Business Development Associate

TITLE: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

DUTIES

This position will play an important role in helping to coordinate and support the management of IFDC’s overall business development efforts, including contributing input to individual proposals, and associated business development marketing materials. This will require close cooperation and collaboration with multiple other offices and divisions engaged with business development at IFDC. Duties may include:

• Coordinating and supporting the management of proposal development teams and acting as principal liaison with technical writers and others within IFDC and with partner organizations who may be contributing to proposal development;
• Developing and deploying systems for tracking new business development opportunities as well as preparation and timely submission of quality proposals; tracking, analyzing and reporting on the proposal process/success;
• Providing general support to IFDC’s business development processes, including maintaining the business development tracker;
• Drafting sections of proposals and business development marketing materials: management plans, corporate capability statements, and personnel inputs for proposals;
• Supporting the Finance Division with cost volume inputs including budgets;
• Cooperating with the Human Resources Unit to support recruitment of personnel for proposals, including formatting CVs, drafting bioblurbs, and managing the biodata process;
• Performing a variety of other related duties as required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

This position requires creativity and the ability to communicate effectively in order to persuade potential funding sources that IFDC has the capability and realistic plans to achieve development objectives that warrant their investment. This job will require the following:

• Exceptionally strong ability to communicate both in writing and verbally; superlative writing and editing skills;
• Ability to work effectively with others to assemble contributions from multiple sources and to combine them into a unified, coherent document under tight deadline conditions;
• Ability to conceptualize and present ideas and concepts in various graphic formats to economically convey a large volume of information and to make a strong impression on proposal evaluators;
• Familiarity with a wide range of software packages including word processing, document publishing, spreadsheets, graphic design, database management, project management, etc.;
• Minimum of Bachelor's degree in a field relevant to international development and at least 2 years of relevant work experience. Knowledge of and/or experience in a developing country context desirable;
• French language desirable.

DIFFICULTY OF WORK

This position requires knowledge of general approaches to new business development, especially in the USAID context; donor/funding agency proposal format and application requirements; and familiarity with IFDC’s work. The successful candidate will exercise good judgement to ensure that all solicitation requirements are met.

RESPONSIBILITY

The successful applicant incumbent will be able to work mainly independently, and with minimum supervision and oversight; s/he will be an autonomous highly motivated, self-starter. S/he will demonstrate interpersonal skills such that s/he will be able to autonomously interact with partners, client and donors, to promote IFDC in the field. There may be opportunity to supervise entry level or intern level staff.

PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS

Contact is made with technical staff, project leaders, and division directors to persuade staff to complete general business development and proposal components in a timely manner. Incumbent will be encouraged to interact with the broader international development community, to include USAID staff in Washington DC and globally.

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position requires working in a normal office environment with no unusual physical demands or exposure to hazardous situations. Occasional travel to IFDC out-posted locations may be required.