Business Development Manager at Solidaridad Eastern & Central Africa Expertise Centre (SECAEC)

Duration: 2-year contract (extension based on performance)

Reporting line: Managing Director, Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa

Position Overview

Main objective of the function

Solidaridad is looking for a Business Development Manager with a passion for the development sector, strong interpersonal and communications skills, and enhanced multi-tasking abilities. The ideal candidate will lead our business development and stakeholder engagement efforts. S/he will have experience in marketing and strategic thinking, donor relations, researching market trends, targeting relationships and using proven methods to develop an effective fundraising strategy, while retaining our market partners. S/he will also be expected to exercise a degree of responsibility and proactivity.

Organisational Position

The Business Development Manager will work closely with the regional programme teams, regional innovations team (i.e. climate & landscapes, digital innovation, impact investment and gender), and quality functions team (including finance, communications, operations and PMEL), for alignment to organizational procedures. The Business Development Manager will also work closely with Solidaridad Network team members. The right candidate will be based in Nairobi, Kenya with regular travel regionally and internationally. The Business Development Manager shall report directly to the Managing Director, Solidaridad Eastern & Central Africa.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Identify and track relevant upcoming funding opportunities through advance intelligence gathering, partner relationships, and other available resources, and inform Country Offices and the relevant Solidaridad Eastern & Central Africa’s technical team;
• Conduct prospecting visits to the Organization’s Country Offices to identify and prepare for upcoming funding opportunities;
• Manage Actions for pre-solicitation, proposal preparations, and bid planning including: teaming, bid strategy, development of winning-themes, oversight of and contribution to technical design, drafting management and other sections of the proposal in advance of the solicitation;
• Manage major open funding solicitations and other proposal submissions, including teaming agreements, oversight of technical design and cost proposal, PPRs, capacity statements, internal review/quality control processes, drafting sections of the proposal where appropriate;
• Represent the organization’s business development interests at relevant meetings, events, and within resource mobilization or donor-specific peer networks, as it relates to Solidaridad Eastern & Central Africa’s funding streams;
• Undertake comprehensive donor mapping of potential regional and international donors/funders, as well as develop targeted approaches for market engagement and fundraising.
• Regularly update the donor database and manage market intelligence reporting.
• Lead and coordinate concepts and proposal development by compiling the necessary materials for concept and proposal narratives in collaboration with the regional programme and innovation teams.

Core Competencies

• High-level communication skills
• Stakeholder management skills
• Proven ability to negotiate
• Experience with design and implementation of business development strategies
• The ability to self-motivate and motivate a team;
• Experience working towards achieving set targets and exceeding them.
• Demonstrated self-reliant problem-solver with strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and oral skills, budgeting proficiency
• Able to travel extensively within Eastern and Central Africa and occasional international travel.

Key Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree either in Economics, Strategic Management, Marketing, Development Studies, Communications, or any related field;
• At least Five (5) years’ experience in a managerial role serving in an International NGO or related experience in business development, marketing, and/or fundraising;
• Experience working in the development sector (specifically in agri-business) in developing countries;
• Proven track record in resource mobilisation, programme design, proposal writing, business development and international donor relations management.