian Principles and core standards e.g. CPIE Minimum standards, Core Humanitarian Standards, SPHERE and other relevant international standard for humanitarian response
• Ability to work effectively with diverse international teams.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform.
• Proficiency in word processing and Microsoft Office applications

Behaviours:

• Creates strong sense of purpose and commitment within own part of the team and with stakeholders
• Holds self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and standards of behaviour
• Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism/integrity
• Strategic thinking and effective contribution to own work and Organizational development.
• Sound judgement and decision-making in complex situations
• Strong emotional intelligence including self-awareness.
• Leads by example to motivate high performance of others
• Very strong commitment to continuous learning.