Job Opening at Christian Aid (CA)

Role Purpose

• This is a regional role responsible for growing Christian Aid’s institutional funding portfolio in Nigeria; supporting the country programme to deliver on their contracts with institutional donors.
• The post holder will work closely with the Country Manager to initiate new donor engagements and sustain relationships with current donors; to lead on new acquisitions; and, to advise and provide pragmatic support on delivery of on-going contracts ensuring compliance with donors’ and Christian Aid’s regulations.
• This is a senior role that is expected to engage at strategic levels both at the country and corporate levels to influence Christian Aid’s business models and the way we deliver our programmes.
• The role will be critical to supporting Country Managers in representing the organization to donors and other external stakeholders, and to improving Christian Aid’s in-country visibility.

Role Context

• The role works within the International Department and is positioned in the Programme Funding Division. The role will be based in Abuja, Nigeria.
• The role will Nigeria primarily but we are seeking agility in the post holder in order to provide support across the Africa division - particularly in Anglophone West Africa countries of Ghana and Sierra Leone - from time to time.

Key Outcome

• Acquire and retain new donors
• Identify and acquire grants and contracts from government departments, large foundations and the corporate sector
• Provide strong leadership on new proposals; assembling and managing proposal development teams; taking responsibility for high quality proposals that respond to donors’ criteria
• Deliver on existing contracts working closely with Country Programmes staff. This will entail compliance with donors and Christian Aid policies; capturing and sharing best practices across the division; and, ensuring timely and quality reporting to donors against the agreed milestones
• Gather intelligence about upcoming opportunities; develop and share opportunity-specific competitive intelligence analysis and support Country Managers in deciding on consortia formulation
• Carry-out post-bidding debrief and lead post-award negotiations

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• A diverse, multi-donor portfolios with approx. UK£2.5M annual income comprising of both humanitarian and developmental programmes
• End-to-end quality proposal delivery responding to both published and unsolicited opportunities that results from aggressive donor engagement and relationship building
• Effective delivery of existing contracts as demonstrated in timely reporting, compliance with donors’ / CA policies and achievement of project goals
• Improved Christian Aid brand within West Africa as evidenced by engagement in INGOs forums; invitations to bid on unpublished funding opportunities; articulated value addition of Christian Aid in consortia, and, the strength of Christian Aid Nigeria (CAN)’s relationships with donors, government agencies and other external stakeholders

Role Requirements

Relationship
External:

• Donors, INGOs, NNGOs, Private Sector Actors, government agencies

Internal:

• Works closely with a team of programme funding colleagues across a region or continent.
• Working with other Christian Aid staff across the organisation in line as required by the role.

Decision Making:

• This role is required to make strategic decisions on new opportunities and donors. The position holder is expected to develop and implement fundraising strategies in coordination with the Country Managers and the Head of Programme Funding - Africa.
• The position will be held responsible for performance of existing and new contracts; particularly compliance with donor regulations.

Analytical Skills:

• On-going analysis and interpretation of donor funding strategies, opportunities and alignment with Christian Aid country strategies and corporate strategy. Analysis of risk and programme logic.
• The post holder will bring together other stakeholders that might complement or add to those analyses in order to facilitate judgment and decision taken.
• Detailed risk assessment on new funding opportunities or large initiatives will be required

Developing self and others:

• Has direct responsibility for developing, coaching and motivating a group of staff, where the
• skill/location mix is likely to be diverse; undertakes performance reviews and development of action plans to improve the performance of others, whether staff or volunteers.

Person Specification

Applied Skills/Knowledge and Expertise
Essential:

• Proven track record of raising and managing funds from major institutional donors particularly DFID, USAID, Global Fund, EC / ECHO and large foundations. Kindly note that you will be required to demonstrate this competency.
• Excellent representational and communication skills. Both writing and verbal communication skills will be tested.
• An in-depth understanding of the international development sector in general and West Africa in particular
• A university Degree or equivalent in Development Studies or other relevant subject
• High level of numeracy and understanding of financial controls and procedures
• Fluency in English. Additional languages - particularly French - will be an added advantage

Desirable:

• Prior project management experience particularly in West Africa
• Knowledge of country/region of work
• Understanding of accountability and value for money
• Experience of private sector and social enterprise partnership and programmes
• IT competency required
• Intermediate

Competency Profile
Level 3:You are expected to be able to:

• Build partnerships
• Manage teams or lead projects supportively, involving others in discussing how to take work forward, helping people feel part of the team and treating everyone equally.
• Influence others to develop shared understanding and work cooperatively and collaboratively towards common goals where there are different personal or organisational agendas.
• Develop and maintain new relationships with individuals and organisations to further Christian Aid’s aims.
• Recognise and value differences in people; be ready to challenge assumptions, beliefs or attitudes in self or others.
• Manage expectations and adhere to what’s agreed, by doing what you say you’re going to do.

Communicate effectively:

• Reflect the needs of different audiences, adapting style, media, timing and pace to communicate effectively.
• Show understanding of how personal and external factors affect others’ communication style and needs and seek to manage these differences to ensure that all voices are heard.
• Clarify expectations and anticipate others’ interests and potential issues, to help them get involved in debate and dialogue.

Steward resources:

• Accept accountability internally and externally for the effective use of Christian Aid resources.
• Before using or commissioning new resources, look for ways to achieve more effective outcomes by using existing resources in a new or different way.
• Manage resources and workloads to ensure your own and others’ goals are achieved.

Deliver results:

• Create plans with key milestones and measurable outcomes: track progress and adjust to meet the objectives, ensuring others are aware of changes and reasons for them.
• Ensure individuals and teams understand and agree to work to the overall goals, specific objectives and quality standards.
• Make recommendations or decisions in the best interest of Christian Aid, involving others as needed both within and beyond your work area.
• Be willing to take action or make recommendations or decisions in difficult or ambiguous situations.
• Commit to your decisions and be accountable for them.
• Show willingness to adapt if your initial decision did not produce the expected result.

Realise potential:

• Demonstrate continuing commitment to your own professional and personal development.
• Use coaching and mentoring skills to support others to develop.
• Encourage others to give their best by discussing goals and aspirations and recognising achievement.
• Provide an appropriate level of supervision according to need; know when to provide help and when to give others space to learn.
• Give constructive and timely feedback to others on difficult or contentious issues.
• Deal with poor performance directly and sensitively, seeking appropriate and timely advice and support if needed.

Strive for improvement:

• Be open to radical suggestions.
• Evaluate the benefits and risks of new ideas and ways of working and identify ways to reduce risk.
• Find and implement ways to better support internal knowledge- and information-sharing.
• Coach others on dealing with resistance to change.
• Seek and evaluate a range of viewpoints, internal and external, about how Christian Aid could do things better.

Remuneration
N7,887,850 - N9,752,863

Interview Date
9th November, 2016.