Business Development Officer At Internews Network

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Business Development Officer will lead the proposal process for business development opportunities at Internews across a diverse range of donors including USAID, the US State Department, AusAID, and others. They will be expected to perform complicated tasks requiring prior experience, education and/or training in business development functions. The Business Development Officer works within the Global Development team to increase funding in support of Internews’ mission by managing, writing and finalizing proposals and concept notes that are submitted to donors related to Democracy Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) funding sources, as well as others upon request, including opportunities focused on gender, youth and economic development. They will track and review U.S. Government funding announcements to determine strategies for applications and lead cross-functional teams to design and write proposals, both from DC and in the field. Working under the leadership of the Director for Global Development, DRG, the Business Development Officer will contribute to a strategic approach to business development at Internews to ensure the organization raises over $70 million annually from public sector donors, including USAID, the US State department, the Canadian government and AusAid among others.

LOGISTICS

Internews has US offices in Arcata, CA and Washington, DC which support a hybrid workforce with staff working remotely, fully in-office or partially remote. Ultimately this position may work remotely from the US, partially remote from our Washington, DC office, or fully in office for candidates based in the DC area.

This position has an anticipated closing date of April 4, 2022.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

Core Business Development Functions:

• Reviews U.S. government Requests for Application (RFA) and/or Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to determine strategy for application and lead cross-functional teams to design and write proposals, both from DC and in the field.
• Develops timelines, writing guides and compliance matrixes for proposals and concept notes
• Leads cross-functional teams to both design and write high quality proposals and concept notes for targeted donors. Manages the kick-off and/or design meetings for assigned proposals as required.
• Takes the lead in managing the development of proposals in response donor solicitations, working with program and technical staff members and others in the Global Development team to finalize proposals, through following a structured review process in line with Internews’ policies and guidelines.
• Writes, reviews and edits proposals and concept notes to donors, including development of the technical approach, conducting basic desk research, document formatting, and the development of situation analysis. capacity statements, past performance references, and formatting of CVs/resumes/short bio blurbs.
• Under supervision of the Director, supports strong partnerships with other local and international partners through timely communications with regards to particular opportunities. Manage partner expectations during the proposal process.
• Works with the Business Managers to ensure that the budget/cost submission is proceeding in line with the technical application and that the program design is consistent between the technical and the cost submission
• In coordination with Internews’ Grants and Contracts office, work with other members of the Global Development team to submit proposals following funders’ procedures.
• As needed, supports other Global Development leads on particularly large proposal opportunities.
• As needed, represents Internews at donor and partners meetings or events.
• Participate in quarterly positioning meetings for each program management unit, and in weekly Global Development coordination meetings.

Other Duties:

• Serves as the main point of contact for Global Development with one or more program management units
• Contributes to annual strategic planning for Global Development at Internews.
• Demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• At least 5 years of prior work experience, preferably in the non-profit, communications or international development field, at least 2 years of combined business development experience (Note: A Master’s degree in a relevant field can serve as a substitute for 2 years of work experience)
• Passion for the role of media and increased access to information in changing lives.
• Relevant undergraduate University degree. Master’s degree in a relevant field strongly preferred.
• Excellent oral communication and presentation skills.
• Superior writing skills with demonstrated ability to translate complicated technical material into easy to read and compelling text. Ability to both edit other’s writing and accept feedback on written text with both grace and humor.
• Extensive and demonstrated prior experience with successful proposal writing (at least two years), including leading proposal opportunities from start to finish
• Proven organization skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Proven ability to multi-task and prioritize within the context of a flexible and shifting workload.
• Ability to handle sensitive donor information with the utmost discretion.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to maintain a sense of calm, and project a sense of humor in the face of strict deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a working group/team to achieve a high quality proposal.
• Must be able and willing to work well with a diverse range of colleagues to achieve ambitious fundraising targets. Proven ability to operate effectively in a multicultural environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed both to domestic and/or international destinations, possibly to difficult international environments. (Travel is not expected to exceed 10% LOE for this position.)
• Proficient with Microsoft Outlook, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and internet research.

Preferred

*Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but are interested and willing to learn, are encouraged to apply.*

• Master’s degree in relevant field.
• Prior experience living and working overseas.
• Prior experience working in the media development field.
• Prior experience with researching donors, including sector and regional funding priorities.
• Prior experience with SalesForce.
• Spanish, French or Arabic language skills a plus.