Job Description

The Head of Business Development will lead and transform the organisation’s resource mobilisation function to deliver suitable, diversity, and strategic income growth aligned to the Country Strategy.

Beyond traditional fundraising, the role will position the organization as a partner of choice in advancing children’s rights, gender equality, girls’ rights and youth empowerment, by:

• Expanding institutional, corporate, and innovative financing streams
• Strengthening strategic partnerships and consortium leadership
• Driving competitive, high-quality proposal development
• Embedding influencing, localisation, and systems change approaches
• Ensuring financial sustainability in a shrinking and shifting donor landscape

The post holder will play a critical role in navigating declining traditional funding, increasing localisation agendas, and rising competition, while unlocking new funding models including private, climate finance, and blended finance opportunities.

Responsibilities

Strategic Resource Mobilisation and Growth

• Design and implement a forward-looking Resource Mobilisation Strategy aligned to the country Strategy and global priorities
• Drive diversification of the funding source, including: Bilateral and multilateral donors; Private sector and corporate partnerships; Foundations and Philanthropies; Climate and innovative financing mechanisms
• Lead Market intelligence and donor landscape analysis (including but not limited to multilaterals, corporate, government, institutional etc.), identifying emerging trends including localisation, climate funding, nexus programming.
• Conduct research to determine the interests of current and prospective donors and to identify new sources of funding that are aligned with organization’s priorities
• Develop and manage a robust funding pipeline and forecasting system
• Advise CLT on strategic funding decisions, balancing opportunity, risk and alignment

Strategic Partnership and Positioning

• Position the organization as a leader and partner of choice in gender equality and girls’ rights
• Build and manage high-value relations with donors and development partners; Government stakeholders; Private sector actors, INGOs, NGO and local partners.
• Lead the team to proactively build relationships with current and potential donors and National Offices; developing and following up on a schedule of communications, discussions and visits to establish mutual goals
• Lead consortium development, including securing prime/lead roles.
• Support the entire organization to excel in donor/funder prospecting, cultivation and stewardship; provide coaching, training and guidance as required
• Lead the team to identify and supply the evidence, data, and compliance requirements that will demonstrate organization’s suitability as a partner; includes drafting capacity statements and value propositions as required
• Collaborate with NOs and global networks to leverage joint opportunities.
• Keep abreast of fundraising initiatives of National Offices; take initiative to provide relevant support and information, and scan for opportunities to submit proposals
• Ensure that social & traditional media are regularly scanned for calls for proposals, and that any opportunities arising from the team’s networking activities are proactively followed-up
• Represent the organization to Donors and National Offices, at all times behaving in line with organization’s values and Code of Conduct (CoC) to give a faithful representation of the organisation

Proposal Development and Competitive Bidding

• Lead the design and submission of high-quality, competitive proposals (EOIs, concept notes, full proposals); provide the final editorial review to ensure the quality of all submitted proposals
• Liaise with the HoPDQ to constitute project/proposal development teams with the technical expertise necessary to design impactful projects and to develop winning proposals
• Ensure integration of: Gender transformative approaches; Safeguarding and inclusion; Influencing and systems change; Evidence and learning
• Collaborate closely with the Finance Manager, Budgeting & Reporting and with National Organizations to prepare proposal budgets in established formats meeting donor requirements
• Ensure timely submission of proposals for approval, firstly within the organization and then to the donor/NO; follow up as appropriate to secure funding, and ensure that all formal funding and legal agreements are drawn up by the team in compliance with what was agreed with the donor in terms of budget amount, and program objectives

Grants Management and Compliance Oversight

• Strengthen systems for grant tracking, compliance, and reporting quality.
• Ensure seamless handover from acquisition to implementation.
• Once funding agreements have been signed, manage the effective handover of the newly commissioned project to the Programme Implementation team; ensuring that they fully understand the goals and targets of the project
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure accurate budgeting and forecasting, cost recovery optimisation and financial risk management.
• Promote data-driven decision-making using grant and performance analytics.

KRA 4: Innovation and New Business Models

• Identify and pilot innovative financing approaches, including, blended fiancé, results-based finance, social impact partnerships etc.
• Promote digital positioning, visibility and strategic communication for fundraising.
• Drive private sector engagement strategies aligned with ESG priorities.
• Explore non-traditional funding streams, including regional and south-south partnerships.

Localization and Partnerships with local and international organizations

• Ensures existing Country Office (CO) and global partnership tools are contextualized and ready for implementation within the organization.
• Facilitate the mapping of potential partners and facilitate the processes of partnership selection.
• Facilitate the periodic review of the partnership strategies and compliance with the partnership principles.
• Ensures review and approval of all partnership pre-teaming and teaming agreement documents in due time for preparation and submission of proposals; and that Partnership Agreements are in place in compliance with donors’ and organization’s regulations.
• Make sure the Partnerships Database for the organization is up to date.

Safeguarding, Gender Equality & Inclusion

• Ensure that organization’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.
• This includes, but is not limited to ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and organization’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s Degree in International Development, Business, Economics, Marketing or related field
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in resource mobilisation/business development
• Proven track record of securing large-scale institutional funding
• Demonstrated success in leading teams and managing complex portfolios
• Experience in private sector engagement and innovative financing is a strong advantage
• Strategic and forward-thinking leader able to navigate complexity and change.
• Strong influencer and negotiator across diverse stakeholders.
• Drivers innovation and transformation in resource mobilisation.
• Leads through influence rather than position, and role models our values, accelerating gender equality inside and outside the organization; leads change by developing new ideas and strategies.

• Design and implement a forward-looking Resource Mobilisation Strategy aligned to the country Strategy and global priorities
• Drive diversification of the funding source, including: Bilateral and multilateral donors; Private sector and corporate partnerships; Foundations and Philanthropies; Climate and innovative financing mechanisms
• Lead Market intelligence and donor landscape analysis (including but not limited to multilaterals, corporate, government, institutional etc.), identifying emerging trends including localisation, climate funding, nexus programming.
• Conduct research to determine the interests of current and prospective donors and to identify new sources of funding that are aligned with organization’s priorities
• Develop and manage a robust funding pipeline and forecasting system
• Advise CLT on strategic funding decisions, balancing opportunity, risk and alignment
• Position the organization as a leader and partner of choice in gender equality and girls’ rights
• Build and manage high-value relations with donors and development partners; Government stakeholders; Private sector actors, INGOs, NGO and local partners.
• Lead the team to proactively build relationships with current and potential donors and National Offices; developing and following up on a schedule of communications, discussions and visits to establish mutual goals
• Lead consortium development, including securing prime/lead roles.
• Support the entire organization to excel in donor/funder prospecting, cultivation and stewardship; provide coaching, training and guidance as required
• Lead the team to identify and supply the evidence, data, and compliance requirements that will demonstrate organization’s suitability as a partner; includes drafting capacity statements and value propositions as required
• Collaborate with NOs and global networks to leverage joint opportunities.
• Keep abreast of fundraising initiatives of National Offices; take initiative to provide relevant support and information, and scan for opportunities to submit proposals
• Ensure that social & traditional media are regularly scanned for calls for proposals, and that any opportunities arising from the team’s networking activities are proactively followed-up
• Represent the organization to Donors and National Offices, at all times behaving in line with organization’s values and Code of Conduct (CoC) to give a faithful representation of the organisation
• Lead the design and submission of high-quality, competitive proposals (EOIs, concept notes, full proposals); provide the final editorial review to ensure the quality of all submitted proposals
• Liaise with the HoPDQ to constitute project/proposal development teams with the technical expertise necessary to design impactful projects and to develop winning proposals
• Ensure integration of: Gender transformative approaches; Safeguarding and inclusion; Influencing and systems change; Evidence and learning
• Collaborate closely with the Finance Manager, Budgeting & Reporting and with National Organizations to prepare proposal budgets in established formats meeting donor requirements
• Ensure timely submission of proposals for approval, firstly within the organization and then to the donor/NO; follow up as appropriate to secure funding, and ensure that all formal funding and legal agreements are drawn up by the team in compliance with what was agreed with the donor in terms of budget amount, and program objectives
• Strengthen systems for grant tracking, compliance, and reporting quality.
• Ensure seamless handover from acquisition to implementation.
• Once funding agreements have been signed, manage the effective handover of the newly commissioned project to the Programme Implementation team; ensuring that they fully understand the goals and targets of the project
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure accurate budgeting and forecasting, cost recovery optimisation and financial risk management.
• Promote data-driven decision-making using grant and performance analytics.
• Identify and pilot innovative financing approaches, including, blended fiancé, results-based finance, social impact partnerships etc.
• Promote digital positioning, visibility and strategic communication for fundraising.
• Drive private sector engagement strategies aligned with ESG priorities.
• Explore non-traditional funding streams, including regional and south-south partnerships.
• Ensures existing Country Office (CO) and global partnership tools are contextualized and ready for implementation within the organization.
• Facilitate the mapping of potential partners and facilitate the processes of partnership selection.
• Facilitate the periodic review of the partnership strategies and compliance with the partnership principles.
• Ensures review and approval of all partnership pre-teaming and teaming agreement documents in due time for preparation and submission of proposals; and that Partnership Agreements are in place in compliance with donors’ and organization’s regulations.
• Make sure the Partnerships Database for the organization is up to date.
• Ensure that organization’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.
• This includes, but is not limited to ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and organization’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

• Strategic and forward-thinking leader able to navigate complexity and change.
• Strong influencer and negotiator across diverse stakeholders.
• Drivers innovation and transformation in resource mobilisation.
• Leads through influence rather than position, and role models our values, accelerating gender equality inside and outside the organization; leads change by developing new ideas and strategies.

• Master’s Degree in International Development, Business, Economics, Marketing or related field
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in resource mobilisation/business development
• Proven track record of securing large-scale institutional funding
• Demonstrated success in leading teams and managing complex portfolios
• Experience in private sector engagement and innovative financing is a strong advantage