BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and fight with CARE.

CARE is seeking a Business Development Specialist who will be a part of the Institutional Funding & Strategy (IFS) team and will play a key role in the oversight, management, and quality control of the entire proposal development process. This person will ensure a compliant and donor-responsive proposal, that meets both funder and CARE requirements and internal standards. Particularly, the Business Development Specialist coordinates the development of proposals, primarily to the US Government including both prime and sub bids under $20 million. This role includes: coordinating IFS support to CARE CO’s responding to USG bids, as assigned; liaising with partners; helping conceptualize the CARE role in potential projects; reviewing draft proposals for quality and compliance; leading proposal development efforts, as assigned, and on occasion being deployed to the field to manage the proposal process and facilitate design workshops.

The Business Development Specialist works closely with the other members of IFS and with CO and HQ staff to ensure responsiveness to the requirements of the RFP/A, and consistency with CARE’s best practices and CO needs and interests. He/she develops and maintains systems to facilitate CARE’s response to RFPs/As; prepares analytical reports of past CARE experiences to reflect on lessons learned. This person will be tasked with designing and facilitating workshops to build CARE staff capacity to successfully pursue bids. Lastly, the Business Development Specialist plays an important role in advocating for proposals to reflect CARE’s proposal and programming standards.

Responsibilities:

• Oversees, coordinates and is ultimately responsible for ensuring the preparation, writing, editing, review, management and timely submission of technical and cost proposals and other funder or IFS required materials
• Actively coordinate with assigned PPL unit (currently Water+ and Food and Water Systems) to review USG forecast and facilitate advance planning and positioning for strategic opportunities
• Support ongoing IFS efforts to improve its business development processes, particularly those relevant to his/her position. This includes contributing to the development, maintenance, and promotion of IFS’s BD Guide as well as supporting development of training models, guidance documents, and best practices for capacity building in areas relevant to his/her position
• Manage IFS Interns (if applicable): Mentor and coach staff and provide ongoing feedback and supervision
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in development studies, or field that emphasizes critical writing and thinking skills
• At least four (4) years experience in proposal development (in at least a part-time capacity); At least two years experience in program management or design
• Excellent writing skills with special emphasis on clear, persuasive language; strong editing skills; knowledge of US government proposal requirements; and ability to work under tight deadlines