Business Development Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in more than 100 countries worldwide. The organization is committed to improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. CRS engages in various programs, including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. The agency's work culture is collaborative and mission-driven, welcoming individuals from diverse faiths and secular traditions who share its values and commitment to service. CRS is dedicated to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and its processes reflect this commitment. The organization prioritizes hiring candidates from the regions in which it operates, ensuring that its workforce is representative of the communities it serves.

Job Overview:
The Business Development Specialist will lead the production of high-quality funding applications to support CRS' engagement with institutional donors and initiatives in international development. This role requires specialized assistance across all dimensions of the Business Development (BD) cycle, particularly in East and Southern Africa. The specialist will provide surge support on strategic funding opportunities, ensuring that proposals are responsive to donor requirements and aligned with CRS' technical and cost standards. The position involves collaboration with country leadership and programming teams to enhance the organization's competitive positioning for funding opportunities, as well as managing the proposal development process to ensure timely and high-quality submissions. The specialist will also be responsible for training and mentoring staff to improve their skills in business development practices, contributing to the overall effectiveness of CRS' funding strategies.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the Business Development Specialist include providing BD expertise to country leadership and programming teams, managing pre-positioning, capture, and proposal development processes, and ensuring timely execution and submission of high-quality proposals. The specialist will deploy as a proposal coordinator, advising on opportunity analysis and leading go/no-go decisions. They will also contribute as a lead or support writer on proposals, integrating inputs from staff and partners into coherent proposals. Additionally, the specialist will serve as budget lead, guiding technical strategy, and coordinating inputs across teams to ensure donor-aligned proposals. They will strengthen project design quality by ensuring evidence-based approaches and timely delivery of concept notes and proposals. The specialist will guide partner identification and negotiate CRS' role in proposal consortia, liaise with senior management to develop resource mobilization strategies, and support donor mapping exercises. They will also contribute to the development of CRS BD tools and resources, train staff, and maintain data on past performance for proposal submissions.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a Bachelor's degree in international development, international relations, or a related field, along with a minimum of eight years of international development experience. Preferred qualifications include a Master's degree in a relevant field and at least three years of experience in a developing country. Candidates should demonstrate experience in utilizing diverse strategies to position an organization for new funding and in leading competitive proposals in similar programming contexts. Experience with grants and contract funding mechanisms, leading project teams under tight deadlines, and providing remote support to diverse teams is also essential. Knowledge of CRS programs and principles is a plus.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor's degree in international development, international relations, or a related field. A Master's degree is preferred, indicating a higher level of expertise and understanding of the complexities involved in international development work.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have a minimum of eight years of experience in international development, with at least three years in a developing country context. Demonstrated experience in leading and producing competitive proposals, as well as managing relationships with institutional donors, is crucial. The candidate should also have experience in developing content for training related to business development practices and knowledge of adult learning approaches.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required, while working ability in French, Arabic, and/or Portuguese is preferred. The ability to write proposals in additional languages is considered a plus, enhancing the candidate's versatility in engaging with diverse donor requirements.

Additional Notes:
The position may require travel up to 35%. Candidates should be located in East or Southern Africa, preferably within three hours of the East Africa time zone (GMT +3). The role does not have supervisory responsibilities. CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package for U.S.-based staff, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and retirement savings plans. For candidates employed outside the U.S., benefits packages are based on the country of employment. The anticipated duration of the assignment for expatriates is informed by a term limit based on job type and agency needs. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants and ensuring the rights and dignity of all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults.